The Seasons of Graces

The Seasons of Grace's

We’ve all heard the expression “going back to our roots.” In my personal experience, I take this in both a very literal and figurative way. Growing up, Balducci's began when I was just a little girl as a produce market. My father and mother, Louis and Maria Balducci, strictly sold the freshest, highest quality produce, and only that. There was no such thing as a Prime Meat department or Coffee Bar, we sold what we knew, and that was the most delicious farm grown products a New York market had to offer.

If there is one story I like to tell over and over again, it’s the one about my pop and his watermelon.  When I was a teenager, my pop bought this huge watermelon from Chile…the first of its kind in New York City. My mom and I thought he was crazy buying something that no one had ever heard of, but his response was always “whatever I don’t sell, I’ll bring it home to my family.” After that one item, Balducci’s quickly became the go-to market for any and everything of quality and exotic origins.

Nowadays, with both markets in full swing, we still try to maintain the same principles my parents displayed. However we’ve changed a couple of things. When you go to other markets, they carry certain produce items year round regardless of their quality just to say “yeah we have that.” In Grace’s we believe fruit and vegetables are the fashion of nature, everything has a season. Figs, berries, melon; all of these have a height season, where their flavor and texture cannot be disputed as anything but nature’s candy.

Between my late husband and founder of Grace’s Marketplace, Joseph Doria, and his brother Dominick Doria, they only believed in selling the best at its best. In both stores we have a veteran produce staff that is more than willing to help you select the ripest melon or sweetest pear.

I always encourage and stress that all shoppers buy only what’s in season, hence why Grace’s only carries certain produce items respectively. I wouldn’t sell anything to my customers that I wouldn’t serve to my own family. When we start to carry things out of season like some of my competitors, where do you think they are getting their products from? Chile, Mexico, Costa Rica… All places that are quite far from us require a long process of shipping, and not to mention the health risks. I know organic produce is all the rage right now and rightfully so, but what’s point if the product is sub-par to begin with? 

Sometimes you are going to have a craving for something, or have a recipe that requires a specific product, but always keep in mind the seasons. There is always something comparable, always a substitute that you can use and will probably taste better. I personally love figs. Growing up there was nothing better than when my parents brought home ripe figs with a little cheese or prosciutto…it’s the best. But I know it’s a treat you can’t have all the time, and I wouldn’t want to because it just not the same.

So next time you come into Grace’s and you’re looking for a little something fresh, keep in mind, if Grace’s doesn’t carry it at the moment, it’s because we know you wouldn’t enjoy it.

Happy Cooking!

 With Love,

Grace

Pasta

Pasta, pasta and more Pasta

               Where would Italian cuisine be without the timeless classic pasta? I can’t think of a more versatile base of a dish, from all the different cuts, textures, and appearances. I honestly don’t know what my dinner table would look like without it.

                Ever since I was a little girl, pasta was always on the menu. No matter what the season, no matter the theme, if there wasn’t pasta it wasn’t a meal.  It could pair with just about anything my mother made, it was extremely filling for the average hard working Italian family, and above all, it was CHEAP! I remember helping my mother roll out flour in all different shapes, depending on what sauce she was making.  As I got a little older and became more exposed to “gourmet” foods, I came to see that what I was eating at the dinner table every night was becoming more and more in popular demand to the culinary world.

                Today you walk down the aisles of a supermarket, or a gourmet store like Grace’s Marketplace, and how many different brands, cuts, colors, and price ranges of pasta do you see? There are hundreds…so many that even I get lost every once in a while. But whenever I get a little overwhelmed, I just take a step back and immediately bring it back to basics.  From the creation to the cooking process, so many different elements come into play when choosing the right pasta. Do I want traditional or whole wheat? What about an egg noodle? And what about those crazy colored and shaped pastas that are triple the price for half a pound?  Here are some of the things that I have taken with me throughout all my years in the kitchen…

                First let’s start with the basis of the pasta, its only flour, water, and a little finesse. The majority of pasta I have seen are made with Durham wheat. Now even though a lot of pastas are made with this base, it is the machinery and the process that creates different levels of quality. When the pasta is made up of finely processed wheat, and created with bronze-based machinery, that is when the product is at its utmost quality, and of course on the pricier side. These finer pastas are usually paired with lighter sauces, and make a phenomenal presentation, such as a Fernando Pansato or Cipriani. They also have a much shorter cook time.

And how could I forget this new craze with whole wheat pasta… My take on changing the overall chemistry of a good cut of pasta is; it doesn’t hurt any of us to become a little more health conscious. Is the taste and texture different? Yes. Does it alter the dish in anyway? Not really. But does it make all of us feel a little less guilty for enjoying our favorite traditional dishes? You better believe it. Then there are your alternative egg based pastas, which tend to be much richer. The egg pastas are always much heavier because their binding agent has a much greater density than the traditional wheat. I rarely ever use them because I personally don’t like the consistency. But then again, everything is preference.

So now I know what kind of flavor I want, and what kind of dish I’m prepping for, but I have to pick the cut of pasta? I have no idea when all these different shapes, lengths, colors, and crazy combinations of all three flooded the market! When I was young, everything was simple and easy; and if you didn’t find what you were looking for within the ten choices, my mother went home and made it herself. When picking a specific cut, I go back to what sauce I am going to dress the pasta with. Believe me it makes all the difference in the world. Pasta with indentations, grooves, or any type of curving shape are best for thicker sauces. These types of noodles grip the sauce, absorbing all of its savory, hearty flavor. Smoother cuts, such as round and thicker noodles are used for lighter sauces because they are intended to be dressed rather than act as little scooping tools. The miniature cuts of pasta, like orzo or pastina, are used in soups mainly because of their size. They are extremely easy to cook; just throw it in while the soup is cooking. It acts as a thickening/filling agent for your soup, as well as being easy to scoop up with any spoon.

When I take all these factors into considering, the brand that stands out above the rest for my tastes is Montebello. It’s an organic pasta company, for those of you who place that in high regard. It consistently cooks thoroughly, and never sticks to the side of the pot or sticks together. It doesn’t have a doughy consistency, and absorbs the flavor of any sauce I top it with. Montebello is small producer in comparison to your Barilla or DeCecco types; which I think shows they put more care and effort into their product. From the packaging to the presentation, Montebello gives off a very rustic, artisanal presence. It completely reminds me of the pasta I used to make with my mother. I just get this homemade feeling, without a fraction of the labor. Absolutely fantastic!

I guess what it all comes down to is preference. My daughter Maria, who is the executive chef of the store, cooks pasta according to her taste rather than technique or recipes. Of course there are methods, but it all comes down to what you and the mouths you are feeding enjoy. I cannot believe how far pasta has come in the market today. There is always a new shape, an emerging trend,  something different to try and taste. However, the one fact that remains unwavering is the tradition in the cuisine. Sometimes there is no rhyme or reason, there is no method to the madness, we all just follow what we have been taught. One thing I know for sure; what was once old in Italy, has become new again. 

                                                       Happy Cooking!

With Love, 

 Grace