Carino's: Chef's Corner

When chefs and restaurateurs look at food trends to determine what types of new dishes to create – ‘comfort food’ always tops the list.  What exactly is ‘comfort food’?  Well, I think it includes the type of items that we all grew up on and have on a regular basis, especially at home and at family functions that involve food.  My role as a chef is to take these sorts of food ideas and make them unique, delicious and fit the Carino’s menu that our guests can appreciate.  That is the basis for the new Crispy Pepperoni Burger – Think of it as an Italian Cheeseburger…..my version has San Marzano tomatoes, mozzarella, parmesan and fried pepperoni.  We get our bun from a delicious Italian bakery and the meat is a half-pound Black Angus chuck patty.  I have to admit, when we put this new burger into test I wasn’t quite sure how it would do, with us really not being a burger joint and all.  It actually did so well that we put it on the core Carino’s menu so it is available in most locations.  Come on in and give it a try and let me know what you think!

As you know, Christmas is a time of tradition, holy reverence and celebration – and the Italian culture has one of the best Christmas Eve traditions known to man - the ‘Feast of the Seven Fishes’.  This feast originated in Southern Italy, and has expanded with migration from the motherland to here in the United States.  Typically, Italian families will have a seven-course (or more) meal on Christmas Eve.  First of all – why all seafood on Christmas Eve?  Well, Italians are primarily Catholic and abstain from meat on holy days – and nothing is more holy than Christmas or Easter. And why seven courses?  Nobody seems to know for sure but some people say that it has to do with the seven holy sacraments or the seven capital sins.  Oh well, regardless of why – the feast is magnificent – dishes such as salted cod, stuffed calamari, linguine with clams and grilled swordfish are usually on the menu.  I was thinking of how to enjoy such a feast at Carino’s – our Hand-Breaded Calamari, Jalapeño Garlic Tilapia, Lemon Pepper Mahi Mahi, Shrimp Scampi and Zesty Calamari Salad would all make for great options this holiday season.  From my kitchen to yours, I wish everyone a very happy, healthy and safe Christmas season!

I am often asked to explain what differentiates Carino’s Italian from the rest of the Italian restaurant world.  The answer to that is quite simple.....and delicious.  Carino’s Italian is what I like to call “Italian with a Twist”.  We have perfected our homemade Italian classics like Lasagna, Eggplant Parmesan and Tiramisu.  On the other hand, we have ventured out and created cult classic dishes like the Italian Nachos, Sicilian Firesticks, Jalapeno Garlic Tilapia and the Spicy Shrimp and Chicken.  All of these dishes are Italian and have classic ingredient components, however they contain ingredients, flavors and concepts that we have ‘invented’ here in the United States.  Now I will be the first to tell you, Carino’s is not the truest old world authentic cuisine – we are American Italian.  When I was doing my culinary training south of Naples, Italy, I realized very quickly that authentic Italian cuisine does not include Alfredo sauces or breaded versions of Chicken Parmesan.  However, here in the United States, those are some of our most requested dishes.  The best example that I can give you is our Shredded Beef Pappardelle, a very popular dish on our menu that uses braised pot roast served with pasta in a burgundy wine and tomato cream sauce.  It is out of this world, the only thing is – if it were authentic from an Italian cuisine standpoint, it would be made with Wild Boar like they do in Tuscany.  And although that is very delicious – I would rather serve it to you at Carino’s in an American Italian version.

While working on some dishes for this fall, one of which is the Butternut Squash Tortellacci, I realized that many people probably do not realize what ‘tortellacci’ are.  I do realize however, that everyone probably knows what ‘tortellini’ are.  Please note the ‘ini’ at the end, which in Italian-speak means small.  Tortellini are those delicious little pasta shapes usually stuffed with cheese and tossed in some sort of sauce.  The same shape in a little larger form is known as tortelloni, which are used in a Carino’s favorite – the Baked Cheese Tortelloni.  Once again, notice the ‘oni’ in the ending, which signifies the larger shape.  The new Butternut Squash Tortellacci, which returns to the menu later this month, is tossed with a gorgonzola cream sauce over freshly sautéed spinach.  The tortellacci, notice the ending for the last time, is the big daddy of this shape.  Since this shape is so large, we are able to try new fillings that emphasize meats and vegetables, rather than just cheese.  This version is stuffed with roasted butternut squash, which goes great with the gorgonzola cheese sauce.  The tortellacci are more than twice the size of the medium sized tortelloni.  They are actually so big, we serve only 6 pieces to an order – but I promise you, you will definitely leave with a full stomach!

How do I come up with the recipes that we serve at Carino's?  Well, first of all, I get my ideas and inspirations from lots of different places.  Most of my ideas come from my culinary visits to Italy and parts of the United States, where I find great food and try to 'Carinofy' it. This is the term I use to make a recipe fit the value, price point, and style of food that our guests at Carino's tend to like the most.  A great example of this is our Shredded Beef Papparedelle, which is currently on our menu.  This classic Tuscan dish is traditionally made in Italy with roasted boar.  I am not so sure if that would work with us so I 'Carinofy' it by using hand-shredded pot roast to broaden the appeal, while still using the pappardelle pasta and bolognese sauce that makes the dish a classic.  I closely study food trends to see what would be most appealing to our guests.  In these trying economic times, I also try to utilize ingredients that we can get at a good value so that we can pass that value on to our guests.

Another way I come up with new menu items is by focusing on one ingredient and brainstorming all the different ways I can serve it.  This summer, I developed a smoked chicken ravioli that is to die for.  It is a great blend of a traditional Italian ravioli with a unique, flavorful smoked and pulled chicken filling.  I then worked on serving the ravioli in numerous sauces and presentations.  What we ended up with was two versions.  The first version is the San Marzano Chicken Ravioli, focusing on the flavorful San Marzano tomato sauce to compliment the smoked chicken.  The second version is the Smoked Chicken and Jalapeno Cream Ravioli, which has some kick with its roasted peppers and onions in a jalapeno cream sauce. One great smoked chicken ravioli, two completely different and flavorful ways to serve it. We are running these new dishes all summer long and they have been a huge success - please come in and give them a try, I'd love to know what you think!