Tony Mangia

Lodi, New Jersey

About Me:

My name is Tony Mangia. I am a food blogger and the creator of “Ciao Down with Tony Mangia”. Food and all things Italian are are my passions. This blog will be dedicated to my musings on food, whether it’s about the latest restaurant I’ve tried or what I’m cooking in my kitchen. Besides just writing, I will include pictures, as well. I want to thank you for taking time to read my blog. I look forward to taking you along on my food journey!

Favorite Foods: Pizza!!

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Education is the key to teaching people about authentic Italian food

Posted: October 06, 2011

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You know there are Italian-American anti-defamation leagues that are constantly on the prowl to right a wrong when Italians or Italian-Americans are portrayed in a negative light. Well, what about an Italian Food Anti-defamation League!! I'm serious about this. People around the world, not just the States, need to know what...

Practicing Pizza Making with Pasta?! You heard correct!

Posted: May 11, 2011

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It might be a practice pizza, but it still looks good enough to eat!! A practice pizza!? I’ve never heard of such a thing until this afternoon when I was at A Mano in Ridgewood. Roberto Caporuscio, master pizzaiolo, instructor and owner of NYC’s Keste’ Pizza & Vino makes his pizzaioli-in-training practice...

Espresso…Can’t start the day without it!!

Posted: May 03, 2011

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What’s better than two shots of espresso to start the day!? There’s one thing I have to do every morning so that I can function like a normal human being throughout the day. And that is to make myself an espresso. It’s funny, if I don’t have that jolt of caffeine I feel like a zombie. Until recently...

A Passion for Family, Food & Olive Oil: My Conversation with Gabriele Corcos, star of The Cooking Channel’s “EXTRA VIRGIN”

Posted: April 25, 2011

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Gabriele Corcos and Debi Mazar, stars of the Cooking Channel’s “EXTRA VIRGIN” (Photo courtesy of Gabriele Corcos) Growing up in Fiesole on the outskirts of Florence, Gabriele Corcos was taught to love and appreciate food and where it came from. He also learned the intricacies of Tuscan cooking from his mother and...

‘Nduja: It’s the new Nutella…only better!!

Posted: April 20, 2011

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‘Nduja, a Calabrian specialty After long last, it was love at first bite for ‘nduja and me! I recently have been on a mission to find this elusive salumi. For those outside of the salumi loop, ‘nduja is a fiery hot, spreadable salume that is native to the town of Spilinga in the province of Vibo Valentia in the...

D. Coluccio & Sons is the real deal!!

Posted: April 11, 2011

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Louis Coluccio & Me at his store in Brooklyn Last month after long last, I visited D. Coluccio & Sons on 60th Street in Brooklyn, New York. Coluccio’s is a third generation Italian importer, distributor & supermarket. I’ve always heard great things about Coluccio’s but never made the trek out to...

Making Pane e Panelle with Alessio at Bella Cucina Italian Deli

Posted: April 08, 2011

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I recently visited Bella Cucina Gourmet Italian Deli in Lake Hiawatha, NJ. The proprietors are great friends of mine, Alessio & Lauren Troia. Alessio is a native Palermitano, meaning he's from Palermo, Sicily. One of his specialties are a Sicilian street food called pane e panelle, which are...

My Visit to Ah'Pizz in Montclair, NJ

Posted: April 04, 2011

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The other day, I was in the mood for pizza so I decided to visit my friends at Ah’Pizz, a Neapolitan style pizzeria, in Montclair, NJ. Ah’Pizz is VPN (Vera Pizza Napoletana) certified, which means they are striving to make authentic pizza the way it’s made back in Napoli. The...

Sliders, Italian Style

Posted: March 23, 2011

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A few weeks ago, I was in a slider (mini-hamburger) kind of mood. My wife just wanted a plain slider with griddled onions, but me I wanted to elevate the slider to a higher gastronomic level. Being it was Sunday, I was in the mood for Italian, but didn’t want to spend the whole afternoon making sauce. So what I did was make my sliders Italian...