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Frank Cullotta's Greatest (Kitchen) Hits: A Gangster's Cookbook
Frank Cullotta's Greatest (Kitchen) Hits: A Gangster's Cookbook
Frank Cullotta's Greatest (Kitchen) Hits: A Gangster's Cookbook
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Frank Cullotta's Greatest (Kitchen) Hits: A Gangster's Cookbook

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About this ebook

The mobster portrayed in Casino “swaps his gun and fedora for an apron and chef’s hat and shares the recipes for some of his favorite dishes.” —Nicholas Pileggi, #1 New York Times–bestselling author and screenwriter of Casino

Includes over 40 color photographs
 
Frank Cullotta was best known for his exploits as an associate of the Chicago Outfit and his role as Tony Spilotro’s enforcer and street lieutenant in Las Vegas. However, he had another interest besides crime. He loved to cook. In this book he shares some of his favorite recipes for your eating pleasure.

Dennis Griffin first met Cullotta in 2005, and the two became close friends and co-authors of four books, including the bestseller The Rise and Fall of a 'Casino' Mobster. As Cullotta’s health failed, he was determined to bring their final collaboration into the world. The result is this collection of anecdotes, photos, and recipes—from the pizza served at the Las Vegas restaurant Cullotta opened (using stolen money) in 1979 to the mostaccioli his mom made and much more.
 
“I have known Frank Cullotta since he served as a technical consultant for the movie Casino. Frank’s reputation is primarily that of a master criminal and an enforcer for Chicago Outfit mobster Tony Spilotro. While that is true, he also had a softer side that few people knew about. He loved to cook . . . If you like to prepare and eat delicious meals, this is the book for you.” —Nicholas Pileggi

LanguageEnglish
Release dateNov 10, 2020
ISBN9781952225390
Frank Cullotta's Greatest (Kitchen) Hits: A Gangster's Cookbook

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    Book preview

    Frank Cullotta's Greatest (Kitchen) Hits - Frank Cullotta

    Frank_cullottas_Greatest_Kitchen_Hits.jpg

    Frank Cullotta’s

    Greatest (Kitchen) Hits

    A

    GANGSTER’S

    COOKBOOK

    By FRANK CULLOTTA and DENNIS N. GRIFFIN

    WildBluePress.com

    FRANK CULLOTTA’S GREATEST (KITCHEN) HITS published by:

    WILDBLUE PRESS

    P.O. Box 102440

    Denver, Colorado 80250

    Publisher Disclaimer: Any opinions, statements of fact or fiction, descriptions, dialogue, and citations found in this book were provided by the author, and are solely those of the author. The publisher makes no claim as to their veracity or accuracy, and assumes no liability for the content.

    Copyright 2020 by Frank Cullotta and Dennis N. Griffin

    All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.

    WILDBLUE PRESS is registered at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Offices.

    ISBN 978-1-952225-40-6 Trade Paperback

    ISBN 978-1-952225-39-0 eBook

    Cover design © 2020 WildBlue Press. All rights reserved.

    Cover design by Villa Design

    Interior Formatting by Elijah Toten

    www.totencreative.com

    Table of Contents

    ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

    INTRODUCTION

    ITALIAN

    Upper Crust Pizza and Pizza Dough

    Pizza Dough

    Braciole With Steak

    Braciole

    Cavatelli

    Italian Grilled Cheese Sandwich

    Chicken Cacciatore

    Eggplant Parmesan Bake

    Fettucine Alfredo

    Meatballs

    Mostaccioli

    Pasta Sauce

    Ravioli

    Cheese Ravioli Filling

    Five-Cheese Ziti Bake

    Veal Parmesan

    Meatball Parmesan Bake

    Eggplant Parmesan for Slow Cooker

    Tomato & Pasta Sheet Pan Roast

    Slow Cooker Meatball Gnocchi Soup

    Manicotti Shells

    Manicotti Fillings

    Chicken and Peppers

    SOUPS

    Beef Vegetable Soup

    Italian Sausage Soup with Tortellini

    Hamburg Soup

    Mushroom Stew

    Noodle Soup or Stew

    Hamburger (Poor Man’s) Soup

    Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

    Easy Italian Stew

    Broccoli-Cheese Soup

    Hearty Italian Sausage Soup

    Ham and Cheese Chowder

    Pasta Fagioli

    SALADS

    Macaroni Fruit Salad

    Pasta Salad

    Artichoke Salad

    Carrot-Raisin Salad

    Twenty-four Hour Fruit Salad

    Chicken Salad

    Cole Slaw

    Eggplant Salad

    Santa Maria Salad

    Sparkling Fruit Mold

    Watermelon Salad with Feta

    Mandarin Salad

    BREADS & DESSERTS

    Auntie’s German Apple Cake

    Baked Custard

    Banana Pudding

    Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce

    Cranberry Freeze

    Kolacky

    Italian Cookies

    Cannoli & Filling

    Cannoli Filling

    Three-step Philly Cheesecake

    Wesson Oil Pie Crust

    Boston Cream Poke Cake

    Sweet Potato Casserole

    Apple Walnut Cake

    Cream Puffs

    Fluffy Dumplings

    Potato Dumplings

    Fruit Dump Cake

    Ice Cream Bread

    Pusties

    7-up Biscuits

    OTHER KILLER RECIPES

    Baked Cabbage

    Biscuit & Sausage Gravy

    Crunchy Turkey Bake

    Ham & Cheese Hors d’oeuveres

    Cheesy Chicken Casserole with Broccoli and Bacon

    Chili Con Queso Casserole

    Spicy Mac and Cheese with Chicken

    Mac & Cheese

    Cheesy Chicken Casserole

    Krispy Coconut Chicken

    Pork Chops

    Chicken Casserole

    Stuffed Peppers

    Chicken Ruben Sandwich

    Easy Creamed Onions

    Pierogi Chicken Supper

    Fried Irish Cabbage with Bacon

    ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

    Listen close. I want to thank my sister-in-law, Pamela Cullotta, and my many friends for their support and for contributing their favorite recipes for use in this book. A special thanks to Faith and Denny Griffin for their help in putting it all together, and to their daughter, Pam Ashley, for proofreading and editing. And to Adam Flowers and Alicia Morse for assembling the photos and doing research. Without their help and support, this book would not have happened.

    Frank Cullotta

    INTRODUCTION

    I am probably best known for my exploits as an associate of the Chicago Outfit and my role as Tony Spilotro’s street lieutenant in Las Vegas; however, I have many other interests. Among them is my love of cooking.

    In Frank Cullotta’s Greatest (Kitchen) Hits, I have assembled some of my personal favorite recipes, as well as a collection of mouth-watering dishes recommended by family—including my mother Josephine (Mama Josie)—and friends. Some of the recipes have been kicking around for decades and were modified by the chef. Others are entirely new. So, pick out the ones that stimulate your taste buds and give them a try. And if you happen to put on a pound or two in the process, forget about it!

    Frank Cullotta

    ITALIAN

    When I first moved to Las Vegas in 1979, Leo Gardino and I pulled a couple of burglary jobs. We robbed a total of $68,000 from two houses and decided to put our money together and open a pizza joint called The Upper Crust. This is the recipe for our main dish.

    Upper Crust Pizza and Pizza Dough

    This pizza was the specialty at Frank Cullotta’s Upper Crust Restaurant in Las Vegas.

    Instructions

    Prepare pizza dough (see recipe)

    Oil a deep-dish pan (2 – 2 ½ inches)

    Line the bottom and sides of the pan with the dough and overlap slightly at the top.

    In a separate frying pan, pre-cook any meats or sausage to be used until about ¾ done. Remove and place on a towel to absorb any extra grease, then add to the deep-dish pan. Add any other optional ingredients, such as pepperoni, onions, peppers, or black olives.

    Add sauce and Provolone cheese. Cook for 40 – 45 minutes (check periodically).

    Remove from oven and cover the top with the remaining dough. Slit the top crust in three or four places to allow equal heating.

    Cover with sauce and Parmesan cheese and cook for an additional 15 minutes.

    Stuffed Pizza

    Pizza Dough

    This is the way we made our dough back at the Upper Crust in Las Vegas. When I was in prison and later in witness protection, I had a lot of time on my hands and I enjoyed reading. I learned about the legend of pizza, and supposedly, the first person to make modern pizza was a baker in Naples named Raffaele Esposito. He would make his patriotic pie topped with mozzarella, basil, and tomatoes. Those ingredients were the colors of the Italian flag.

    Ingredients

    1 pkg dry active yeast

    1 ½ cup of lukewarm water

    4 cups flour

    1 tsp salt & ¼ tsp sugar mixed

    ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

    Instructions

    Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water, add salt/sugar mixture

    Add flour and mix

    On a flour-powdered wooden surface, pour out the dough and knead until smooth and elastic (about 5 minutes).

    Put dough in a large olive oil-greased bowl and rub a little oil over the dough and cover with a cloth.

    Let it rise in warm place until at least double in size of bowl.

    Divide the dough into 2 or 3 equal round balls.

    Use rolling pin to roll out pizza dough into 14-16-inch rounds.

    Place pizza on round baking tins.

    Makes 3 14 to16-inch pizzas

    When I was growing up in Chicago, I always looked out for my kid brother, Joe. I visited him and his wife on my last trip to Chicago, and she made this dish for me. Mama Mia! Now Joe is looking out for me.

    Braciole With Steak

    Ingredients

    1 ½ lb. flank steak

    1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

    1 sliced hardboiled egg

    2 tbsp Romano or Parmesan cheese, grated

    ½ tsp basil

    1 tbsp Italian breadcrumbs

    1 tbsp pine nuts

    ¼ tsp black pepper

    ½ tsp parsley

    ½ tsp oregano

    ½ tsp onion powder

    2 cloves garlic, chopped.

    1 piece of string to tie around steak

    Instructions

    Place flank steak on board and tenderize with a meat pounder.

    Rub some extra virgin olive oil over both sides of the steak.

    Arrange egg slices on top of steak.

    Mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl and spread on top of steak.

    Roll the steak and tie with string to hold it together.

    Heat olive oil in large skillet and cook the Braciole until light brown.

    Top with red pasta sauce.

    Serves 4 – 6

    Suggested red wine: Frescobaldi, Luce Toscano

    Beef Braciole

    Braciole

    This is so good it will make you cry. You’re going to have to invest some time and effort into this recipe, but it is well worth it!

    Braciole

    Ingredients

    4 tbsp olive oil

    ¼ tsp salt

    ¼ tsp pepper

    ¼ tsp garlic powder

    1/3 cup Romano cheese, grated.

    2 tbsp parsley, chopped.

    1 cup breadcrumbs

    10 slices eye-of-round beef, pounded thin

    Marinara sauce

    4 tbsp olive oil for frying beef

    Instructions

    Mix first seven ingredients in bowl.

    Lay beef on flat surface,

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