Felice Anno Nuovo! That’s Happy New Year in Italian. We had our very own Italian New Year’s Eve party at COOK this past week with COOK veteran Nick Macri of La Divisa Meats. Nick cooked up traditional Italian New Year’s fare while his old friend Brian Kane poured drinks for everyone. This festive class was appropriately the last dinner at COOK in 2018. We are so happy to have shared it with a great crowd, and we want to present it to you as well. Read on to see what was served at the Viglia di Capodanno (New Year’s Eve) dinner and how we rang in 2019 early at COOK – Italian style!

Brian kicked things off with a welcome cocktail he dubbed “Lil’ Orange & Veggie Spritz.” After mixing together Cynar, Campari, Lillet and club soda, the drink was garnished with an orange peel. The skin of the orange explains the “lil orange” part of the name, but you may be asking where are the veggies? Well Cynar is actually an amaro made from herbs and artichokes! So it’s basically a healthy drink, right?

The food served was a representation of traditional Italian New Year dishes, which highlight seasonal ingredients and represent values for the coming year. For instance, the first dish Nick prepared was salmon crudo with salsa verde, chilies and crispy fish skin. Fish scales signify wealth – and hey, who wouldn’t turn that down in 2019? Paired with the salmon crudo was a white wine from Sardinia made from Vermentino grapes. Brian chose the Sella & Mosca Vermentino because it pairs well with seafood and is a fairly unknown grape to many.

Pasta e fagioli (literal translation pasta and beans) is a common dish that many Italian-Americans are familiar with. Fresh fusilli and borlotti beans were the base of the dish to which Nick added roasted tomato, bacon and pecorino. Beans and lentils are incorporated to bring good luck into the new year, much like the American tradition of eating black eyed peas. Pork is featured because of the swine’s natural rooting behavior, so as to symbolize moving or nudging forward into the new year. Brian explained that he paired Luisa Ribolla Gialla, a white wine similar to pinot blanc, with the fusilli due to its light body and exceptional character.  Sidenote: Brian also said that Nick’s pasta is the main reason he wanted to come to dinner, it’s that good! Nick’s key to any good pasta shuta (dry pasta) is to homogenize the pasta with the sauce, not simply serve it on top.

“Meat Man Macri” showcased his butcher stand’s wares in the main course, Bollito Suino. Bowls were piled high with grilled black pepper sausage and white wine braised ribs, accompanied by cabbage, potato, carrot, and bagnetto rosso (a tomato based sauce). After helping Nick with plating, Brian poured guests a glass of Graci Etna Rosso, a Sicilian red wine. Since the entree was inspired by Northern Italian cuisine, Brian wanted to juxtapose the dish with a bold Southern Italian wine. Referred to as the “Marlon Brando of wines,” Brian stated that Graci Etna Rosso has a lot of character and years of depth.

The grand finale was a chestnut panna cotta with a citrus salad. Both chestnuts and citrus are seasonal this time of year. It is the Italian way to use what the local environment has to offer. In this sense Nick believes restaurants that choose fresh ingredients over imported ones are, in fact, Italian in ethos, regardless of the restaurant’s cuisine. Before digging into the dessert, Brian provided guests with a glass of Ramazzotti Amaro for a proper New Year’s toast. Nick, Brian and all our guests shouted “saluti” or “cheers” in Italian and rang in the New Year at COOK!

We’d like to extend that toast to you – saluti, and from all of us at COOK have a Happy New Year!