The Sinatra Sauce Cookbook – Sinatra Sauce by Bellino

On September 20, 2026 By Daniel BellinoLeave a comment

SINATRA SAUCE

The COOKBOOK

COOK & EAT LIKE FRANK

HIS FAVORITE ITALIAN RECIPES

AMAZON

SINATRA SAUCE – The COOKBOOK

by Daniel Bellino Zwicke

Sinatra Sauce: The Italian-American Cookbook Inspired by Frank Sinatra

Frank Sinatra, Italian-American food, spaghetti and meatballs, Sunday Sauce, classic Italian recipes, New York restaurants, and the good life all come together in Sinatra Sauce: Music, Meatballs & Merriment by Daniel Bellino Zwicke.

What did Frank Sinatra like to eat?

For generations, Sinatra has represented more than great music. He represents a certain way of living: good food, good friends, a great glass of wine, music playing in the background, and a table filled with people you enjoy.

That spirit is at the heart of Sinatra Sauce: Music, Meatballs & Merriment by Daniel Bellino Zwicke, a cookbook and celebration of Italian-American food inspired by the culinary world surrounding Frank Sinatra.

The book brings together classic Italian-American recipes, stories of Sinatra, family traditions, famous New York Italian restaurants, and the unmistakable atmosphere of the Italian-American table.

And yes—there is plenty of sauce.

What Is Sinatra Sauce?

Sinatra Sauce is more than a cookbook about tomato sauce.

It is a celebration of the relationship between Frank Sinatra and Italian-American food.

The cookbook explores dishes associated with Sinatra’s culinary world, including tomato sauce, spaghetti and meatballs, eggplant parmigiana, lasagna, clams, meat dishes, Italian desserts, and other classic favorites.

The book’s full title—Sinatra Sauce: Music, Meatballs & Merriment—captures the idea perfectly.

Put on Sinatra.

Start cooking.

Open a bottle of wine.

Invite some friends.

Make a great Italian-American meal.

That’s the experience the book is designed to evoke.

According to the book’s official website, recipes include Sinatra Tomato Sauce, Dolly’s Meatballs, Eggplant Parmigiana, Caponata, Sicilian-style artichokes, arancini, Minestrone alla Dolly, Pasta Fazool, Maccheroni al Forno, Sicilian Lasagna, Chicken Vesuvio, Veal Marsala, Steak Sinatra’s Way, Marty’s Sicilian Meatloaf, Frank’s Italian Cheesecake, and Reginella Sicilian Cookies, among others.

Frank Sinatra and Italian-American Food

Frank Sinatra was one of the defining figures of American popular culture.

He was a singer, recording artist, actor, entertainer and cultural icon. But for many Italian-Americans, Sinatra also represented something deeply familiar.

He represented the immigrant experience transformed into an American success story.

His family background, his New Jersey upbringing, his relationships with Italian-American friends and his affection for Italian food all contribute to the cultural world explored in Sinatra Sauce.

The cookbook takes that world and brings it into the kitchen.

Rather than treating Italian-American food simply as a collection of recipes, Daniel Bellino Zwicke approaches it as part of a larger tradition of family, restaurants, Sunday dinners, music and celebration.

That’s an important distinction.

Italian-American cooking has always been about more than the food on the plate.

It’s about the people sitting around the table.

The Sinatra Spaghetti and Meatballs Connection

Few dishes represent Italian-American cooking more powerfully than spaghetti and meatballs.

It is one of the most recognizable Italian-American dishes in America, and it fits perfectly into the Sinatra Sauce philosophy.

The Sinatra Sauce website features a recipe for Sinatra Spaghetti and Meatballs, including meatballs made with a combination of beef and pork.

The recipe is part of the larger culinary story explored in the cookbook.

Think about the scene:

A pot of tomato sauce simmering on the stove.

Meatballs browning in the pan.

The smell of garlic and onions filling the kitchen.

A large pot of pasta boiling.

Frank Sinatra playing in the background.

Family and friends arriving.

That is the world of Sinatra Sauce.

Dolly Sinatra’s Italian-American Cooking

One of the most interesting elements of the book is its connection to Dolly Sinatra, Frank’s mother.

The cookbook includes recipes connected with Dolly Sinatra, including her meatballs and other Italian-American dishes.

The book’s official website also discusses Frank Sinatra’s own connection to tomato sauce and a recipe associated with his television appearance on the Dinah Shore Show.

This gives the cookbook a particularly personal dimension.

Instead of simply asking, “What food did Frank Sinatra like?”

Sinatra Sauce asks a more interesting question:

What did food mean in Sinatra’s life and in the Italian-American culture that shaped him?

The answer leads directly to the family kitchen.

Sunday Sauce, Italian Gravy and Sinatra

If there is one culinary tradition that perfectly fits the Sinatra lifestyle, it is Sunday Sauce.

Italian-American families have been gathering around large pots of tomato sauce for generations.

Depending on the family, it may be called:

Sunday Sauce
Sunday Gravy
Italian Gravy
Red Sauce
Tomato Sauce
Marinara

The terminology varies from family to family and from region to region.

The tradition, however, is instantly recognizable.

A big family meal.

A slowly cooked sauce.

Meatballs.

Sausage.

Braciole.

Pasta.

Bread.

Wine.

Dessert.

Coffee.

Conversation.

And plenty of time at the table.

Daniel Bellino Zwicke has explored this Italian-American tradition extensively in his earlier cookbook Sunday Sauce: When Italian-Americans Cook, which focuses on the history, recipes and rituals surrounding Italian-American Sunday meals.

Sinatra Sauce continues that culinary conversation through the lens of Frank Sinatra.

The Italian-American Table

One reason Italian-American cooking remains so popular is that it is approachable.

You don’t need an elaborate professional kitchen.

You don’t need rare ingredients.

You don’t need to be a trained chef.

You need good ingredients, patience, a few fundamental techniques—and people to share the meal with.

That is particularly true with dishes such as:

Spaghetti & Meatballs

Eggplant Parmigiana

Lasagna

Tomato Sauce

Chicken Vesuvio

Veal Marsala

Caponata

Arancini

Pasta Fazool

These are dishes with history.

They are dishes with personality.

And they are dishes that have become part of the American culinary landscape.

Sinatra Sauce brings many of these classics together in one volume.

Sinatra, New York and Italian Restaurants

You cannot really tell the story of Italian-American food without talking about New York City.

New York helped shape Italian-American restaurant culture, from neighborhood trattorias to famous old-school restaurants that became institutions.

Frank Sinatra was closely associated with New York’s restaurant and nightlife culture.

The Sinatra Sauce project explores places associated with Sinatra and the Italian-American dining world, including restaurants such as Patsy’s and other famous New York establishments.

That makes the book particularly appealing to anyone fascinated by:

Frank Sinatra

New York City

Italian-American culture

Old-school Italian restaurants

Celebrity food history

Classic Italian-American recipes

The Rat Pack era

Mid-century American culture

More Than a Sinatra Cookbook

One of the biggest misconceptions about Sinatra Sauce would be to think of it simply as a collection of celebrity recipes.

It is more than that.

The book combines food, biography, cultural history, recipes and lifestyle.

It is about the atmosphere surrounding the food.

It is about cooking dinner while listening to Sinatra.

It is about gathering friends around a table.

It is about the Italian-American tradition of making enough food for everyone—and then making more.

It is about entertaining.

It is about family.

And it is about enjoying life.

That’s where the phrase “Music, Meatballs & Merriment” becomes particularly appropriate.

What Recipes Are in Sinatra Sauce?

Readers interested in classic Italian-American cooking will find a broad selection of dishes.

Some of the recipes and dishes featured in the Sinatra Sauce project include:

Sinatra Tomato Sauce

A classic tomato sauce connected to Sinatra’s culinary story.

Dolly’s Meatballs

An Italian-American meatball recipe associated with Frank Sinatra’s mother.

Eggplant Parmigiana

One of the great Italian-American comfort foods.

Caponata

A Sicilian vegetable preparation combining sweet, savory and acidic flavors.

Arancini

Sicilian rice balls that have become beloved throughout the Italian-American food world.

PASTA FAZOOL

The classic Italian-American name for pasta e fagioli.

Sicilian Lasagna

A hearty variation on one of America’s favorite Italian dishes.

Chicken Vesuvio

A classic Italian-American restaurant dish featuring chicken and potatoes.

Veal Marsala

A restaurant classic combining veal with Marsala wine.

STEAK SINATRA’S WAY

A recipe inspired by Sinatra’s culinary preferences.

Frank’s Italian Cheesecake

A dessert to finish the meal.

Reginella Sicilian Cookies

A traditional-style Sicilian cookie.

The official Sinatra Sauce website lists these and additional recipes from the book.

Why SINATRA SAUCE Makes a GREAT GIFT

Looking for a gift for a Frank Sinatra fan?

Or someone who loves Italian food?

Or perhaps someone who collects cookbooks?

Sinatra Sauce combines all three interests.

It can make a particularly appropriate gift for:

Frank Sinatra fans

Italian-American families

Home cooks

Italian food lovers

New York history enthusiasts

Old-school Italian restaurant fans

Rat Pack fans

Music lovers

Cookbook collectors

People who love entertaining

The book also makes an excellent addition to a kitchen bookshelf or coffee table collection for anyone interested in Italian-American culinary culture.

Cook Like Sinatra

The idea behind Sinatra Sauce isn’t simply to read about Frank Sinatra.

It is to experience the atmosphere.

Put a Sinatra record on the stereo.

Make a pot of sauce.

Roll the meatballs.

Cook the pasta.

Open a bottle of Italian wine.

Set the table.

Invite people over.

And enjoy the evening.

In other words:

Cook like Sinatra.

Roll the meatballs.

Cook the pasta.

Open a bottle of Italian wine.

Set the table.

Invite people over.

And enjoy the evening.

In other words

COOK LIKE SINATRA

EAT LIKE SINATRA

Live a little like Sinatra.

That’s the spirit behind Sinatra Sauce: Music, Meatballs & Merriment.

Daniel Bellino Zwicke and Italian-American Cooking

Author Daniel Bellino Zwicke has written extensively about Italian food, Italian-American cooking and the culture surrounding the Italian table.

His bibliography includes Sunday Sauce, Grandma Bellino’s Italian Cookbook, The Feast of the 7 Fish, Segreto Italiano, and Positano The Amalfi Coast, among other food and travel titles.

His work frequently combines recipes with stories, history, family traditions and the cultural background behind the food.

That approach is especially appropriate for Sinatra Sauce because Sinatra himself is such a powerful cultural figure.

The food becomes a doorway into the larger story.

Frank Sinatra’s Favorite Italian Food

What makes the subject of Sinatra’s food so fascinating is the simplicity of many of the dishes associated with him.

Italian-American cooking does not have to be complicated to be memorable.

A good tomato sauce.

A properly made meatball.

Fresh pasta.

Eggplant.

Clams.

Veal.

Chicken.

Good bread.

Cheese.

Wine.

These are foods that can form the foundation of an extraordinary meal.

The magic comes from technique, ingredients, tradition and the people sharing it.

That is the lesson at the heart of Sinatra Sauce.

The Perfect Cookbook for Sinatra Fans and Italian Food Lovers

There are plenty of books about Frank Sinatra.

There are plenty of Italian cookbooks.

But Sinatra Sauce brings the two worlds together.

It gives readers an opportunity to explore the Italian-American food culture surrounding one of America’s most famous entertainers while also giving them recipes they can actually prepare at home.

That makes it something different from a standard biography.

It is also different from an ordinary cookbook.

It is a culinary portrait of an Italian-American legend.

Bring a Little Sinatra Into Your Kitchen

Frank Sinatra famously sang about doing things “My Way.”

Sinatra Sauce takes that philosophy into the kitchen.

You don’t need to recreate a Hollywood movie set or a Las Vegas nightclub.

You can start at home.

Make Sunday Sauce.

Prepare MEATBALLS

Cook EGGPLANT PARMIGIANA

Try a classic pasta dish.

Make a big Italian-American dinner.

Invite your family.

Invite your friends.

Turn on Sinatra.

Then sit down and enjoy the meal.

Because ultimately, that’s what Italian-American food is about.

Food. Family. Friends. Music. Stories. Wine. Laughter. And a table full of people.

And that is exactly the world celebrated in Sinatra Sauce: Music, Meatballs & Merriment by Daniel Bellino Zwicke.

Get SINATRA SAUCE

Amazon.com

If you love Frank Sinatra, Italian food, Italian-American cooking, New York City, classic Italian recipes, Sunday Sauce, spaghetti and meatballs, or the golden age of American entertainment, Sinatra Sauce belongs in your cookbook collection.

Discover the recipes, stories and Italian-American traditions behind Sinatra Sauce: Music, Meatballs & Merriment by Daniel Bellino Zwicke.

Read the book. Cook the recipes. Put on Sinatra. Gather your friends.

And make your own Sinatra night.

Make a big Italian-American dinner.

Invite your family.

Invite your friends.

Turn on Sinatra.

Then sit down and enjoy the meal.

Because ultimately, that’s what Italian-American food is about.

Food. Family. Friends. Music. Stories. Wine. Laughter. And a table full of people.

And that is exactly the world celebrated in Sinatra Sauce: Music, Meatballs & Merriment by Daniel Bellino Zwicke.

Get Sinatra Sauce

If you love Frank Sinatra, Italian food, Italian-American cooking, New York City, classic Italian recipes, Sunday Sauce, spaghetti and meatballs, or the golden age of American entertainment, Sinatra Sauce belongs in your cookbook collection.

Discover the recipes, stories and Italian-American traditions behind Sinatra Sauce: Music, Meatballs & Merriment by Daniel Bellino Zwicke.

Read the book. Cook the recipes. Put on Sinatra. Gather your friends.

And make your own Sinatra night.

Author Daniel Bellino Zwicke

With “SINATRA SAUCE”

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Clams Posillipo alla Sinatra Recipe – Frank Sinatra

On August 15, 2026 By Daniel BellinoLeave a comment

CLAMS POSILLIPO

“FRANK’S FAVORITE”

FRANK SINATRA w/ AVA GARDNER

CLAMS POSILLIPO

CLAMS POSILLIPO “FRANK SINATRA’S FAVORITE

Clams Posillipo gets its name from a residential area that is part of the city of Naples. The Neapolitans love their seafood just as much as their pizza and famous Neapolitan meat ragu dishes. This dish was one of Frank Sinatra’s favorites, he just loved it. So if you want to eat like Sinatra, or simply relive memories of Naples or the Amalfi Coast, here’s the recipe. Every nonna in Naples knows how to make it very well. Make it and enjoy.

Ingredients :

3 dozen Littleneck Clams, washed and scrubbed

5 tablespoons Olive Oil

6 cloves of Garlic, peeled and cut into 4 pieces each

1 – 28 ounce can San Marzano Plum Tomatoes

¼ cup fresh Parsley, washed and chopped

1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes

Bay Leaf

¼ cup dry White Wine

9 slices of Italian Bread

5 cloves of Garlic, peeled and left whole

Toast all the bread on both sides under the broiler in your oven. Be careful not to burn. Remove the bread and set on a plate. Take one whole clove of peeled garlic and rub each side of the bread with the garlic.

Place the Olive Oil and the chopped Garlic in a large frying pan. Cook for 3 minutes on medium heat.

Lower the flame to low, add the Red Pepper and cook on low heat for 1 minute, stirring with a spoon.

Turn heat to high. Remove the tomatoes two at a time with a fork and place into the pan. Cook on high heat for 5 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon. Add the Sea Salt and Black Pepper, and mix with the spoon.

Add the juices from the tomato can into the pan. Fill the empty tomato can with water and pour into the pan. Turn the heat to medium and cook for 12 minutes. Make sure you stir from time to time with a wooden spoon.

Put a large pot that has a cover on the stove. Add the wine and 4 cloves of whole garlic to pot and turn heat on to high.

Add ½ cup of water and the Bay Leaf to the pot. Bring the water up to the boil. Add all the Clams to the pot and cook on high heat until all the Clam Shells open (about 4-5 minutes). Turn the heat off and remove all the clams to a large bowl.

Add the tomatoes and all the juice to the pot with the clam liquid. Cook on high heat for 4 minutes. Add half of the chopped parsley and mix.

Place 3 slices each of the toasted bread around 3 pasta bowls. Divide half of the tomatoes among the 3 plates.

Place 12 clams in each of the 3 bowls. Pour the remaining tomatoes over the 2 plates of clams. Sprinkle a little olive oil over each plate. Sprinkle the remaining parsley over all the calms. Serve immediately. “Enjoy, you’re eating like Frank. Sinatra that is.”

Note : You can make Mussels Posillipo, simply by substituting Mussels for the Calms. Or you can make the dish using half Clams and half Mussels.

Note II : If you like your dishes spicy hot, add more Red Pepper Flakes to the recipe.

SINATRA SAUCE

COOK & EAT LIKE FRANK

His FAVORITE ITALIAN DISHES

AMAZON.com

“POSILLIPO”

NAPLES, ITALY

Posillipo is an affluent neighbourhood of Naples, Italy. It’s on the coast, and is famous for its beauty, views of Vesuvius, restaurants. and seafood dishes, such as “Clams Posillipo” Frank Sinatra’s favorite.

Sinatra Sauce is FREE – If You Have Kindle-Unlimited

On August 3, 2025 By Daniel BellinoLeave a comment

“SINATRA SAUCE is FREE” !!!

If You Have KindleUnlimited

FREE on AMAZON

SINATRA SAUCE

The COOKBOOK

In PAPERBACK & KINDLE EDITIONS

AMAZON.com

SINATRA SAUCE “Music Meatballs & Merriment”

Daniel Bellino Zwicke

Sinatra Sauce “Music Metaballs & Merriment” and Living The Good Life. “Like Frank” .. Yes, it’s about Frank. That is one Francis Albert Sinatra, the Greatest Singer of The 20th Century, and Icon of American, especially of the Italian-American Enclave in America. Frank Sinatra was many things, first and foremost a Great Italian-American singer, Love & Adored by Millions. Mr. Sinatra was also an actor, citizen, and Entertainer Par Excellence. Yes this book is about those things, Frank Sinatra : the incomparable singer, actor, recording artist, Teen Idol of the 1940s, philanthropist, and Las Vegas & Nightclub Entertainer. He was like no other, Sinatra was one-of-a- kind, and he had a lust for life, “Hanging with Friends,” – sipping cocktails, with good food, and making good times. That’s what this book is about, Frank Sinatra, eating (Italian Food), enjoying a cocktail or two, and the company of family and friends. Yes, Frank Sinatra lived life to its fullest. He wouldn’t have it any other way, but “His Way.”

This book “Inspires” and gives you the tools to live out your Sinatra Dreams. You can make it reality, with recipes of Frank’s Favorite Italian Foods, Pasta, Meatballs, Posillipo, Eggplant Parm and more. Eating, drinking, and having good times, all the time as Frank did. Meals with friends and family. Meals you can cook, with recipes in this book. The info and recipes are all here in Sinatra Sauce. Read it, put on some Sinatra (music), cook, eat, and create memorable times at the table, just like Frank. That’s what this book is about: Sinatra, Family, Friends, and Good Times. “The Best is Yet to Come”

Visit SINATRA SAUCE – The Website @ SinatraSauce.com

Author Daniel Bellino Zwicke is a lifelong Sinatra fan. He is a Best Selling author, who lives and writes in New York’s Greenwich Village. Daniel is currently working on several other projects. He has authored : Sunday Sauce, La Tavola, Mangia Italiano, Grandma Bellino’s Cookbook, Segreto Italiano, and Positano The Amalfi Coast – Travel Guide / Cookbook.

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The SINATRA SAUCE COOKBOOK – FREE

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Daniel Bellino Zwicke – “In CAPRI”

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Eat Like Sinatra – Franks Favorite Restaurants Pasta and Italian Recipes – Frank Sinatra Cookbook

On May 29, 2025 By Daniel BellinoLeave a comment

“FRANK”

Francis Albert Sinatra

“SINATRA SAUCE” !!!

A Young Frank Sinatra …. Hoboken, New Jersey

“SINATRA SAUCE” !!!

Frank Sinatra

“Come Fly with Me” !!!

PATSY’S “Franks Favorite Restaurant”

Frank’s Favorite Restaurant in The World, was Patsy’s on West 56th Street in New York, in The Theater District near Times Square .. Frank’s Favorites were; Calms Posillipo, Spaghetti Pomodoro, Veal Milanes (extra Thin & Crispy) and Spaghetti & Meatballs of which patsy’s makes The Best in The City ..

PATSY’S is by far the restaurant most associated with SINATRA — on its website, the restaurant notes that it “has been known for years as the restaurant Frank Sinatra made famous.” You can still order up old-school Italian there, but you might not have the exact same experience as Sinatra, who was said to have entered through a special door to sit at a reserved table on the second floor. Sinatra became especially loyal to the restaurant after making a solo Thanksgiving reservation one year, not realizing the restaurant was slated to be closed that day. Patsy Scognamillo didn’t want to turn Sinatra away, so he allowed the reservation. He also didn’t want Sinatra to know the restaurant was opened just for him — so he had the entire staff bring their families to fill the place up, something Sinatra didn’t learn until years later, according to Patsy’s lore. The restaurant still celebrates its connection to Sinatra: At right, in 2002, Joe Scognamillo served actor Bill Boggs, who had dressed up as Sinatra . (236 West 56th St.)

FRANK & AVA

“MANGIA BENE”

SINATRA SAUCE

COOK & EAT LIKE FRANK

His FAVORITE ITALIAN RECIPES

AMAZON.com

FRANK & DINO

PJ CLARKE’S

3rd AVENUE, Midtown MANHATTAN

SINATRA ‘S ALL-TIME FAVORITE BAR / SALOON

FRANK’S FAVORITE ITALIAN BREAD

PARISI BAKERY MOTT STREET

LITTLE ITALY, NY NY

FRANKS FAVORITE PIZZA

PATSY’S in EAST HARLEM

No Relation to PATSY’S on 56th STREET

PATSY’S PIZZERIA

EAST HARLEM

“FRANK’S FAVORITE PIZZA

21a7e-screen2bshot2b2016-01-252bat2b2-29-112bpm

SINATRA at JILLY’S New York with Friends and Daughters NANCY and TINA

Frank loved going to his close Pal JILLY RIZZO’S New York Restaurant JILLY’S where Frank would eat Chinese Food, tell stories, and drink JACK DANIEL’S to the Wee Hours of the morning.

SUNDAY SAUCE

WHEN ITALIAN-AMERICANS COOK

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Dean Martin looks on as Sammy Davis Jr. pours Frank a Jack Daniels

Jack Daniel’s and Frank Sinatra

GET “SINATRA SAUCE” !!!

FRANK SINATRA with Cigarette & JACK DANIELS

Dom of DOM’S BAKERY Hoboken , New Jersey

FRANK SINATRA had DOM Send him BREAD to Palm Springs , California

Screen Shot 2017-11-24 at 12.34.25 PM

FOCCACIA From DOM’S BAKERY

cc352-screen2bshot2b2016-09-032bat2b3-22-552bpm

GRANDMA BELLINO’S COOKBOOK

“RECIPES FROM MY SICILIAN NONNA”

by Daniel Bellino “Z”

Author Daniel Bellino “Z” has the same ancestral Sicilian Roots as Frank Sinatra and one Charles “Lucky” Luciano who was born in LERCARA FRIDDI SICILY , as was Frank SInatra ‘s father Martino Severino Sinatra and Bellino ‘s maternal grandparents Giussepina Salemi and Fillipo Bellino who both immigrated from Lercara Friddi to New York through Ellis Island in 1904 . In 1906 Luciano ‘s parents immigrated and settled on the Lower East Side of New York when young Charlie (Salvatore ) was 9 years old.

Charles “Lucky” Luciano

Born in Lercara Friddi

Lucina

SINATRA’S Favorite PIZZA !!!

PATSY’S in Eats Harlem , New York NY

2287 1st Avenue neat 117th Street

Opened in 1933 by Patsy Lancieri

The 21 CLUB

A Favorite SINATRA Haunt For Years

SINATRA arrives at The 21 CLUB with Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

Good Friend and Bodyguard JILLY RIZZO and a U.S. SECRET SERVICE AGENT

The 21 BURGER

LEARN HOW to MAKE IT !!!

Click for RECIPE

Frank & Tony – Sinatra and Curtis

On April 26, 2025April 26, 2025 By Daniel BellinoLeave a comment

FRANK & TONY

““Frank Sinatra and Tony Curtis were close, lifelong friends. They knew each other since the 1940s when Sinatra was playing the Paramount. In 1958 they were in the movie Kings Go Forth together. Curtis is often mentioned as part of The Clan/Rat Pack in the 1950s and 1960s. Tina Sinatra remembered that when her father was old and sick, she once found Tony Curtis cradling her father in his arms.

Sinatra called Curtis “Bernie” (pronounced “Boinie”), because his real name was Bernard Schwartz.

Here are some of the things that Tony Curtis said about Frank Sinatra, in interviews and in his memoir.

“When I met him, I realized he was very nice with everyone around him. He wasn’t so obnoxious. That was the rumor about Frank, that you didn’t know what he had in mind.”

“I became an honorary member of Frank’s Rat Pack; I never went on stage with Frank, Dean, Sammy, Joey Bishop, or Peter Lawford, but anytime they had a get-together, I was invited. Whenever those guys got up to any kind of mischief, I was there. They treated me like a kid brother, which brought out the best in everyone.”

“I knew a lot about Frank. We were really close. He liked me a lot, and that meant a lot to me. To be a friend of Frank’s was a great help in those early days. I didn’t abuse it or take advantage of it. I would just make myself available when he would call or want to go out to dinner.”

“When he was not angry, there was a calm humanness about him. He would always stick up for his buddies. He was always available. He would stick up for you even if the guy was a big guy.”

“Frank wasn’t a womanizer – he was womanized! What a great position to be in! You know, those were carefree, intelligent, and very stimulating days and nights!”

“Women would flock around him. Then the husbands or the boyfriends found themselves ill at ease. I couldn’t understand it, you know? Frank wasn’t gonna take ‘em anywhere. He’d just hang-out there.”

“He’s one of the biggest prudes I’ve ever met…he’s an old-fashioned man. I’ve never heard him use a vulgar word in front of a woman!”

“Frank Sinatra was like the sun, with a lot of people revolving around him.”

“Notice I don’t bring up the Mafia. He in himself was his own godfather. He ran his own family and his friends like that. Untouchable.”

“Frank exhibited the traits I admired most in a person, namely his unfailing self-confidence.”

“I would make model airplanes, the kind you make with balsa wood. I’d make it with glue and the things that would make it work. He was so pleased because he told me, ‘I was never able to get that body in the plane right’. So, he’d throw his stuff away. But, there I was making the bodies and he’d say will I add to it? Then, we’d paper it. We did the wings. We put a rubber band in it, and a propeller. We’d go out in his garage, in back, and I’d wind it up and let it go. The f***er would ram into a wall, and there it was all broken again. We did this two or three times. Sometimes we had more success than others. But, I loved him for that.”

Tony Curtis wrote about one time at the Sands when he was very drunk and Frank and Dean threw him into the swimming pool fully dressed.

Tony Curtis: “I climbed out of the pool… freshened up, and went back down to the casino. I was still a little dizzy, but at least I was keeping my eyes open. When Frank saw me he said, ‘Where have you been?’

‘Somebody threw me in the pool,’ I said. ‘I had to go upstairs and change.’ Frank said, ‘Who in the world would do that?’ I told him I thought he might have had something to do with it, but he denied it,and I couldn’t be sure I had remembered it right.”

Tony Curtis wrote that during the filming of Sweet Smell of Success, he was “the recipient of one of Frank’s legendary acts of thoughtfulness.” He was learning to play the flute for the movie and would often go over to Sinatra’s house to practice.

Tony Curtis: “I’d come over to Frank’s house and practice playing my flute for him. Frank was impressed that I was learning this new skill for my part in the movie, and he noticed that I was playing a cheap flute I’d picked up. So without telling me, he went out one day and bought me a magnificent flute, a priceless gift that I cherish to this day.”

In an interview, he talked about the flute too and called it “one of my sacred possessions from The Man.”

Frank Sinatra once said Tony Curtis was his favorite actor “because he beat the odds.”

Their mutual friend Sidney Poitier said of Tony Curtis, “When you’re with Tony Curtis, you’re with somebody very alive. He was – and is – one of the most ‘up’ people I have ever known.”

SINATRA SAUCE

COOK & EAT LIKE FRANK

His FAVORITE ITALIAN RECIPES

STORIES TOO !

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Spaghetti Meatballs alla Sinatra – Nancy Barbato Sinatra Recipe

On December 30, 2024 By Daniel BellinoLeave a comment

NANCY BARBATO SINATRA

SPAGHETTI & MEATBALLS

From the WFBL COOK BOOK OF THE STARS

FRANK SINATRA Born in Hoboken, Frank was an only son. His mother came to this country from Genoa and father from Sicily. As a lad, Frank had always been crazy about music, but his parents failed to share his enthusiasm of making a career of it. His first singing spot was with Harry James, then Tommy Dorsey. The turning point in Frank Sinatra’s career came in January, 1943, when he signed for a series of personal appearances at New York’s Paramount Theater. Then and there, he became “The Voice.” Sinatra’s slight build is kept in hard trim by his prowess at boxing, golf and bowling.

MRS. FRANK SINATRA’S RECIPE FOR SPAGHETTI AND MEAT BALLS

MEAT BALLS –

1 lb. chopped meat, 1/2 pork, 1/2 beef

1 clove garlic (chopped fine)

1/2 cup grated Italian cheese

1 cup bread crumbs

1 teaspoon finely chopped parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

(Mix all well, form into balls, brown in oil and put aside until sauce is made.)

SAUCE

1 large can Italian style tomatoes

1 can tomato puree

1 small onion

1 clove garlic

1 teaspoon ground parsley

1/2 cup olive oil

Thyme

Salt

Black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Brown chopped up onion and garlic in oil in which you brown meat balls. Strain tomatoes, add puree to the juice. Add the oil in which you have browned onion and garlic, but remove all sauteed ingredients. Season with salt, pepper, thyme and parsley. Cook the sauce (covered) for 1 hour, with meatballs added, over a slow fire.

Boil spaghetti in water, salted to taste. Remove spaghetti, drain. Serve it on a platter over which you have poured sauce and meat balls. Add layer of cheese, and add full covering of sauce, add another layer of cheese and another layer of sauce. Serve piping hot.

SINATRA SAUCE

The COOKBOOK

FRANK’S FAVORITE ITALIAN RECIPES

AMAZON.com

Above, you have the SPAGHETTI & MEATBALLS Recipe of Nancy Sinatra. Nancy Barbato Sinatra, Frank’s wife, not his daughter Nancy.

In the book “Sinatra Sauce,” along with many other recipes is another Spaghetti & Meatballs recipe, but not Frank’s wife Nancy, but his mother Dolly’s recipe. Both are excellent, we’re sure you will agree. If you want to know more of Frank Sinatra, the foods he loved, and grew up with in the Italian Enclave in Hoboken, New Jersey, along with all of Frank’s favourite dishes and restaurants around the country and the World. Dishes like Chicken Vesuvius of Chicago, BBQ Ribs from The Anchor Bar in Chicago, Veal Milanese and Clams Posillipo from “Patsy’s Restaurant” in New York, and Frank’s afternoon Egg Sandwich in Palm Springs, California.

FRANK SINATRA

At HOME in PALM SPRINGS

EATING his DAILY Afternoon EGG SANDWICH

RECIPE

Sinatra Tomato Sauce – Recipe

On November 18, 2024 By Daniel BellinoLeave a comment

Frank Sinatra

TOMATO SAUCE

Who knew that Frank Sinatra had a signature tomato sauce or even that the beloved star enjoyed spending time in a kitchen? Well, a whole lot of people in the 1970s got a glimpse of those chef proclivities when Sinatra appeared on NBC’s hit daytime show starring Dinah Shore. In a “Dinah’s Place” episode, the Rat Pack celebrity dished on and dished out his signature tomato sauce, rightfully credited as having come from his Italian-immigrant mother Natalie Della Garaventa, affectionately known as Dolly Sinatra.

Sinatra’s version is a pretty stress-free version of a classic Italian sauce, relying on cans of tomato puree and Italian-style tomatoes, which could include the renowned San Marzano tomatoes from the Agro Sarnese Nocerino region of Southern Italy. Due to volcanic soils from the nearby towering Mount Vesuvius, these tomatoes tend to be sweeter with intense tomato flavors and less acid than other varieties. The exact recipe attributed to Sinatra tends to vary slightly depending on the cookbook or source, but it’s generally agreed that the canned tomatoes get pureed in a blender and added later to a pot of emerging ingredients. Onions and minced fresh garlic get sauteed in olive oil on the stovetop, joined by the blended tomatoes and Italian-favorite spices such as parsley, thyme, and black pepper. That’s about it — just cook on low for a few minutes and top with crushed red pepper and extra fresh parsley.

Once you know Sinatra’s connection to Italian food, it makes sense when finding photos of him in a chef’s hat or seeing his name tied to Italian recipes in magazines and cookbooks, like the 2013 book SUNDAY SAUCE – When Italian-Americans Cook. He’s certainly in good company there, with his Spaghetti and Meatballs recipe appearing alongside a Sunday gravy from Joe DiMaggio’s Mama and several recipe incarnations from famous movie scenes, such as a Brooklyn Mob War Sauce from “The Godfather” and a Sauce in Prison from “The Goodfellas.”

Some of Frank Sinatra’s favorite foods were known to be Italian dishes, and he maintained enduring devotion to Italian cooking and restaurants, including the recently reopened La Dolce Vita in Hollywood and Patsy’s Italian Restaurant in New York City. Much like his inimitable fame and fan devotion, Sinatra and his mama’s tomato sauce recipe is still around — and it’s a fresh and easy take on classic Italian saucing.

Wendy Leigh

February 21, 2024

SINATRA SAUCE

COOK LIKE FRANK

FAVORITE ITALIAN RECIPES

AMAZON.com

Sinatra Sauce has Arrived – The Sinatra Cookbook Favorite Italian Recipes

On November 12, 2024 By Daniel BellinoLeave a comment

SINATRA SAUCE

by Daniel Bellino Z

AMAZON.com

Best Selling Italian Cookbook author Daniel Bellino Zwicke has a new book. It’s coming soon. November 16, 2024 is the Day. SINATRA SAUCE is Coming !!!

Sinatra Sauce is expected to be a huge hit! Many books have been written by the late great Franks Sinatra, but none quite like this. It’s sure to excite Sinatra Fans (Millions) everywhere, especially those who Love Italian Food, and like to cook. Nothing has ever been done like this, and we feel it is a most wonderful idea, coming from New York Italian cookbook author Daniel Bellino Zwicke.

Over the years, Mr. Bellino has proven to have his hands on the pulse of Italian Food, Italians, Italian Americans, and Italian American Culture, and what Italian Americans, and all Americans who Love Italian Food and cookbooks. Daniel has written such hits as The Ragu Bolognese Cookbook, Positano The Amalfi Coast Travel Guide / Cookbook, and his hugely popular book Sunday Sauce. People just love his books, and they are certain to love this one too. “We do.”

More than 60 books have been written about Frank Sinatra over the years. This one should prove to be one of the publics favourites, and most loved. Get ready. Sinatra Sauce will be available on Amazon .com, November 16, 2024, just in time for Christmas. “Get it” !

BOOKS by Daniel Bellino Zwicke

Chicken Scarpariello Recipe alla Sinatra

On November 11, 2024 By Daniel BellinoLeave a comment

CHICKEN SCARPARIELLO

“SICILIAN SHOMAKER’S CHICKEN”

CHICKEN SCARPARIELLO SICILIANA

alla SINATRA

Chicken Scarpariello, do you know what that means? It translates to Shoemaker’s Chicken. Did you know that Frank Sinatra’s father, Saverio Antonino Martino Sinatra was born in Lercara Friddi, Sicily. His parents immigrated to New York City in 1903 when Marty was 11 years old. His American name was Marty, which is what everyone called him. Marty’s father was already in New York, working in a pencil factory when young Martino arrived in New York with his mother and two sisters Angela and Dorthea. As a teenager, young Marty apprenticed as a shoemaker, but didn’t last long, instead he became a Prize Fighter.

Along the way, it seems Martino’s mom taught him a thing or two about cooking Sicilian food, and George Jacobs (Frank’s Valet / assistant) has said that both Dolly Sinatra and Marty gave George recipes, and taught George how to cook Frank’s favorite dishes, Pollo Scarpariello being one of them, and the recipe was taught to George Jacobs by Marty, and George has said that of the two of them, Marty was actually a better cook than Dolly. This is now a great surprise, as it is not always the case, but it is sometimes among Italians, as in the case of the Sinatra Family, that the husband is a better cook than the wife, this has been the case in many Italian families, especially in the later part of the Twentieth Century and now into this, the 21st Century, Italian-American men, in many cases it seems, are more interested in cooking Italian Dishes then are the Italian women of these younger generations, and many young Italian-American men are better cooks than their wives. That’s just the way it is.

MARTY’S CHICKEN SCARPARIELLO

Chicken Scarparieello is a longtime favorite dish of Italian Americans, and the Sinatra’s were no exception to the rule when it came to this tasty dish. Chicken Scarpariello translates to English as Shoemaker’s Style Chicken. Scarpa is the Italian word for shoe. Marty’s father, Frank’s grandfather, was a shoemaker in Lercara Friddi, Sicily. Marty ate this tasty chicken dish all his life and made it for his wife Dolly and son Francis (Frank) Albert. This is Marty Sinatra’s recipe for Pollo Scarpariello. Make it and enjoy.

Ingredients :

1 – 3 lb. Chicken cut into 10 Pieces (or 10 Chicken Thighs)

6 links Italian Sweet Sausage

6 cloves Garlic, peeled and cut into 5 pieces each clove

1 Sweet Red Bell Pepper, cut into ½” strips

2-3 Sprigs Fresh Rosemary

¼ cup dry White Wine

½ teaspoon each Salt and ground Black Pepper

2 large Potatoes, peeled and cut into 2” chunks

Pat the Chicken dry, and season with 1/2 the Salt & Black Pepper

Place 5 tablespoons of Olive Oil in a large pan. Turn heat to medium flame. Place the Chicken in the pan, skin side down, and brown for 4 minutes. Turn the chicken over to the second side and cook for another 3-4 minutes.

Add the wine to the pan and cook on medium heat for 3 minutes. Remove the Chicken from the pan and place in a bowl with the juices from the pan.

Add the Sausages and cook on low heat on all sides for 8 minutes. Remove sausages and place in a bowl with the Chicken.

Add the potatoes to the pan with 4 tablespoons of Olive Oil. Add a pinch of Salt & Black Pepper to potatoes and cook for 4 minutes on medium heat. Add the Red Bell Peppers and cook on low heat for 7 minutes.

Add the Sausage and Chicken and all the juices to the pan with the Peppers and Potatoes. Add the rosemary. Cook for 6 minutes on low heat. Turn the chicken over and continue cooking for 6 minutes more.

Let it cool for a few minutes, then serve each person some Sausage, 2 pieces of Chicken and Potatoes and some pan juice.

EXCERPTED From “SINATRA SAUCE”

by Daniel Bellino Zwicke

CLICK HERE ! For More SINATRA Recipes

SINATRA SAUCE

aka The SINATRA COOKBOOK

Daniel Bellino Zwicke

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Sinatra Sauce has Arrived – “Get It” Available on Amazon

On November 9, 2024November 10, 2024 By Daniel BellinoLeave a comment

SINATRA SAUCE has ARRIVED !!!!

Be The 1st on YOUR BOLCK to GET IT !!!

AMAZON.com

Sinatra Sauce has Arrived !!! Yes, the long awaited Sinatra Sauce Cookbook by author Daniel Bellino Zwicke has arrived. And just in time for Christmas 2024. Want to get someone a really special gift this Christmas ? “Get SINATRA SAUCE” !

It’s sure to please. This is a book on Sinatra like no other.

Yes, SINATRA SAUCE is sure to please. Author, Daniel paints some wonderful pictures of Frank Sinatra at his best. And we’re not talking about singing. No, there is no denying, Frank Sinatra was one of the greatest singers of the 20th Century, if not the single best. Yes, but we’re not talking about that here. This book is all about Sinatra and Food. Italian Food to be more specific, and the dishes that Frank Sinatra liked best. Tasty Italian Dishes from his childhood in Hoboken, New Jersey. We are talking Eggplant Parmigiana, Lasagna, Spaghetti & Meatballs here. Dishes made by Frank’s mom Dolly, and his father as well. Yes his father, Martino Sinatra, born in Lercarra Friday, Sicily was quite the good cook as well, and would cook for the family as well. Martino (aka Marty) made Sicilian dishes like Italian Wedding Pasta (Ziti al Forno), Eggplant Parmigiana, and Marty’s Meatloaf. Dolly on the other hand, made Minestrone Genovese, and her famous Spaghetti & Meatballs, along with a host of other Italian favourites.

Later in life, as Frank’s Star rose and he went out into the World, he acquired a taste for others of his lifelong favourites, like: BBQ Ribs at Twin Anchors, in Chicago, Chicken Vesuvius, Steak, and Braised Beef Short Ribs at Lord Fletchers in Palm Springs.

You will; find Sinatra Sauce quite inspirational as read stories of Mr. Sinatra at Jilly’s in New York, The 21 Club, Gino’s, Patsy’s Pizzeria (East Harlem) and Patsy’s Restaurant on West 56th Street in Manhattan where Frank loved to eat Clams Posillipo and Veal Milanese (thin & crispy).

Want to get inspired to eat like Sinatra, have Sinatra Parties, and live the good life. It’s all in the book, recipes and stories of Frank, eating drinking, and being merry. For Sinatra did not just sing. He Loved, and he enjoyed life to its fullest.

Frank Sinatra loved dining and entertaining friends. His dinner parties are legendary, whether at home or out in a restaurant. It was always a good time with Frank, who gathered friends and family, at the table, they ate drank, and were all merry. So, if you want to do the same, invite some friends over, pick out a recipe, put on some Sinatra (records), cook, eat, and have the time of your life. Just like Frank.

SINATRA SAUCE is available on AMAZON.com