03x10 - Ciao New York

[bunniefuu]

[laughter]

PADMA LAKSHMI:
We do need snacks for the road.

I think you're underestimating
how much I eat.

I've crisscrossed the whole country

savoring delicious meals...

Oh, it smells so good!

...with friends I've made along the way.

- Tell me more about your kinks, Padma!
[Padma laughs]

♪

PADMA: I'm finally home,
but the adventure is far from over.

There's so much to explore
right here in my backyard.

When you think of New York,

you may think
of a bustling, frenetic city.

- It's always, you know,
busy, busy, busy, running.

PADMA:
But some of my Italian-American friends

are romancing another side of New York.

Is this your happy place?
- It is my happy place.

You're in New York,
but you're not in New York.

PADMA: One that combines
the best of their old world with the new.

- There's this sentiment,
La Bella Vita, enjoying life.

PADMA: So, what's their secret?

Luckily, the answer lies close to home.

Cheers.

♪ theme music playing ♪

I came to America when I was four.

I'm an immigrant, and I'm not alone.

I've spent my life writing about food
and tasting the world.

Now, I wanna explore who we are
through the food we eat.

My game is strong.

What exactly is American food,
and what makes us American?

[camera clicks]
I'm Padma Lakshmi.

Come with me as we Taste the Nation.

♪ lively music playing ♪

Ah, New York.
Fast and furious, and full of pizza.

Walk down any New York City block,

and you can't miss
the lingering aroma of an oven-hot pie.

That's because there are thousands
of pizza joints in my hometown,

ready to serve the city on the go.

I mean, who isn't a fan of it?

I know I am.

MAN:
New Yorkers are always in a rush.

What's the one quick thing we could do?

You grab a slice
and get the hell out of here.

PADMA:
It comes in hundreds of forms.

- New York pizza,
Neapolitan pizza, Detroit pizza.

- You've got Sicilians,
upside-downs, grandma slices.

- Sausage, buffalo chicken, white.

- You throw sauce
and cheese on it, it's a pizza.

♪

PADMA:
Pizza is almost as American as apple pie.

- It's not delivery... it's DiGiorno.

[doorbell rings]
- Pizza, pizza.

PADMA: So much so, it's easy
to forget where it came from.

So here's how the story goes--

Italian queen Margherita di Savoia

invented the pizza back in 1889,

but it wasn't until
the advent of the "New York slice,"

that pizza became as much
of a staple in America as it is in Italy.

Today, I'm craving a bite of the original.

Deep in Brooklyn, Edoardo Mantelli
is making pizza the Neapolitan way.

A tradition that's as rich
in flavor as it is in wisdom.

EDOARDO MANTELLI:
Welcome, Padma.

- Thank you.
- You're very welcome.

- I feel anointed...

[Edoardo laughs]
...into some fraternità de pizzaiole.

You know the last time I made pizza,

I was taught by the number-four
pizzaiolo of Napoli.

- Really?
- Don't ask me his name,

but he was cute.
[laughing]

Neapolitan pizza, like all pizza,
consists of the same basic ingredients:

flour, tomatoes, yeast,

salt, olive oil, basil,
oregano, and mozzarella.

So what makes a Neapolitan so different?

Well... the diavolo is in the details.

EDOARDO:
A really good Neapolitan pizza is doughy,

but it bakes in such
a short amount of time

that it creates a very nice crunch.

You know, it has to have,
like, a proper cornicione,

and it should be so fragrant.

As a kid, any time I went into a pizzeria,

that scent of just the dough,
the tomato, the basil, and the mozzarella.

It's three simple ingredients, you know,
that, like, are just, like, fantastic.

♪

PADMA: Yes, it is simple,
and that's the inherent beauty.

And it starts
with the origin of its ingredients.

EDOARDO: So, we only use
tomatoes from Agro Sarnese.

It's all where the DOP San Marzano
comes from, you know?

- And why is that tomato sauce
so desirable because I love it, too.

- It's, like, you know, the Neapolitans
will tell you because the soil.

The fact is that
they are superior tomatoes.

PADMA:
Ask any pizza purist and they'll tell you,

the world's best tomatoes are San Marzano.

The soil, enriched with volcanic
nutrients and minerals,

is what cultivates
these exceptional tomatoes.

The perfect balance
of sweetness and acidity.

EDOARDO: I like to use
a coarse disc for the mill,

so that I'm able
to retain most of the pulp.

- So it should be a little chunky.

- Maybe chunky is too much,
but it should definitely have body.

- That's the yummy part,
when you bite into a juicy bit,

but it's hot under that melted cheese.
- Yeah, exactly.

- All right, so now we have
the sauce and you add olive oil.

- I add a little bit of olive oil,
and I add, uh, salt,

and then, uh, the mozzarella.

In this case, we've been using, uh,
buffalo mozzarella, mozzarella di bufala.

- That's delicious.

Buffalo mozzarella is just that,
mozzarella from a buffalo,

but not just any buffalo,
a designated Italian buffalo.

Now, we assemble our masterpiece.

Okay, Padma. So--
- This is the moment of truth.

- And I imagine you want
to do this, right? Yes.

- I wanna do everything.
- Hey!

- Okay.

- Be careful. Watch your hand. Yeah.
- Okay.

- Perfect.
- I did it!

- You did it.
[Padma laughs]

PADMA: Simple ingredients,
chosen with the utmost care,

have a lot to teach us

about paying attention
to what's important.

It's a mindset that's
easy to lose in the city,

as Edoardo almost did when he arrived,

seeking the thrill
of New York's possibilities.

- I was like a kid in a candy store,
you know, as they say.

I just couldn't believe
that a place like this existed.

Uh, it was rebellious.
It was, like, uh, exciting.

PADMA:
Edoardo created the successful,
trendy fashion brand Tocca.

I remember wearing the dresses myself.

But after living
the fast-paced fashion life,

things changed abruptly.

- My mom suddenly died in... 2006.

It was a difficult time.
I needed a change.

Um, life... I realized,
was much more important

than just, like, sexy little dresses.

[laughs]
- Yeah.

- And I said, "You know what?

I wanna do something
that my parents always wanted to do,"

which was like,
when they would retire,

they would open
a small restaurant by the sea.

And I said, "You know what?
Like, New York is by the sea."

[laughs]
- That's right.

- And, uh, [sniffles]

that's what I did.

You know, it was very, um,

very important for me to do it,
you know, like to [sniffles]

to honor my parents.

PADMA:
Edoardo returned to his origins

to restore for himself"il piacere,"
or the pleasure of savoring life.

He now shares this with his customers.

It turns out, there's so much more
in this pizza than just the ingredients.

EDOARDO: Okay. So now,
slide it under the pizza in the center.

PADMA: Okay.

I'm so scared right now.
- Good. It's beautiful, Padma.

- It's a little well done.

- That's okay.
- Okay.

♪

- Perfetto.

- Let's taste this one.

It's still good.
- Mm-hm.

Yeah. I rule it's not over-done.

PADMA:
In every bite of this traditional pie,

is an experience of La Bella Vita,
the Italian notion of "the good life."

It's this platonic ideal

that's become the collective perception
of Italian culture.

But it wasn't always this way for Italians
who came seeking the American Dream.

♪

♪

PADMA: There is no denying the popularity
of Italian food and culture in America.

The apex of our long-standing
love affair with all things Italian

can be found at Eataly, supersized.

It's an Italian food megaplex,

a destination to experience
all of what Italy has to offer

in the middle of New York City.

Gonna eat my way

through this store, Lidia.
LIDIA BASTIANICH:
Let's do it. Let's do it.

PADMA: Lidia Bastianich
is best known for her cooking show.

- Today on the menu,
we have two Italian-American classics.

PADMA:
But it's her venture into retail

that's revealed the insatiable appetite
for the best of Italy.

- Prosciutto di Parma, aged 22 months.

PADMA: Thank you.
ANDREW: You're welcome.

LIDIA: All of Italy has prosciutto,
but look at this.

The beauty of it is...
that it is so silky.

- Mmm.
- Mm.

- It's salty and sweet at the same time.
- Uh-huh.

[laughter]

PADMA: And you don't have
to have ever set foot in Italy

to appreciate its gastronomic prowess.

Crowds flock to Eataly
for their high-end provisions

and Italian-made products.

But before their culture had such cachet,

Italians had a rough start in America.

The first wave of Italian immigrants
were mainly poor and unskilled laborers

who were met
with immense prejudice and suspicion.

A little-known fact: one of the worst
mass lynchings in American history

occurred in 1891 in New Orleans

when 11 Italian immigrants were lynched

because of their suspected role
in the m*rder of a police officer.

In response, the U.S. government
created Columbus Day

in an effort to elevate the image
that most Americans had of Italians.

And it worked... sort of.

- I'm gonna make him
an offer he can't refuse.

PADMA:
A whiff of criminality lingered.

But over time,
Italians became an established part

of the American narrative,
and their image evolved.

LIDIA: A little bit of vino?
PADMA: Please.

Cheers.
- Salute.

- Salute.

What do we have here?
- A nice fritto misto di mare.

PADMA:
Even in this bustling marketplace,

there is room to slow down
and enjoy a meal the Italian way

with a delectable mix of fried seafood
and crisp vegetables,

a few drops of wine,
and good conversation.

Tell me, how old were you
when you came here?

- I came here, I was 12 years old.

That was 1958.

♪

- But in those days,
when you first immigrated here as a girl,

what was the attitude like
towards Italians?

Was it what it is now
or was it still what it was earlier?

- That attitude progressed,
and it was really a resentment,

and then, slowly, the reality
of who we are as a culture,

and once we began to
sort of settle in and contribute,

I think was appreciate ever more.

You know, Italy has
a lot to fantasize about.

There's this sentiment,
at the table, with friends, with family,

"La Bella Vita," enjoying life.

And Americans began to travel,
began to know the food,

loved the food, and of course, the style.

Everybody loves Italian.

PADMA: You're telling me.

I mean, I was seduced by Italy.

When I was 22, just outta college,

I moved there for six years,
working as a model and actor.

♪

That's where I learned
"la arte di vivere" or the art of living.

And as I returned to New York,

I found that many
of Italy's best and brightest

were coming here, too.

♪

♪

CECILIA ALEMANI:
I love ice cream. [laughs]

PADMA:
Taking a leisurely stroll with a friend,

gelato in hand,

slowing down to enjoy it all,

just like in Italy.
[cars honking]

But... I'm at New York City's High Line.

It's an unlikely sanctuary in a city

where people are
always rushing to a destination.

But here, at nearly
a mile and a half long,

this elevated public park
is a place to meander,

enjoy the journey,
and gaze at some incredible art

curated by art world powerhouse
Cecilia Alemani.

She's curated
prestige exhibits around the world

from Art Basel Buenos Aires
to the Venice Biennale.

As chief curator of the High Line,
Cecilia is bringing an Italian touch

to the city she's called home
for the past 20 years.

CECILIA: So, I'll take you
to see one of the artworks.

PADMA: How often do you have ice cream?
- If I can, every day.

If I'm walking on the High Line,
I always take it. So good.

PADMA: Who is this artist?
- She's Italian

because, you know, I have to bring

a little bit of Italy into the High Line.

I don't do that, that super often.

PADMA: By placing noteworthy art
in this dynamic space,

Cecila hopes New Yorkers can experience
the spirit of an Italian piazza,

a place to stop, gather,
and enjoy the art of life.

CECILIA: I'm always so surprised
when I actually see people

spending time on the bench
and reading a book,

and people, in the evening,
they come and make out,

which is something that you
never see in New York, right?
[Padma laughing]

And it does remind me
a little bit of, of, of Italy.

PADMA:
"La arte di vivere"

is what Italians have been
refining for centuries.

And as immigrants like Cecilia
bring their sense of style to New York,

they're seeking something American
in exchange.

- What I love about America is that,

I-- and I see it on the High Line,
but I've seen it also with friends,

there is this openness.

Besides having lots of opportunities here,

I think it's just a mentality.
People, you know, love working,

so that's not the same in Italy--
- Right.

- I would say.

♪

PADMA: Ah, the art of work,
that American specialty.

Industrious, meritorious,
unabashedly capitalist.

It's why people have
come here for centuries.

In the last decade alone,

800,000 Italians have emigrated
in search of opportunities.

So what is it about American ambition
that is so alluring to Italians?

- America has a business
structure that is... simpler.

In Italy, you gotta bend the rules.

PADMA: Manuel Mainardi
is the owner of Maglia Rosa,

a hybrid bike shop and cafe

that blends the Italy he left
with the America he found.

- Okay, and then we do this.

PADMA:
Unlike earlier waves of immigrants

who fought the headwinds
of discrimination,

it's actually Manuel's very
Italian-ness that gives him an edge.

- We tried to reproduce
the experience of... a very 1970s

Italian cafe.

The kind of, like, nitty-gritty cafes

where, like, the old guys outside,
and play card, and chain smoke, and--

So, I got a lot of furniture
designed from the '70s.

- I mean,
Italian design in the '70s...

- Oh, it was phenomenal.
- ...is kind of a golden age.

There is this thing of "made in Italy"...
- Yeah.

- ...that has a certain cachet.
- Absolutely.

- At least in the last
few decades here in America.

MANUEL:
Yeah.

You know, it's an image.

It's something that has got a taste
of something more...

♪

PADMA:
Manuel has found his niche in America,

capitalizing on the "made in Italy"
label and value.

In hectic New York, biking may
not be the fastest route to take,

but it sure is a beautiful way
to see the city.

MANUEL:
Picked a perfect day.

♪

PADMA: Is this your happy place?
- It's my happy place.

Comes here, look at the Statue of Liberty,
and calm, it's quiet.

- Doesn't sound like the frenetic city.

- Yeah. You just out,
but it's right there.

PADMA: I think I'm starting
to get my bella vita back.

Don't get me wrong,

I love the contagious ambition
that drives people to New York,

generation after generation,
immigrant after immigrant,

and I'm not ready to give that up.

But if I've learned
something along the way,

it's that I could certainly
use a bit more balance,

fewer to-go slices,
and more family-style meals.

♪

♪ Primo Amore by Julien Vega playing ♪

[loud pop]
[cheering, laughing]

PADMA:
When I really slow down, like this,

I can enjoy New York
from a different view,

one that's calmer,
and full of indulgence.

♪ Evviva La Domenica by Daniele Benati,
Fabio Di Bari & Enrico Prandi playing ♪

But you know what?
Turns out you don't even need a boat.

Home is where I indulge.
[dog howling]

Ciao!

We're bringing the antipasti,
so you guys can start on this.

Here, I can focus on
family and friends, and good food.

Today, it's with
a three-course Italian feast.

- Yes! Now we're talking.

- All right, so, we're making
pasta all'amatriciana.

- Uh, and this we consider
a very roman dish.

PADMA:
Beatrice Tosti is a dear friend of mine.

She's chef and owner of Il Posto Accanto,

a restaurant in the East Village
where I'm pretty much a constant fixture.

Today, she's sharing
the secrets of her kitchen in mine.

This is a primo.

BEATRICE TOSTI: Sì.
- This pasta dish.

- Any pasta dish is a primo, a first.

- A first course.
- Yeah.

PADMA:
What makes this dish unique

is the delicious layers
of guanciale, tomatoes, and chiles.

- We are happy.

- All right!
- Delicious.

- Who taught you how to cook?

- Everybody think that
I had nurturing grandmothers.

[both chuckling]
They were neither nurturing,

or knew how to cook.
- Oh, okay.

- Yeah, so it's really me.

I love to cook. I love to feed people.

- That's all I've ever seen you do.

Even on your day off...
- Yeah.

- ...you ask me to come over

for dinner at home.
- Absolutely.

- You're gonna teach me
how to make saltimbocca.

I love this dish,
but I've never actually made it myself.

Saltimbocca is another classic roman dish

that anyone can make at home
with a few quality ingredients.

Beatrice's version is made with beef,

savory prosciutto, sage, pecorino,

olive oil, and a splash of white wine.

Every bite melts in your mouth.

- This is not your regular saltimbocca
because when I grew up--

First of all, my mother thought

that veal didn't taste like anything,
so she would use beef.

This pecorino comes from Manciano,
an amazing place in Maremma.

- Damn. That's good.
- Yeah. It's really nice.

So we have pretty prosciutto here,

and you can double it because...
- Okay. Yeah.

- ...the more stuffed, the better.

Okay, now, uh, sage.
- All right.

Okay.
- And then you'll put the cheese.

And I like to start rolling
on the wider one.

- Like this?
- Sì.

And just roll up.
- And then just roll.

- Yeah.

- It's one of my most favorite dishes
and it never gets a lot of play.

- And it's also super easy to make.

- Look. I'm doing it this way.

- Sì. Did you put the cheese?

- Ah ma no.
[both laughing]

There.

Does everybody put cheese in there?
- No! That's why this is the way--

It's not really saltimbocca.
It's the way we made it at home.

- Ahh. Okay, I was--
- In some places, they called them

"uccelli scappati," which means--

- Little birds?
- Little birds that run away.

- Escaped little birds.
- Escaped birds. Yeah.

Brava, Padma.

PADMA: The next step is to wrap
these rolls with butcher string,

so they don't fall apart while cooking.

It's this attention to detail

that makes her saltimbocca
something extraordinary.

Little bundle.

- Yeah, of deliciousness.

Which one did I make?
Which one did Padma make?

[Beatrice laughing]
- The double knots are mine.

- Maybe that's why it's
called uccelli scappati

because they can't run away.
- That's right.

Nobody's escaping those knots of mine.

You got it.

Do you think that Americans' tastes
are changing towards Italian food?

I mean, you've had
that restaurant now almost 30 years.

- Sì, definitely.
They're way more educated, right?

Nobody want the risotto
with a side of spaghetti anymore.

[laughing]

And how divine does it smell?
- Smells fantastic.

I was afraid it was gonna come apart,

but it didn't.
- Uh, after we twined it up like Houdini.

I doubt it. Come on.
[laughing]

So now, the cheese is melting.

- Mm-hm.
- Vino.

Vino--
- White wine.

- Go for it.

- Look how pretty they look.

- So purty!

- Look at that sauce.
Look at how yummy it is.

♪

Yes!

Oh, my God, that looks so beautiful.
- Aww, that is so nice.

- Oh, my God, what a beautiful light!

Yes, secondi.
PADMA: Secondi.

- The length of time that
you spend at the table in Italy,

like, at a lunch--
BEATRICE: Is insane.

CHIARA CLEMENTE: I don't know.
There's just an enjoyment in life

that I really, like,

appreciate in Italy--
- I agree. Tell stories.

Food tastes better shared
and enjoyed together.

- Yeah, and I think there's
really a love of that,

and it's very genuine.
It's not, like, forced.

It's not like, "Oh, let's do this thing."

It's just, like, people--
- It's just natural.

A part of the everyday life.
- Yeah.

PADMA: It's in these little moments
that"la bella vita" can always be found,

wherever you are.

The secret isn't something you look for,

but something you stop and take notice of,

that's already there.

AMIR ZIA:
It's building families and relationships,

and that's the best time, spending time
with yourselves and people you love

around food.
What can you get better than that?

PADMA: It is possible
to blend the best of both worlds--

a slower Italian way of life,
with an ambitious American one,

each enriched by the other.

Cheers!
CHIARA: Cin!

BEATRICE: No, guys, can I say something?
I think there is not enough salt.

[all laughing]

♪

PADMA: Delicious.