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My birthday is Sunday, and if I had my druthers, I would rather have $500 to shop in the Ninth Street Italian Market than to go on a spree at Tiffany’s.
In some ways I am much like my grandmother. I purchase almost everything for my table from independent merchants and strive to support local farmers.
Some people say “Ninth Street is not what it used to be.” What is? Change is good and it is inevitable. Still there are a number of stores that have been in business for many years. Fante’s Kitchen Wares opened in 1906, D’Angelo Bros. opened its doors in ’10, Di Bruno Bros. appeared on the culinary scene in ’39 and Claudio Specialty Foods debuted in the ’50s.
I always stop at these four places when visiting the Italian Market.
People travel from the hinterlands to buy Sonny D’Angelo’s sausages. They run the tasty gamut from pork to veal to lamb to venison. Whenever I am hungry for osso bucco, I head to Sonny for veal shanks. I clearly recall one cold, winter day when Sonny hoisted the animal in front of me and started cutting. The veal is organic and humanely raised in Lancaster County, so I count on Sonny to sell me the finest product available.
Fante’s is pure eye candy for me. I was thinking about buying a paella pan and discovered the store stocks these carbon steel pans made in Spain and Italy. Fante’s always states the country that made each item on its website. I moseyed over to the gadget wall where I always find a new addition for my drawer. I considered a melon baller, a hand juicer, a medium-sized mesh strainer or a stainless-steel ladle, especially since Edward broke the cheap plastic one I bought on a whim at a dollar store.
On to Di Bruno’s for the makings of the finest antipasto in town. The cheese mavens gave me samples and helped me to make my selections. I also purchased marinated whole baby artichokes, white anchovies, roasted peppers and an array of olives.
Claudio’s display of olive oils and vinegars is dazzling. I find sherry vinegar from Spain and red wine vinegar from Italy at bottom-line prices. A few cans of San Marzano crushed tomatoes, some imported ladyfingers and several boxes and bags of dried pasta also were on my list.
While shopping on Ninth Street last week, I stopped at Spice Corner for a packet of black peppercorns. Smoked paprika has become popular within the past year or so but it can be difficult to find. Spice Corner stocks it.
Our dinner will begin with an antipasto prepared with the goodies I purchased at Di Bruno. It will be dressed with olive oil and red wine vinegar from Claudio. Pasta with sausages from D’Angelo will take pride of place on the table. I would serve a fine chianti or a blend of Chianti with Sangiovese from Tuscany with the pasta. A classic and sweet way to end dinner is a no-brainer. Chocolate, vanilla and ricotta cheese cannoli from Isgro’s Pasteries, which opened in 1904.
Pasta with Sausages
Ingredients:
1-1/2 pounds sausages of your choice, remove the meat from its casing
Enough olive oil to coat the bottom of a 4-quart pot
1 medium onion, chopped
2 shallots, sliced
4 fat garlic cloves, sliced
1 28-ounce can of imported crushed San Marzano tomatoes
1 cup of dry red wine
2 bay leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 pound pasta of your choice, cooked according to package directions
Directions:
Heat the olive oil over medium-high. Add the onion and shallots and sauté them for about eight minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for about another minute or so.
Push the vegetables to the side of the pot. Add the sausages and sauté briskly. When the sausages have lost their raw color, sauté the contents of the pot to blend well.
Add all of the remaining ingredients, raise the heat to high and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to simmer and cover the pot with the lid askew.
Simmer for about 90 minutes.
Serves four.
Note from Phyllis: I prefer fettuccine, pappardelle or tagliatelle with this dish. SPR
Contact the South Philly Review at editor@southphillyreview.com.
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