Latest news with #SundayGravy
Irish Daily Star
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Star
I made the recipe from Netflix's new hit film and the secret ingredient is a game changer
I recently took a culinary journey inspired by one of Netflix's current top films and made a delightful discovery. Nonnas, which premiered on the streaming giant earlier this month, has quickly become a favorite among viewers. As of now, it holds a solid third place in the platform's top ten chart. The movie features Vince Vaughn as Joe, a man who, following his mother's passing, stakes everything to honor her and his Nonna by launching an Italian restaurant. The unique twist? He exclusively employs local Italian grandmothers as the establishment's chefs. The story is actually based on the real-life experiences of Joe Scaravella, who founded Enoteca Maria in 2007 after losing his grandmother in 1999 and yearning for her homemade meals. According to the film's narrative, one such meal is his Nonna's 'Sunday Gravy', a tomato-based sauce that pairs well with any pasta, reports the Mirror US . The recipe features in Netflix film Nonnas (Image: Netflix) Despite his best efforts, Joe struggles to unlock the secret to the recipe. Without giving too much away, he eventually uncovers the secret left to him by his mother in a letter he had been avoiding. Moved by this touching revelation, I felt compelled to try my hand at this recipe. The result? I've discovered my new go-to dish to whip up. Here are the ingredients and instructions as outlined in the film:. Ingredients: 2 red apples 7 cups water 6 links hot or sweet Italian sausage 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 large onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic 1 green bell pepper 2 cans whole tomatoes (14.5-ounce) 1 tablespoon dried or fresh basil, chopped 1 tablespoon dried or fresh oregano, chopped 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1/4 cup fresh parsley Method: Chop the apples into quarters, add to the water in a large pot. Simmer over medium heat for one hour. Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth; discard apples and set liquid aside to cool. Brown the sausages in a skillet over medium heat. Drain the fat and set the cooked sausages aside. Add olive oil to a large pot and cook the onion and pepper, stirring often, for about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook about 1 minute. Add tomatoes and apple cider, cook until smooth. Add basil, oregano, pepper, and parsley. Slice sausages into chunks and add to the pot. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 4 to 6 hours. Serve over cooked pasta of your choice. I found my new favourite pasta sauce (Image: Peter Harris) If you're still trying to figure it out, it's the apples that are the secret ingredient Joe was searching for. Simmering them in water lends a subtle sweetness to the sauce (or gravy) without tipping it into dessert territory. It makes all the difference. I didn't have the luxury of living near the market stalls featured in the film, so I had to tweak the recipe and method a bit myself. Hailing from the North West of England, Italian sausages were a no-show at my local grocer. A quick online search suggested Cumberland sausages as a close English counterpart. They lent a pleasant peppery punch to the dish while remaining succulent in the sauce. Next time, though, I'd probably dice them up a bit more. I also initially misread the recipe and only used fresh tomatoes. This likely kept the sauce from achieving the rich red hue seen in the film. So, next round, I'll be sure to toss in canned tomatoes or even passata. I paired the sauce with fresh tagliatelle, but honestly, it would've been a match made in heaven with any pasta variety. I'm already looking forward to cooking the dish again (Image: Peter Harris) The recipe calls for simmering the whole thing for four to six hours, but who has the patience to hover over the stove all weekend? Especially when there are football scores to track. So, I tossed everything into the slow cooker and cranked it up high for four hours. The result? Perfection. In a bid to shave off some cooking time, I'm curious if substituting simmered apples with bottled apple cider or juice would still yield a delectable sauce. Perhaps browning the sausages and tossing everything into the slow cooker right from the get-go could be an option. And for our vegetarian and vegan friends, don't fret – you can simply skip the meat and still end up with a sauce that's just as scrumptious. Nonnas is streaming on Netflix.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
The One Ingredient You Should Never, Ever Put In Pasta Sauce
In the world of food sins, cooking a Wagyu steak well done or drinking a rare Burgundy wine over ice are up there. But there might be an even worse one, according to chef Joe Isidori, co-founder of Black Tap and owner of Arthur & Sons in New York City. "If you're making Sunday gravy with ketchup, I don't know if we can be friends," Isidori told The Takeout. We have to agree. Ketchup is sweet, tangy, and deeply nostalgic. It's a staple in pantries across the globe and works wonders on fries, meatloaf, and the occasional late-night grilled cheese. But it has absolutely no business mingling with the nuanced, slow-cooked elegance of a proper Italian pasta sauce. If you're a controversial ketchup-on-everything kind of person, consider this a friendly intervention. "Tomato paste and a pinch of sugar is how Nonna did it," Isidori said. "Respect the sauce." A well-made marinara, Pomodoro, or ragu is all about the balance between sweet and acidic tomatoes, caramelized aromatics, and layers of savory depth from olive oil, garlic, herbs, and thyme. A good Italian cook (or Nonna) coaxes sweetness from tomatoes with a lot of patience and a low simmer. It's the reason why Sicilian grandmothers spend entire Sundays slow-simmering their red sauce. Ketchup, on the other hand, is made in a factory with high-fructose corn syrup, distilled vinegar, and "natural flavoring" -- all of which are intensely concentrated and can easily throw off the sauce's harmony. Read more: Yellow Mustard Brands Ranked From Worst To Best If you've run out of tomato paste and are curious if ketchup is a good substitute, it's not. "Tomato paste is concentrated and gives the sauce body," Isidori confirms. "Ketchup's sweet and vinegary -- it's not built for real sauce." He's right: Ketchup is an entirely different product. It's highly processed and preserved, designed for instant flavor gratification, not slow-cooked complexity. Swapping in ketchup because you're out of tomato paste is like using coffee syrup instead of brown sugar in a barbecue rub. "You can fake it in a pinch," Isidori continued. "But if you're doing things the right way? Keep that bottle on the hot dog cart." Italian cuisine is rooted in regional pride and generations of know-how. Even the humblest pasta sauce carries with it centuries of refinement. When you add ketchup to a pasta sauce, you're not elevating it; you're insulting it. A proper red gravy should taste like tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, maybe a touch of basil, and grandma's love. Not Heinz. Ketchup belongs on burgers and fries, not in the Soprano family's Sunday sauce. Italian pasta sauces thrive on simplicity, integrity, and a deep respect for the ingredients. The next time you're tempted to doctor up a sauce with ketchup, remember that sometimes the best cooking decision is knowing when to leave well enough alone. For more food and drink goodness, join The Takeout's newsletter. Get taste tests, food & drink news, deals from your favorite chains, recipes, cooking tips, and more! Read the original article on The Takeout.
Time Out
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
‘Nonnas': behind the filming locations for the Netflix comedy
Dropping just in time for Mother's Day in the US, Nonnas is bound to have you rushing into the kitchen as soon as the credits roll. Based on a true story, the Netflix comedy follows a group of Italian grandmothers – affectionately dubbed 'nonnas' – who become chefs in a New York hotspot. The restaurant it's based on, Enoteca Maria, is usually fully-booked and now the popularity of Nonnas will only make it harder to secure a reservation. Here's all you need to know about the heartwarming movie. What's the true story behind Nonnas? Nonnas is based on the true story of Joe Scaravella, a transportation worker who opened a restaurant in Staten Island, New York, in 2007 after missing the home-cooked Italian dishes made by his grandmother. After falling into depression following several family deaths, Scaravella used inheritance money to buy the property that would soon become known as Enoteca Maria, a local hotspot where Italian grandmothers could share their culinary traditions and signature recipes with the rest of the neighborhood. Since 2015, Enoteca Maria – named after Scaravella's mother – has hired grandmothers from all over the world -– Japan, Poland, Ukraine, Greece, China and many other countries – who all bring their recipes to life alongside the Italian staples. While the four nonnas featured in the movie share many similar traits to the real-life chefs who launched the restaurant, they aren't directly based on them. Instead there were three original nonnas, who are all featured in Scaravella's cookbook Nonna's House. The original women were Carmelina Pica, Adelina Orazzo and Teresa Scalici, but Scaravella told Time that much of what happens in the movie took place in the real kitchen, including arguments over family recipes and a moment when one nonna prays for customers to show up. Their prayers were answered and business has never slowed down, something that is unlikely to change now the story has made it to screens. Can you visit the real Nonnas restaurant? Yes! But be warned, Enoteca Maria is so popular that securing a table can be like winning the lottery, although we have it on good authority that it's worth the wait. Located in Staten Island, New York, the restaurant is open from Friday through to Sunday and you can even order some of the same dishes featured in the movie, including the capuzzelle (lamb's head) or Scaravella's grandmother's famous Sunday Gravy. Enoteca Maria's menu has now expanded beyond its regular Italian fare, with nightly takeovers of different cuisines from across the world, as nonnas bringing their country's dishes to the dining hotspot. Check out the restaurant's website for more info, although to book a table you'll need to make a reservation over the phone. Who is in the cast of Nonnas? Vince Vaughn plays Joe, a native New Yorker who opens a restaurant after the passing of his beloved grandmother, in a bid to stay connected to those he's lost through the power of food. Linda Cardellini (Green Book) plays Olivia, Joe's estranged childhood sweetheart. The pair reconnect as Olivia helps Joe with the legal side of running a restaurant. Magic Mike's Joe Manganiello portrays Joe's long-time best pal Bruno. Susan Sarandon, Lorraine Bracco (Goodfellas), Talia Shire (Rocky), and Brenda Vaccaro (Gypsy) play the titular nonnas-turned-chefs, who each has their own reason for finding solace in the kitchen and friendship. Where was Nonnas movie filmed? Despite being set in Staten Island, most of the movie was actually filmed in New Jersey back in 2023. Specific locations include the Paterson district of New Jersey, including the Paterson Great Falls National Park. Other New Jersey filming locations included Judicke's Bakery in the Bayonne area. With the real restaurant, Enoteca Maria, still being a popular hotspot, filming for the restaurant scenes had to take place elsewhere. The crew recreated the restaurant at Spiritos, an Italian restaurant in Elizabeth, New Jersey, which opened in 1932 but closed doors in 2020 due to the pandemic. Scenes showing restaurant owner Joe Scaravella's other job as a transport officer were filmed at Raritan Valley Bus Station in Edison, New Jersey. Is there a trailer for Nonnas?
