by Cleo Coyle
Step 2—Assemble the casserole: Add the cooled, cooked ziti into the bowl with the cheeses and toss to combine. There will be lumps of cheese, and that’s fine. Now add about half the tomato sauce to the bowl and mix again. Grease a large casserole with the olive oil, and then add half the pasta-cheese mixture. Cover the mixture with half the remaining red sauce. Add another layer of cheesy pasta, and then the rest of the sauce. Top with the remaining ½ cup of mozzarella.
Step 3—Bake and serve: Bake for 20 to 30 minutes in a preheated 375°F oven, until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes (to set) before serving.
Clare Cosi’s “Secret Ingredient” Meatballs
Meatballs, that’s Italian! And like many Italian recipes, there are hundreds (if not thousands) of variations on preparing them. Clare has her own unique take on this traditional dish, using the same secret ingredient and cooking method that her nonna used when making the meatballs for the customers of her little Italian grocery in Western Pennsylvania. The result is a juicy, delicious meatball that is fluffy and light rather than heavy and dense.
Like her grandmother, Clare layers the meat with many flavors, producing an aromatic meatball that is far from bland. The flavor and the lightness make them pure pleasure to eat—as Mike Quinn discovered when Clare lovingly made them for him, attempting to provide comfort with this classic comfort food after Quinn’s very tough day on the Job.
To get this recipe with a free PDF download and step-by-step photos, visit Cleo Coyle’s online coffeehouse at coffeehousemystery.com.
Clare Cosi’s American Fettuccine Alfredo
Fettuccine Alfredo was created by Alfredo di Lelio at a humble restaurant in Rome. The original, authentic Italian version contained no cream, just butter and cheese. Di Lelio didn’t need cream. Italian butter has a higher butterfat content than its American counterpart. That’s why Clare adds heavy cream to her American-style Alfredo, which helps reproduce the rich texture and flavor of the original. The results delighted her good friend, NYPD sergeant Emmanuel Franco, who gave Clare a ride home the night of that fireworks display—literal and figurative, if you count Lieutenant McNulty’s temper. Clare cooked up some for Mike Quinn, too, although on that particular night, he was interested in something much hotter . . . and sweeter.
Makes 4 servings
1 pound fettuccine
4 ounces (1 stick) butter
4 cloves garlic, whole
2 cups heavy cream
¼ teaspoon white pepper
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1½ cups grated Parmesan cheese
Step 1—Boil the water: “The sauce waits for the pasta” is a good rule of thumb. So boil the water as you begin preparing the sauce below. Then make the fettuccine according to package directions. Strain the pasta and mix it with your finished sauce.
Step 2—Make the sauce: Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the whole garlic, cream, pepper, and salt. Bring to a low boil and reduce heat. Gently simmer for 8 minutes. Remove from heat, discard the whole garlic cloves, and slowly add the cheese. Return to the stove over low heat and cook for an additional 2 or 3 minutes, stirring constantly to melt and blend the cheese.
Step 3—Serve: Add the freshly cooked and drained fettuccine to the pan of sauce and toss gently but well, making sure to coat the pasta well. Heat for 1 or 2 minutes to blend the flavors and give the fettuccine a chance to soak up much of that delicious, creamy sauce! Serve immediately.
Garnishing tip: This dish is delicious as is or try finishing with freshly ground black pepper. For zing, grate on a little lemon zest. For color and flavor, sprinkle on a bit of finely chopped fresh Italian parsley or basil.
Clare Cosi’s Skinny Pumpkin Alfredo
This beautiful pastel orange fettuccine has all the buttery fall flavor of pumpkin ravioli, and the rich and decadent creaminess of regular Alfredo, but with less fat and calories! The pumpkin brings more fiber and vitamins to the pasta party, too.
Clare’s culinary tip: When making this recipe, you can use Parmesan, Pecorino Romano, aged Asiago cheese, or a combination of all three. But avoid preshredded cheeses! They contain “nonclumping” agents (e.g., potato starch) that retard the melting process. Buy cheese fresh and shred it yourself. You will be much happier with the results!
Makes 2 servings
8 ounces fresh cooked fettuccine (half of a 1 pound box)
1 tablespoon butter
¼ teaspoon garlic powder (or 1 clove fresh garlic, minced)
½ cup milk
½ cup pumpkin puree (use real pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling)
¼ teaspoon kosher salt (or ⅛ teaspoon table salt)
2 ounces Neufchâtel cheese (or low-fat cream cheese)
¾ cup freshly shredded Parmesan or Pecorino Romano or aged (hard) Asiago cheese (or a combination of all three)
Step 1—Boil the water: “The sauce waits for the pasta” is a good rule of thumb. So boil the water as you begin preparing the sauce below. Then make the fettuccine according to package directions. Strain the pasta and mix it with your finished sauce.
Step 2—Make the sauce: Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic powder (or minced garlic) and cook and stir for about a minute. Stir in the milk, pumpkin, salt, Neufchâtel or low-fat cream cheese, and freshly shredded hard cheese (Parmesan, Pecorino Romano, or aged Asiago or a combo of all three). Stir continually for roughly 3 to 5 minutes, until cheese completely melts and the sauce thickens. Keeping the sauce nice and hot, fold in the drained fettuccine, and coat the noodles well. Serve immediately.
Garnishing tip: This dish is delicious as is or try finishing with freshly ground black pepper. For zing, grate on a bit of lemon zest. For color and flavor, sprinkle on finely chopped fresh Italian parsley.
Matt’s 21 Club–Style Steak with Creamy Peppercorn Sauce
When Matt Allegro realized he and Sophia had inherited a priceless jewel believed lost for sixty years, he speculated there would be a flurry of folks who’d claim ownership. Facing a legal feeding frenzy, Matt went on a foodie one. Going “full carnivore” at the 21 Club, he ordered and devoured this classic steak. This is Matt’s version of the recipe.
Makes 2 servings
2 8-to-10-ounce strip steaks, about 1 inch thick
1 teaspoon pink salt or sea salt, coarsely ground
4 teaspoons black peppercorns, coarsely crushed
1 teaspoon ground white pepper, divided
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
¾ cup beef stock
2 to 3 tablespoons brandy (or cognac)
¾ cup heavy cream
Step 1—Prepare the steak: Preheat oven to 200°F. Season the steaks on both sides with the coarse salt, crushed black peppercorns, and half the ground white pepper (½ teaspoon). Melt butter in a large sauté pan and add the steaks. Cook over medium heat, 2 to 3 minutes on each side for rare, 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium. Remove steaks and place on a rack over a sheet pan in the preheated oven to keep warm.
Step 2—Prepare the sauce: Add beef stock to deglaze the sauté pan, scraping all the flavor bits off the bottom of the pan. Reduce the liquid for 4 to 5 minutes over medium-high heat. Add the brandy (or cognac), the heavy cream, and the rest of the white pepper (½ teaspoon). Increase heat to high, whisking continually, and cook until sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 to 7 minutes. Plate the steaks and top with your peppercorn sauce.
Clare’s 21 Club–Style Chicken Hash
After finding treasure in an underground vault and a near-dead body in a hidden West Village courtyard, Clare Cosi needed some foodie comfort. She got it at the legendary 21 Club, where she ordered this famous entrée. In the 1940s and ’50s Chicken Hash was the most popular dish at the restaurant, especially with the after-Broadway, late-night crowd. The original rec
ipe was prepared in a heavy béchamel sauce with finely chopped chicken. The modern incarnation has a Mornay (French cheese) sauce and larger chucks of chicken, and it is just as popular as ever. Clare enjoyed the dish so much she came up with her own adaptation. This silky cheese sauce is excellent and delicious over vegetables. Try it over cooked broccoli, cauliflower, or asparagus.
Makes 4 to 6 servings
3 cups chicken stock (fresh or good quality premade)
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts
½ teaspoon coarsely ground sea salt, divided (if using fine or table salt, reduce to ¼ teaspoon)
½ teaspoon white pepper, divided
1 stick (8 tablespoons) high-fat unsalted butter, softened
½ cup all-purpose flour
⅓ cup heavy cream
¼ cup dry sherry (drinking sherry, not cooking sherry)
¼ cup Gruyère cheese, freshly grated
Step 1—Prepare the chicken: Bring the chicken stock to boil. Season the breasts with half the salt and pepper and add to the boiling stock. Lower the heat and simmer the chicken breasts for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the poached chicken and cool. Reserve the stock. Dice the cooked chicken breast into 1-inch pieces.
Step 2—Prepare sauce: Combine soft butter with the flour, mixing them until you have a soft paste. Return the chicken stock to boil. Whisk in the butter-flour combination 1 tablespoon at a time. Cook for 5 minutes, then add the cream and sherry. Add the rest of the sea salt and white pepper and gently simmer on low heat for 8 more minutes. Off the heat, add the cheese and blend well.
Step 3—Finish the dish: Return pan to heat and add the diced chicken. Cook gently for 5 more minutes or until chicken is hot. Serve over white rice, brown rice, or wild rice. The modern 21 Club serves it over a bed of sautéed spinach. Years ago, patrons enjoyed it over pureed peas. It’s also delicious poured over broccoli or cauliflower. Or simply serve it in a rustic fashion—in a shallow bowl with crusty slices of baguettes to sop up the rich cheese sauce. May you eat with joy!
Clare’s Chicken Cacciatore “Hunter’s Chicken,” Red or White
Historically, chicken cacciatore was a meal prepared by hunters and trackers in the forest from ingredients found in the wild. Rabbit was used as often as poultry. Over the years, cacciatore has become a highly popular Italian (and Italian American) meal. It was even served aboard the original SS Andrea Doria luxury ocean liner.
Different regions of Italy prepare cacciatore their own way, with Northern Italians preferring white wine, and Southern Italians Chianti or red wine. The addition of flour and tomatoes is not traditional, but it’s become a common way to make it—and it’s delicious, so why quibble? Mushrooms are traditional, but are often absent in the Italian American version. Clare’s recipe below gives you the option of making red or white cacciatore.
Makes 6 servings
3 chicken breasts, bone in, skin on
4 chicken thighs, bone in, skin on
3 teaspoons coarsely ground sea salt or kosher salt, divided (if using fine or table salt, reduce by half)
3 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, divided
½ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 slices thick-cut bacon (or pancetta) chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped finely
1 large white onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped (optional for red version)
¾ cup dry white wine (or red wine if using tomatoes)
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained (optional for red version)
1 cup chicken broth
1½ teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon sage
1 bay leaf
12 ounces fresh mushrooms, chopped
Step 1—Prepare the chicken: Season chicken with half the salt and pepper and dredge in flour. Add the olive oil to a large skillet or sauté pan over a medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add the chicken to the pan and sauté until brown, about 5 minutes per side. Set chicken aside.
Step 2—Prepare stock: Add the bacon or pancetta and brown in the oil for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, onion, and (optional for red version) red bell pepper to the same pan and sauté over medium heat until the aromatics are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the rest of the salt and pepper, the wine (red if using tomatoes), and simmer until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the (optional for red version) tomatoes, broth, oregano, rosemary, thyme, sage, bay leaf, and chopped fresh mushrooms. Return chicken to the pan and turn to coat in the sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer.
Step 3—Finish the dish: Continue to simmer over medium-low heat until the chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes. Remove chicken and boil the sauce about 3 minutes or until thick. Drizzle the sauce over the chicken. You can enjoy this dish many ways. For a rustic version, simply serve it in a bowl with hunks of Italian bread to sop up the delicious sauce. Or you can serve it more formally over a bed of cooked and drained pasta or rice.
Matt’s Southside
Though the 21 Club restaurant menu is celebrated, the place began as a speakeasy where drinks were the main attraction. Aficionados agree that the cocktails are still the reason to go there. Matt ordered a 21 “Southside” for Clare on the night they dined together. A signature drink of the club, the Southside is a delicious variation on a mint julep, using gin instead of bourbon. A “Southern-style” cocktail may seem odd at a New York club until you consider the entrance, which more resembles a New Orleans French Quarter facade. And then, of course, there’s the line of donated iron jockeys that greet you at the door, including a few wearing stable colors that have competed in the Kentucky Derby, where the classic mint julep reigns supreme. This recipe is Matt’s version.
Makes 1 serving
1 ounce simple syrup (or 2 teaspoons granulated sugar)
5 mint leaves
2 ounces of quality gin (Beefeater or Tanqueray)
1 lemon (juice)
4 to 8 ice cubes
6 to 8 ounces soda water
In a martini shaker, or container with a tight lid, add simple syrup (or sugar) and the mint leaves. Using a muddler (or the back of a spoon) bruise the mint leaves by pressing them to the bottom of the container and twisting. This releases more of the mint flavor. Add the gin, the fresh juice squeezed from 1 lemon, and the ice. Close the container and shake vigorously. Pour the contents, including the mint and ice, into a highball glass and finish by adding the soda water.
The Village Blend’s “Speakeasy” Irish Coffee
Sometimes you just have to break the law—or bend it a little, as so many elite New Yorkers did at the famous 21 Club during Prohibition. At the Village Blend, Clare’s friend Sophia Campana was rocked by double tragedies. First her beloved father was stricken, and then her handsome Viking of a husband was hauled away by the NYPD for attempted murder. Needless to say, Sophia was in a state.
Unlike the new Washington, DC, branch of the Village Blend, Clare’s flagship coffeehouse in New York has no license to sell liquor. But assistant manager Tucker is always ready to extend their “friends and family” exemption, and he happily serves Sophia and Clare the complementary ingredients for this warm and soothing Irish coffee.
Makes 2 servings
1 to 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
4 tablespoons Jameson (or your favorite Irish whiskey)
Strong, hot coffee (about 1½ cups)
Whipped cream
Get out two large (at least 8-ounce) mugs. Into each mug, spoon 1 tablespoon of light brown sugar (or less, if you don’t want that much sweetness). Next stir in 2 tablespoons of whiskey (or more, if you prefer a stronger drink). Now add about ¾ cup of hot coffee, stirring to mix the flavors, while leaving plenty of space for the finish. Dollop generous layers of whipped cre
am into both mugs. Irish coffee is traditionally sipped through the cream, so expect a happy hard liquor mustache!
Baileys whipped cream fun: For a special treat, make your own sweet, spiked whipped cream by pouring 1 cup of heavy cream and 2 tablespoons of Baileys Irish Cream into a large metal mixing bowl that has been prechilled in the refrigerator. Using an electric mixer, whip the cream and Baileys until stiff peaks hold their shape. This cream can be kept in the refrigerator for 1 day. Be sure to cover the bowl with plastic wrap. (Makes 4 servings.)
Blueberry Mate Bait (Blueberry Buckle Cake)
Back in 1954, just two years before the SS Andrea Doria would sink to the bottom of the Atlantic, a fifteen-year-old Chicago teenager named Renny Powell submitted a blueberry buckle recipe to the “Pillsbury $100,000 Recipe & Baking Contest” (now known as the Pillsbury Bake-Off). Renny’s tasty blueberry coffee cake only took second place in the youth division, but this sweet delight—named for its alleged powers in attracting the opposite sex—has been in circulation for over sixty years.
First published as “Blueberry Boy-Bait” in an early edition of the Pillsbury’s Bake-Off Dessert Cook Book, this cake now has many variations, one of which was used by Clare Cosi’s youngest barista, Nancy, to “bait” herself a Superman. The hooking of said man didn’t work out as Nancy hoped—although her cake sure did!
This recipe is slightly adapted from Renny’s original with the new name a nod to barista Esther Best, who felt “Mate Bait” was a more fitting title for the sensibilities of the twenty-first century.
1 cup white granulated sugar
½ cup light brown sugar
2⅓ cups all-purpose flour
2 sticks (16 tablespoons) unsalted softened butter