Food on "The Sopranos"

[Lisa1349]

I love the presense of food on the show - reminding me of the good ol' days living in Bensonhurst. What were the Lincoln Log sammies about in the mst recent episode? They looked like hot dogs split with cream cheese. I like hot dogs with (gasp) american cheese, but cream cheese? I get that hot dogs look like lincoln building logs - but with... cream cheese? Has anyone eaten this? Is she hitting the chianti too much?

[iriee]

never heard of them either!

[jsmeeker]

food has been a huge element of the show from the start. It really seems that at least half the scenes involve food.

Eating Sunday dinner. Tony having a snack. The gang at a restautant. Someone bringing something from a bakery to Uncle Junior. etc. etc.

I'm not Italian-American and haven't lived in New Jersey in years and years. Can someone give a rundown on all of the "nicknames" they have for various foods.

[kbjesq]

food has been a huge element of the show from the start.  It really seems that at least half the scenes involve food.

I never thought about that until just now. You are right. And sure enough, there is a Soprano's Family Cookbook that has received 83 reviews and 4.5 stars on Amazon.

Amazing.

[rooftop1000]

I love the presense of food on the show - reminding me of the good ol' days living in Bensonhurst. What were the Lincoln Log sammies about in the mst recent episode? They looked like hot dogs split with cream cheese. I like hot dogs with (gasp) american cheese, but cream cheese? I get that hot dogs look like lincoln building logs  - but with... cream cheese? Has anyone eaten this? Is she hitting the chianti too much?

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I dont know about calling them Lincoln Logs but over at Amazing Hot Dog Eric has a dog with cream cheese and scallion called a Schmeiro or something...its actually pretty good

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...amazing+hot+dog

tracey

[Carrot Top]

Oooh. I've been thinking of buying The Goomba Diet for some time now.

Thanks for reminding me.

Not that I'm aiming to be large, but goombas are wonderful things.

“I’ve read Steve’s book and I’ve seen his cholesterol report. They’ve both got mozzarella all over them.” —Vince Curatola, “Johnny Sack” from The Sopranos

“When it comes to goombas, Steve is one of the best . . . Just don’t take him out and feed him!!!” —Tony Sirico, “Paulie Walnuts” on The Sopranos

“Finally a diet even I could stick to.” —James Gandolfini, “Tony Soprano” on The Sopranos

The Goomba Diet is for everyone with an appetite for life, and for everyone who understands that the key to happiness isn’t found in a smaller waistline but in a bigger heart. Like Steve says, “There’s a lot of skinny actors wearing black turtlenecks and tending bar right now who’d kill for a part on The Sopranos. This fat goomba is doing all right for himself.”

Edited May 22, 2007 by Carrot Top (log)

[Lisa1349]

And after being on the Goomba Diet you hear Tony's quote when he sees Bobby Baccala from afar,

It's time for him to seriously consider salads.

Even sushi played a role last season. Food also plays a role in all the scenes of my own life. It looks like I'll have to try the hot dog/cream cheese combo.

[CKatCook]

I saw the Lincoln Logs too and was curious about the cream cheese. I have never heard of that. Now I am curious enough to try it.

I have seen the show since its very beginning and now that I really think about it, alot of the scenes do center around food. And good looking food at that...

[lia]

"Tony! The rollateen!" That still cracks me up.

And I laughed the other night at Paulie offering to get Tony some food from Baja Fresh, pronouncing the J. somehow I don't think that's the sort of comfort food Tony needed.

[Kevin72]

"What? No f***'n ziti?" All time favorite line that hooked me from the first episode.

ETA: For the past couple season premieres, I've done a "Sopranos Night" meal: baked ziti, Mario Batali's Green Beans, sfogliatelle. Gonna miss those.

Edited May 23, 2007 by Kevin72 (log)

[Tom_June]

I think my favorite involved Christopher being pissed and throwing a box of pastries down on a table. Paulie yells "The sfogliatelle!!!"

[Zeemanb]

There are too many to pick just one, but WAY up on the list for me is a one-handed Artie going to his old family cookbook for a recipe to cook the rabbit he had just shot in his backyard in a fit of anger. A young couple had shown up as the restaurant was closing, and the server had already opened the wine...."they'll eat what I give them!".

[zoe b]

another food aspect of last week was AJ's pained response when Meadow told him he needed to move out and try living on his own--

"But I need Mom's food!"

[CKatCook]

I use to love Artie in the kitchen! I love the wine glasses. They look more like "wine cups" than glasses.

I use to do a Soprano's night too. A new dish every week that I would take from the cookbook the silver spoon. I will miss those, too.

[Kris]

I'd like to try Carmela's ricotta pie one day. LOL

[Fay Jai]

I love the presense of food on the show - reminding me of the good ol' days living in Bensonhurst. What were the Lincoln Log sammies about in the mst recent episode? They looked like hot dogs split with cream cheese. I like hot dogs with (gasp) american cheese, but cream cheese? I get that hot dogs look like lincoln building logs  - but with... cream cheese? Has anyone eaten this? Is she hitting the chianti too much?

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LOL...Any decent Hot Dog cart here in Seattle has Cream Cheese and Sciracha Sauce available as condiments. Fu*kin Delicious.

I made the Sunday Gravy recipe out of the Soprano's Family Cookbook for the finale, and really liked it!

Don't Stop...

~Jason

[Chufi]

We're watching season 6 part II on dvd now with friends (it hasn't been on tv here yet ), and have Soprano inspired dinners to go with the viewings. (First night - spaghetti with meatballs and Sunday Gravy, second night - chicken cacciatore)

We have another evening planned for Christmas so I was wondering what would be a great Soprano inspired Christmas menu? We have some wild rabbit in the freezer. Does anyone remember what Artie did with the rabbit he shot in the backyard, how did he prepare it?

For dessert I'm thinking of making Carmela's ricotta pie

[racheld]

I too have never heard of hotdogs with cream cheese before either, but as they are supposed to be Lincoln logs maybe it was Carm's idea to use the cream cheese as the chinking......something to entertain and educate the kiddies???

[pennylane]

I know this isn't the typical dish one associates with The Sopranos, but I was obsessed with "johnnycakes" for the longest time after watching that show. I made them every day for two or three weeks when Vito went to New Hampshire.

Chufi, if you're watching the sixth season now, you may know what I'm talking about!

[Sherry B]

I know this isn't the typical dish one associates with The Sopranos, but I was obsessed with "johnnycakes" for the longest time after watching that show.  I made them every day for two or three weeks when Vito went to New Hampshire.

Chufi, if you're watching the sixth season now, you may know what I'm talking about!

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I didn't really understand what the johhnycakes were?? To me johnnycake is cornmeal cake, something you bake in a tin, like cornbread. But on the show they were more like pancakes.

Would they be cornmeal pancakes?

[Dianabanana]

We're watching season 6 part II on dvd now with friends (it hasn't been on tv here yet  ), and have Soprano inspired dinners to go with the viewings. (First night - spaghetti with meatballs and Sunday Gravy, second night - chicken cacciatore)

We have another evening planned for Christmas so I was wondering what would be a great Soprano inspired Christmas menu? We have some wild rabbit in the freezer. Does anyone remember what Artie did with the rabbit he shot in the backyard, how did he prepare it?

For dessert I'm thinking of making Carmela's ricotta pie 

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My mom got the Sopranos cookbook and appears to be addicted to Carmela's ricotta pie, the one with the pineapple topping, except she leaves that off. Every time I talk to my her she's making that pie. Once she ate an entire one herself in a single day. I really need to try it!

[Zeemanb]

Okay, reviving this thread for a moment....

On Saturday night I hosted a dinner party based on the Sopranos Cookbook. I thought it would be a fun theme, and not an overly complicated choice for my trial run at cooking for more than a couple of people. With the exception of the bread I served with dinner, I really took this to the homemade extreme....pasta, sausage, etc.

Overall, it was a total blast. The first two courses had nothing to do with the book, but the rest is all from there:

1st- small skewer of mozzarella, tomato, basil, prosciutto- finished with a couple of drops of olive oil and balsamic

2nd- Cream of mushroom soup (from Top Chef Season 2) and Ceci Bruschetta from the Babbo Cookbook

3rd- Arancini on a bed of mixed greens- Other than the recipe needing some adjustment to make forming the risotto mixture into a ball less of a nightmare, this was an enormously well received dish.

4th- Fettucine Aglio e Olio- I modified this one a bit to include all of the elements of pesto...threw in toasted pine nuts, chopped basil and lots of good Parmesano Reggiano.

5th- Lasagne made w/Sunday Gravy- when you're going completely homemade with both the gravy and the noodles, this dish takes a long time to create. Home-ground beef for the meatballs (the recipe is excellent) and homemade sausage, etc. I will say it is definitely worth the time to do this one right...it's a monster. One thing I'd do differently next time instead of using the tiny meatballs is make regular sized meatballs, chill them and then slice them thin. I have an oversized lasagne pan, and still managed to load it so full I had to put in one less layer than the recipe called for. The height issue was due primarily to the meatballs. Also, structural integrity was an issue, it was one oozy mess once I started dishing it up. But seriously, this was one incredible dish.

6th- Carmella's Ricotta Pie- great "lighter" dessert after all of that rich food.

Last but not least- I sent everyone home with some home roasted Sumatra Lintong and "Biscotti Regina" from the cookbook.

Since the Arancini and Lasagne were untested recipes for me, there are some adjustment's I'd make when I do them again. Other than that, the dinner was a great success. The multi-tasking moment of the evening was when I used one of those small grill-basket things I picked up from an Asian grocer to "grill" my bruschetta over my glass cooktop. Good times.

Anyway, there's a lot more info and pictures over on my blog.

[Shelby]

Oh wow, I didn't know there was a topic about this here! I've had the cookbook for a while now--I'll have to check out that ricotta pie!

[Susie Q]

If anyone is interested check out your local Borders, the second Soprano's Cookbook, Entertaining something something is a mere $2.99. Carmella is on the cover.

[LVic]

If anyone is interested check out your local Borders, the second Soprano's Cookbook, Entertaining something something is a mere $2.99. Carmella is on the cover.

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When I read this post, I ran right out and grabbed a copy. I loved the first Sopranos' cookbook (which unfortunately after buying used on EBay from a gentleman in North Carolina, still reeks of his cigarettes. Gives it an authentic feel when I open the book, it's like I'm really at the table in front of Satriani's Pork Store!)

As the only new Jerseyan that wasn't regularly watching this show, I'd caught up with it on DVD now and, of course, am completely engrossed in the food aspect. I'm no "mayonaisser" by far, but I am one of those people that calls spaghetti, ziti, and fettucine "pasta" rather than "macaroni" (which to me, means the elbows with the cheese powder.) And of course, the tomato-based sauce I call "pasta sauce", rather than "gravy" (which to me was brown stuff from a can that you put on meatloaf.)

As you can guess, in the first year of our marriage, my Italian-American husband and I have had a severe culinary "language barrier" regarding food. ;-)