In this final Rattle Those Pots & Pans oral history of Baltimore kitchens both wide and narrow but always simmering, we honor Di Pasquale, a delicatessen, grocery store and restaurant that has been a Highlandtown mainstay since the early 20th century.
» 4 to 6 servings
1 lb. of linguine pasta
25 little neck clams in-shell
1 can of whole baby clams, shelled
1/4 cup onions, chopped
1/2 cup of white wine
1 tablespoon of butter
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon of parsley
1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
1/2 cup of clam juice
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon of basil
3 plum tomatoes, seeded and salted
» In an oversize pan, warm olive oil on a medium heat. Once the olive oil is heated, add the onions and cook until translucent. Next, add the garlic and let cook for about a minute. Then add the wine, clam juice, sea salt and red pepper flakes, let simmer for five minutes. After that, put in whole baby clams (shelled) and allow too cook for two minutes. Before adding the plum tomatoes make sure you have seeded and salted them, this helps to eliminate any excess water. After the tomatoes have been added, stir and let simmer for five minutes then add butter. Put in the clams with the shell and let cook with lid on for five minutes. Lastly, add the basil and parsley and let cook for a minute before. Remember to gently stir occasionally so that clams do not break or separate from shell.
Near the start of the First World War, in 1914, Luigi Di Pasquale Sr. opened a corner grocery store near the corner of Gough and Conkling streets near Our Lady of Pompei Catholic Church.
(Trinacria grocery, near yet another somewhat forgotten Italian enclave — the Lexington Market/St. Jude Shrine area — opened in 1900 and also remains robust.)
Under the direction of Joe Di Pasquale, Luigi’s grandson and culinary heir, the old grocery has expanded into something of an Italian oasis, with espresso and soccer games from the Old Country on television.
Six days a week — from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. — Joe and his family and a small and loyal work force offer fresh bread, mozzarella like satin and more brands of olive oil than the average snowball stand has flavors.
So what does he do at home in Ruxton on Sunday, his day off and by Italian tradition, a time for family?
Joe cooks. He wears an apron all week with a pencil behind his ear — turning out specialties that have won him several “Best of Baltimore” awards in the City Paper — but on Sunday, somehow, stirring the pot is a different experience.
“Cooking on Sundays is relaxing because I don’t have to wake up early and I don’t have to deal and worry about my day-to-day activities,” says Joe. “My main concern is spending time with the family — what better way than cooking? I make dishes that are entertaining for my kids, such as the clam dish, which reminds me of the seashore.”
Joe first started making the clam sauce recipe featured here about 20 years ago, when he was just beginning to learn the family business.
“My secret ingredient is the butter,” he said. “It adds richness and sweetness to the dish. I think that’s the part my children love most.”
When Joe cooks, he thinks about the people who came before him, relatives on both sides of the family.
“My aunts, uncles, parents and in-laws,” he said. “People who cooked unselfishly to feed dozens of people at one seating.”
For this is Crabtown. There is always room for one more at the table.
Rafael Alvarez can be reached at [email protected]
