If conjuring up vats of Limoncello wasn’t enough to satisfy my boozy demands, my friend Adam and I have brewed up an award winning beer*.

*we haven’t won anything yet, but come late June I hope to be bobbing around town with what I can only expect to be a lager-filled trophy with a cheeky grin and bright red complexion.

Natty Greene’s hosts a Home-Brew tasting competition at the end of every month. How many brewers or varieties will be on tap is unknown, but what I do know is that Adam is a home-brewing maestro and our current experiment should be damn good. The full write up will come in June just in time for Booze of the Month, but consider the following photos your beer flight before the real party begins:

And let’s not forget our secret ingredient who’s aroma and sweet nectar will balance out our stellar draft to hazy victory! If you can name the foreign citrus I’ll personally send you a few bottles of our liquid gold once it’s finished. Buy a vowel and start guessing!

Alas, the evil trojan-horse-internet-malware-virus-monster has been eliminated and we’re back to our regularly scheduled programming here on giusto! Damn trollers have nothing better to do than hack my site…put down the red bull, remove your hand from your pants and try a treadmill ya bastards.

On to happier things, more delicious things like grilling a whole fish. I’m asked time and time again what my favorite fish preparation is and I always respond “whole grilled fish”. Staring down a whole fish eye-to-eye may seem daunting, but that dude’s dead and can’t fight back so don’t worry. Honestly, your fish monger will do the dirty work, that’s what they’re there for.

First:  Find a fish market, asian market, or grocery store selling fresh caught fish. The MOST IMPORTANT part to grilling any fish is choosing the freshest catch possible. If your recipe calls for snapper, but the trout look better (like today’s recipe), for christs sake buy the trout. How will you know if it’s fresh? Most of all it shouldn’t smell “fishy”, it should smell clean and mildly of the ocean. Don’t be embarrassed to ask to smell, they’ll think you’re cool, promise. Also, the eyes should be clear, wet, and the skin should have a light film to it – trust me, that’s a good sign.

Second: Once you’ve chosen your fishy friend, have your fish monger butterfly the whole fish. Butterflying will remove all of the rib bones and back bone leaving you with nothing but the flesh, head, tail, and few fins. No worries, they’re easily removed after it’s cooked.

Third: Crank your grill up to full whack and use a fish or vegetable grill sheet if your grill has thin grates. The idea is to increase the surface area as much as possible to reduce sticking and increase flavor.

Last: Rinse your fish inside and out, pat dry and then season with salt, pepper, and maybe some lemons or herbage in the cavity to help season the fish from the inside. Coat lightly with oil, add to the grill and back away! The idea is to allow the skin to crisp up and remove itself from the grill before flipping. Watch for the meat on the grill-side-down to turn opaque, carefully slip a spatula under the fish and flip gingerly using your hands to keep it from breaking apart. Grill on the other side for the same amount of time and remove.

It’s that easy. Depending on the thickness of your fish you’ll need to monitor the heat so the skin doesn’t burn before it’s ready to turn. The skin is actually my favorite part depending on the fish variety, trout and salmon are the best. That brings me to my main point:

Eating whole fish allows you to enjoy every cut, flavor, and texture the variety has to offer. From the flaky filet to the tender cheeks, fatty belly, and rich head meat (awkward term but really tasty). Even the tail is edible, crunchy and smoky when charred up just right.

So get out there and start grilling whole fish, you have nothing to lose and so many new flavors to gain. You could eat it plain with lemon & oil, topped with fresh tomatoes and basil, or glazed over with a sticky sweet sauce. Any way you grill it, it’s going to be a new favorite or my name’s not Big Fat Paulie.

SPARK NOTES: 1. BUY FRESH FISH 2. HAVE IT BUTTERFLIED 3.SEASON INSIDE & OUT 4.GRILL, FLIPPING ONCE 5.TOP WITH LEMON, HERBS, TOMATO, PESTO, WHO CARE’S IT’S AWESOME NO MATTER WHAT. 

Summer’s almost here and I’m answering a long line of requests for a beverage so freaking good it takes a full month to construct. Patience, my thirsty friends, is a virtue that will pay out in spades. Blurry, barely comprehensible spades. This heroic tale of adventure will take place in 3 parts, beginning as April’s BOTM and ending as May’s.

So slap on your 3D* internet glasses and get ready for the greatest animated-gif libation of all time. Ladies and gentleman, I give you….Limoncello:

PHASE 1: A NEW (151 PROOF) HOPE

Gif Recipes, the next big thing in inter-web gastronomy, you saw it here first! Stay tuned in early May for the concluding chapters of our epic tale: Phase 2: The Simple Syrup Strikes Back and Phase 3: Return of the Drunky

 *animated gif is not actually 3D until you’ve consumed 1 full serving of Limoncello. 

Saturday was a hurricane season flashback: purple skies, heavy rains and howling winds followed by crystal blue atmosphere and dizzying heat. Standard NC weather really. Unphased, the Raleigh Farmer’s Market was buzzing with life, everyone eager for summer’s first flavors. Here’s a glimpse into April in Cackalacky:

Strawberries everywhere, in baskets, bags, bushels and boxes. There were no wild varieties to be found, something I’m hoping to score one day, but the smaller, deep red options were crazy good.

Hearty greens are a constant, but some young Rainbow and Swiss chard was a welcome change of pace from the stagnant and ubiquitous kale or collards.

Local honey of countless varieties ranging from wildflower to chestnut.

Fields of salad greens including this wild find called Mizuna. I’m a sucker for cool looks, and this seaweed impersonator tastes similar to arugula with the texture of black kale. Not the greatest thing ever, but not too shabby mixed with some local tomatoes and mozzarella.

Pods upon pods of fresh peas.

Forests of asparagus sprung up all over the market: thick, thin, long, short, green, purple, you name it. I don’t remember seeing this much last year, but it’s a great addition to the spring crops. Asparagus, meet grill. Grill, meet asparagus.

Also on the market menu were under-ripe tomatoes, green tomatoes, sweet potatoes, the last of winter’s apples and squash, spring onions, radishes, awkwardly large carrots and an endless amount of plants ranging from rare herbs to full-blown palm trees. Not bad April, not bad. Bump up the heat and let’s get into May for some peaches and moon shades!

Ricky Bobby can kiss my ass, because placing 2nd in the Pork Experiment Competition this past Sunday was worth every second lingering over the fiery grill and roasting oven. After being reminded Thursday night by the events curators Theo and Nick, I spun my culinary gears hard and fast to come up with a dish capable of pleasing even the noblest of swiney sages . With Megs as my sous chef and the devil at the wheel we cranked out hundreds of made-to-order samples for the Durham crowd.

I chose to rework my first recipe of 2012 on giusto, Porchetta Sammies, by turning up the heat with the multi-purpose spice you’ve all grown to love: Vesta. The running title was Vesta Porchetta Crostini with Meyer Lemon Salsa Verde. Luckily, the dish was a huge success, “selling” out completely and earning the 2nd place award for Fan Favorite. Hands down, the cook-off was the best culinary event I’ve ever been to, chock-full of great music, great beer, cheering fans, gracious friends and a complete adoration for the day’s star product: NC Pork.

To give the entire recipe would be 1. Long and 2. Out of proportion considering how much pork I cooked, but here’s the Spark Notes version:

1.ROAST PORK SHOULDER COVERED IN GARLIC & HERBS FOR 8 HOURS OR UNTIL EASILY PULLED APART, CHOP ROUGHLY. 2. DOUSE HEAVILY WITH VESTA & MIX TO COMBINE 3.GRILL SLICED BREAD UNTIL GOLDEN BROWN. 4. TOP BREAD WITH PORK AND TOP WITH SALSA VERDE MADE OF MEYER LEMON JUICE/ZEST, OLIVE OIL, PARSLEY AND CAPERS. 

(Taking a written speech from my pocket) I’d like to thank Theo, Nick, Maya and the entire Brooklyn Brewery/Food Experiments/Motorco staff for putting on a stellar battle. Congratulations to all of my fellow competitors, especially the day’s winner with their creative and delicious Bacon Maple Ice Cream. Thank you Sarah Matista for her righteous photography skills and expansive documentation of the day’s fun. Thanks to my Pop’s for inventing Vesta and giving me a helpful boost towards the finish line. And finally, thanks to all of the friends, family and new fans of giusto who voted so adamantly for my dish and earned me a long desired culinary trophy. Food Experiment 2013 can’t get here fast enough!

Time to strap on the armor and go to battle! I’ll be competing in the Brooklyn Brewery Carolina Pork Experiment this Sunday, April 15, @Motorco in Durham from 12-3. Pork, Beer, and Culinary Battle? My kind of party. Follow the link below to buy a ticket and come grub out with some of the Triangles best home-cooks duking it out for gastro supremecy and a free ride to the Brooklyn Brewery!

http://thefoodexperiments.com/tour/durham/

Have at you!

I’m not talking about bulging biceps or curvy apple-bums when I mention mussels. I don’t sport the guns, and while I do love some curves, these mussels are of the nautical variety. Cheap, sustainable, and outlandishly delicious mussels are a standard in the giusto kitchen. However, I’ve been told they intimidate many home-cooks and I’m here to raise your spirits and help you conquer your fear of these blue bivalves.

At $3.99 a pound, you’ll have a hard time turning these down for economic reasons. The PEI (Prince Edwards Isle) species, meaning smaller and blackish-blue, are the most common in the states and offer a small, meaty, lightly-briny shot of aquatic noshing. The alternative, New Zealand Green Mussels, are much larger and feature a much fancier outfit in their neon-green shells. Also delicious, the kiwi mussels are more delicate and much more expensive like fluorescent wind-breaker wearing escorts from the Pacific!

Like many clams or bivalves, half of the flavor is in the “liquor” or water released once cooked, so I like to steam my mussels in a bubbling cauldron of goodness. Below is a 10 minute recipe that has become a personal favorite, tho I’ll be sure to include a few other varieties during the summer. Let’s Pump…it up:

Mussels in Red Sauce (Cozze in Rosso)
serves 2 for dinner, 4 as antipasto

2 lbs Blue Mussels
5 Garlic Cloves
4 San Marzano Tomatoes (canned)
1/4″ Thick Slice of Pancetta
Chopped Italian Parsley
Loaf of Crusty Bread
E.V. Olive Oil, Salt, Pepper, Red Chile Flakes

Start first by washing and scrubbing down all your mussels, discarding any that appear open or do not close up after being rinsed (only eat these if you LOVE hurling for hours on end). Remove the beards, the stringy bits hanging out of the side of the shell, and keep on ice until ready to cook.

Everything happens pretty fast so while you heat a large pot on medium high heat start dicing your pancetta into 1/4″ cubes, slice your garlic thinly and crush your tomatoes by hand until just broken up.

Once the pan is hot, add enough olive oil to coat the bottom and add your pancetta. Stir often and cook until almost crispy all over. Add your sliced garlic and a couple hefty pinches of red chile flakes. cook 30 seconds or until garlic is translucent and then add your tomatoes. They’ll hiss and pop like angry nuns but stir everything around for a minute and allow to cook for 2-3 minutes.

Once the tomatoes have simmered down add your mussels, toss in the sauce, and cover the pot. Steam, stirring once or twice, for 3-5 minute or until the mussels open their shells. As soon as they’re open they’re ready so keep an eye out and kill the heat once all open. Toss any that remain closed.

Before serving add a generous handful of chopped parsley, a last drizzle of olive oil and serve in a deep bowl with crusty bread so you can mop up all the liquid love at the bottom. Megs and I will kill these off as a light dinner but they’re also great as an antipasti before pasta or grilled fish.

It turns out, these once intimidating mollusks need nothing more than a few minutes in a flavorful bath to render them approachable and damn tasty. If eating them alone is not your bag, try mixing up a smaller batch and toss in some bucatini or spaghetti as an alternative. Happy flexing!

SPARK NOTES: 1. CLEAN MUSSELS 2. COOK UP A GARLICY BREW 3. TOSS IN YOUR MUSSELS 4. WAIT 3 MINUTES AND SERVE’M UP!

Social Networking is no joke. Facebook Albums, hashtags and live tweeting turned a Miami beach wedding into a social extravaganza this past weekend as my friends, and GiustoGusto loyalists, Mark & Erica said their vows on the south beach sands. We mentioned, uploaded, shared, commented and connected our way thru 3 sun-soaked days, keeping the majority of the guest list in touch and up-to-date by the minute during all wedding activities.

It was the first, but hopefully not the last, social-networking laced wedding I’ve ever been to, and it’s success inspired me to share some of my favorite Twitter handles to follow. Twitter is an instant source of news, inspiration, and shared musings by people you actually care to follow- perfect for something as creative and versatile as cooking:

@andreaweigl

Andrea Weigl, the editor for the News & Observers food blog Mouthful, is a loyal patron to all things tasty in the triangle. She’s a consistent source of news and updates on restaurants, chefs, deals or events in the Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill areas. She’s also connected to every food-related handle in the triangle making it really easy to track down other events/news/etc.

@DavidRoccosVita

David Rocco’s been featured on Giusto many times, no surprise really, but his twitter handle is as much a taste of Italy as his tv episodes. Between posts of the day’s meals, daily Italian lessons and updates on his travels, every post by the Candian Italian makes me long for the motherland like ET and wherever the hell he came from. Bravo ciccio!

@TheTuscanGun

Gabriele Corcos, married to actress Debi Mazar and cohost of Extra Virgin, is another source of Italian inspiration, but he’s also hilariously witty. He shares recipes, tweets from international food events, and gives you a taste of what it’s like to be an Italian in the US. More than anything else, I enjoy his pictures of the family enjoying meals just like everyone else, brings it back home. Bravo anche ciccio!

@poolesdiner

Lastly, I dig following chef Ashley Christensen for two reasons: 1. She tweets about her daily specials or upcoming events at all of her 4 locations downtown. 2. Because she’s such a badass, she’s often mentioned or retweeted by other interesting culinary handles from which you can also learn some cool stuff. Education through association – social networking at it’s best.

Twitter acts as a seemingly never-ending, hand-delivered and updated news source and inspiration board with everything from new produce at the farmers market to Bourdain’s favorite tube meat and food truck meet ups in my neighborhood.

Knock it all you want, this ‘ish works and it keeps me well fed! And don’t forget to follow your’s truly @giustogusto for recipes, site updates, or just pictures of things I find delicious. Congrats again to the happy couple and chow down on some Pad See Ew in Thailand for me!

Muzzi in Caruzzi is my family’s ass-backward dialect for a classic Southern Italian recipe called Mozarella in Carozza. As the name implies, the Mozzarella is sandwiched in a “carriage” of battered bread and fried to golden perfection. To call it an Italian Grilled Cheese is like calling Coldplay a rock band. It may seem so from the outside, but deep down you know it’s not true.

Every family has their own interpretation of Muzzi in Caruzzi, but the Tuorto’s like to keep it quick and simple. You could say we’re purists, but really we just want to start eating. So grab a loaf of bread, some Mozz, an egg and let’s get into it:

Mozzarella in Carozza
Serves 4

8 Slices Crusty Bready (Semolina or Sesame are best)

1 Fresh Mozzarella (di Bufala if you’re feeling fancy, but fresh is necessary)

2 Eggs

Salt, Olive Oil

When you’re cutting your bread, try to cut them small rather than large in diameter. The smaller the slices, the crunchier and less-soggy they’ll turn out.

Crack your eggs and beat well while you heat a non-stick pan on med-high heat. When hot, add enough olive oil to barely cover the bottom of the pan. Working in single batches, dip each slice into the egg batter briefly, as tho making french toast, and add to the oil.

Fry each slice on one side for 1 minute or until golden brown. Flip one slice over, add enough Mozzarella to cover lightly. Then flip the other slice and top the mozzarella leaving the uncooked side out. Fry as a sandwich on each side for an additional minute or until golden brown.

Remove from the oil and drain on paper towel. Sprinkle with salt immediately after frying and allow to cool for 30 seconds before eating. Fry as you eat because these are really best when they’re fresh out of the oil.

In short, it’s a crazy combo of french toast and grilled cheese, but after one bite you’ll know it’s worlds apart from both. It’s savory and salty, oozing with the sweet milkiness of fresh Mozzarella and extra crunchy thanks to the light egg wash. Tho I prefer them plain, it’s also a great chance to add some extra flavors like anchovies, basil, sage, sun-dried tomato or prosciutto.

Like last week’s recipe, childhood flashbacks start to creep in every time I make Muzzi in Caruzzi, sitting down for lunch with an ice-cold Orangina and munching ferociously with oily fingers on plate after plate of this Tuorto favorite. Not surprisingly, that’s exactly how I looked recreating the recipe minus the dino-themed pajamas (only because I don’t own any now).

SPARK NOTES: 1. DIP BREAD IN EGG 2. FRY ON ONE SIDE 3. ADD MOZZ 4. STACK AND FRY ON OTHER SIDE 4. MANGIA

I love my job, I love everyone I work with, and I really love the fact that we take brewery tours together. Last week we took a stroll down the block to our friendly neighborhood brewpub Natty Greene’s and sampled some of their finest wares with the Brew Master Mike. Not a bad Tuesday really…

Standing among copper boilers and hefty malt burlaps, Mike walked us thru the standard brewing methods, his personal preferences, new techniques and finally lead us thru an inconspicuous door. Behind these closed doors lie the true miracle workers of Raleigh’s Natty Greene’s location: 6 Stainless Steel Fermentation Tanks, each set individually to the desired temperature for Mike’s bubbly wishes. From Spring Wheat to Vienna Lagers and Award-Winning Coffee Stouts using Larry’s Beans we sampled the lot, chuckling and growing ever redder in the cheeks. Having now toured both the Greensboro and Raleigh locations, it’s about time Natty Greene’s joins the BOTM ranks:

Natty Greene’s Buckshot Amber Ale

Product Details: 4.8% Alcohol brewed in both Greensboro & Raleigh, NC.

Appearance: Strawberry blonde, almost red coloration with crystal-clear clarity, sexy lacing, and a creamy head of foam…here come the vapah’s.

Aroma: Fresh and round, full of rich malt and caramel.

Taste: Clean, simple and well balanced, this is an Ale for everyman, woman and tipsy child out there. The smooth roasted malt and almost indistinguishable hoppyness coats your palette, leaving you salivating and thirsty for more. It’s sweet but not sugary, complex but not confused, and most importantly very easy to drink. I’m not the first to admit micro-brews are often not session beers, but I’d have no problem knocking back a few dozen of these guys (and die happily in the process).

Food Pairings: Natty Greenes, aside from being a stand-up brewery, also dishes out some quality pub fare and I’ll have to take a tip from their menu on this one. Nothing complicated, just good eating like burgers, ribs, fries, and heaping sandwiches match perfectly with this Buckshot. Anything off the grill or out of the fryer will find a friend in this ale of ales.

Price: A pint will run you $4-5 but there’s always a $3 Daily Draw, $2 Tuesdays & Thursdays, and you can also find Buckshot Amber Ale and other annuals sold at your local megamart for $8.99 or so a six-pack.

Overall: I chose NG’s Buckshot because it’s just a damn good beer. No frills, just an honest brew for people who like brews and I respect the pants off of that. I originally saw Natty Greene’s as a huge brewery pumping beers across the state, and they are in fact big, but after meeting Mike and sampling some of the dozens of rotating beers he whips up I’m glad to give Mike and the rest of the NG staff my praises.

Now all they have to do is open the back room up again so I can play some pool…and move the shuffle board table back, House Rules help for the uneducated n00bs arguing over points.