Veal Sorrentino at Café Formaggio

“One will not find on any menu in Italy dishes called ‘Veal Sorrentino’,” John Mariani and Lidia Bastianich write in their book, How Italian Food Conquered the World. The dish was created in Italian restaurants in the east that were opened by southern Italians who based their menus on their own family food.

The Dish: Veal Sorrentino at Café Formaggio

What’s Inside: Italians are masters at producing delicious entrees using veal scallopini – sautéed cutlets that have been pounded thin, coated with flour and sautéed. In the Veal Sorrentino at Formaggio the cutlet is layered with thin slices of proscuitto, fried eggplant and homemade mozzarella and baked in a light shallot/sherry wine sauce.

How’s it Taste: the veal is very tender with the proscuitto, eggplant and cheese all happily melded together.

Sides: at Café Formaggio, this dish is served with potatoes and sautéed vegetables.

Cost: $22 ($18 when prepared with chicken instead of veal)

Note: special thanks to librarian Ron Schachter at the Westbury Memorial Library for locating the Mariani/Bastianich quote.