Sunday, January 25, 2015

La Notte Grande - a dinner 19 years in the making....



Let me paint a picture for you.

It's 1996, Barry and I have rented Big Night on VHS (remember that?) the wonderful Stanley Tucci/Tony Shalhoub movie about two brothers trying to make a name for their struggling Italian restaurant by making and serving their signature dish, Timpano.


Big night.jpg

We were enthralled.  Not only was the movie marvelous, spectacular, entertaining, but the meal prepared in the movie was mouth-watering.

As Roger Ebert says, in his review of the movie:

The movie works smoothly and deeply to achieve its effects, which have to do with more than this night or this feast. The surprises in the plot involve not only secret romance but heartbreak and long-held frustration, for if genius is great, it is nevertheless not easy to be genius' brother. By the end of the movie, we have been through an emotional and a sensual wringer, in a film of great wisdom and delight.

For Christmas that year, I bought Barry a cookbook written by Stanley Tucci and his family, and of course it included THE recipe.




Once in a while we would read the recipe and sigh.  "Too hard, what would we do?"

What I didn't realize is the universe was working behind the scenes for me.

How so?

Well, I became a good cook in the intervening years.  I even started to make my own pasta.

But more importantly, the universe gave me an Italian friend.  And not just any Italian friend, but an Italian friend who cooks like an angel.

Take a bow, Ben.

So at some point last year, over a couple of bottles of wine, Barry and I began to regale Ben and his lovely wife Ger (who is responsible for bringing us all together!) about the movie and this infamous recipe.

"Let me see the recipe," Ben said.  We hauled the dusty tome from the bookshelf, where it had stood silently for almost twenty years, waiting for Ben to arrive.

"I can make this."  Now, that might have been the wine talking, but we jumped.  Off Ben went that night, carrying the book with him.

On Friday night, we arrived.  In honour of this long-awaited night of nights, we had brought a very expensive bottle of wine, although if truth be told, it was only marginally better than Ben's uncle's homemade wine, made from grapes shipped over from the old country.

As expected, it was a lot of work.

The pasta prepared the day before:




Into the pan:



When we arrived it was cooling, ready to be flipped:



After some tense moments pre-flipping that required the three parties involved to have an extra sip for the heroic task:



Perfetto!!!

And then the big moment:



A thing of beauty!

We ate and we drank, and we finished the evening with my friend Ger's Tiramisu, which I unfortunately have no photos of because frankly, by then I was a little snookered.

Just like in the movie...


Another thing crossed off the bucket list, and I now feel brave enough to try it myself...

someday....

Grazie, Ben & Ger!  ti amiamo!

31 comments:

  1. I remember seeing that film ages ago and enjoying it.
    I must rewatch it sometime...
    your dinner looks quite incredible and I must confess that I have forgotten that signature dish from the movie....as you say it was 19 years ago.
    Did it taste amazing? Snookered or not I bet dessert was delicious!

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  2. Very charming movie Wendy I only barely remember and I've always been a big fan of Isabella Rossellini who while not a great actress had, more importantly, great presence.
    I had an old girlfriend who went to a cooking school in Tuscany while I house/dog sat for her and the first weekend following hosted a dinner party with some dishes from the movie. She had me in rolling pin and apron working on some fancy dough for about 30 seconds until I was thankfully fired and replaced by a late arrival. I'm not a foodie in any way but love the energy those that are bring to any occasion and make a point to actually taste and appreciate what's going down the hatch.

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    1. YOur first line reminds me of Billy Crystal - better to look good than to feel good darling!

      I would love to go in cooking school in Tuscany!

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  3. How fabulous! I rewatched the movie on TCM a couple of months ago. Delightful. We had Haggis last night at an Robbie Burns party and that was an amazing thing to see. I'm a very straightforward cook so I appreciate complicated dishes a lot!

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    1. I think every culture has that over-the-top dish, don't they! Lucky you at a Robbie Burns party!

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  4. That looks interesting... are you going to post the recipe? :)

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    1. HI Rose - you can find it here:

      http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/12799-timpano-alla-big-night

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  5. Hello Wendy,

    Well, we are never to be found in the kitchen so Ben would be a very dear and treasured friend for us as we do love to eat!

    This all sounds like our idea of a perfect evening. Amazing food, great wine and, most importantly, the most delightful of company. What can be better. So long waited for but, surely, all the better for that.

    We have not seen the film......but we shall!

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    1. I look forward to your thoughts on the film! Everyone needs a friend who can cook like an angel!

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  6. Wendy, we had a great time. Ben said after you left that he thought you and Barry may attempt it now 😊. It is fun to be able to try new recipes on friends,not the first and won't be the last Xox. Get

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    1. Tell Ben the answer is yes, though it may be another year!!!

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  7. What fun!!! I think you can do this yourselves, every confidence in you! Maybe something to do during the BOMBOGENESIS?

    We took a cooking class for 4 days in Umbria a couple years ago-- I will do my imitation of the wonderful Stefania for you. She was most emphatic in her beliefs and practices.

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    1. Don't know about your world today Lane, but it is STILL snowing here! Sigh.... So jealous of your cooking class in Umbria!

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  8. BUONISSIMO What bravura and delight. I am with Lane, think you and Barry must now attempt it, in keeping with Ben & Ger's outstanding example. If not during #blizzard2015, then on some other auspicious occasion. How lovely to indulge in good friends, good wine and a great feast. Definitely worth waiting for. And thank you for sharing just a little taste with us. Stay warm and hopefully bright WMM!

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    1. Still bright GF, but SOOOO much snow - still going strong and back again on Friday!

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  9. Oh that's so cool - now i want to see that movie.
    The pie pasta arrangement looks delish.
    i binge watched a lot of Tony Shalboud (sp?) in Monk, so I feel quite fond of him

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  10. hands down one of my favorite movies ever! i adore this movie and i'm so happy you made the dish. bravo bravo bravo~~~!!!!!

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  11. Wow that looks seriously delicious. I adore Stanley Tucci. I have never seen this. Now I am intrigued. Sounds like a fun night Wendy!

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  12. That is VERY impressive! What is next on that Bucket List of yours?

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    1. get a book published? I don't know - that's a good question!

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  13. I love movies involving food (Babette's Feast, Eat Man Drink Woman) and Italian cuisine is in the top of my list. Need to watch that film. There's something about Italian food that is all about home, hearth and togetherness. What a lovely evening!

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  14. Sorry,
    late as usual. Great post- youi make everything seem so mouth-wateringly delicious- and I am a vegetarian!
    By the way, I saw this review the other day and thought about you. Have you read this?
    A Brief History of Montmaray by Michelle Cooper

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    1. I haven't read it but off to look for it! This could easily be adapted to be vegetarian....

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  15. This is the precise weblog for anybody who needs to seek out out about this topic. You notice so much its almost arduous to argue with you. You positively put a brand new spin on a subject that's been written about for years. Nice stuff, simply nice!

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Kindness is a virtue...