canapes recipes: Maialino

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In New York we went to Maialino. For what is known not to be our first time. We were craving that food ever since we took our last bite the previous time we were there, and the times before that. Who ever said that New Yorkers aren't friendly would be hit in the face with friendliness from all of the kind waiters waitresses and hosts at Maialino. When you travel some place new you may find that that state or country or town prepares something that is special to that particular area. I believe that each restarant is like this. Its own little country waiting for you to explore it. At Maialino its particulary "special and unique" dish is the maialino itself: the suckling pig. Yes thats right folks in Italian maialino means suckling or baby pig. Here is some of the food we enjoyed there:

Dinner: The salad

Sweet, seasonal fava beans with pecorino ramono cheese.

The pasta....or should I say pastas or paste:

Braised Rabbit, Green Olives & Rosemary Garganelli Pasta

Can I offer you some veggies with that pork??

Sausage and rabe pasta

Fried Zucchini with Vinegar

Sautéed Wax Beans with Garlic

The yummiest bite of the juiciest meat, crispest skin and creamiest fat roasted potatoes you've ever had:

To utilize all of the animal's parts....

The trotters: or pigs feet.
The fried terrain made of headcheese: or meat jelly made with flesh from the head of the pig.
The lemon: or the fat cutter.

Stuff like headcheese and trotters has such a bad rep. However what were our great great great grandparents eating?? Processed turkey?? Nope. To respect the animal and put more food on

the table they used every part of the animal. Just think by eating the inards it is neither cruel or

harsh its saying if most people are only going to eat the breast of the chicken then where will

everything else go? Its up to you but as Andrew Zimmerman would say if "it looks good eat it!"

And because sweet is what ends the meal....

Olive oil gelato (top), sour cherry sorbet (bottom), strawberry and basil sorbet
Oh and lets not forget the homemade biscotti on top!
Talk about some great combos!