Coney Island may seem like a world away from Shelter Island, but for the Russo and Cutolo family, it’s been their home away from home since the early 1960s — and where chef Matthew Cutolo found his love for cooking and warm hospitality.
The family business, Gargiulo’s Restaurant at 2911 W. 15th St. in Coney Island, Brooklyn, was started in 1907 by the Gargiulo family. In 1965, it was bought by Cutolo’s great uncles and, via their careful, sincere Neapolitan cooking, the restaurant garnered a three-star review from Mimi Sheraton, the famed New York Times food critic. Not bad for a family that started out with a pizza joint on Nostrand Avenue.
Meanwhile, Cutolo’s grandparents discovered a sweet little respite 100 miles from the city, building a little ranch house on Shelter Island that they’ve added onto over the years as the family, and their welcoming spirit, has grown. And it was here that Cutolo found his love of food.
“My grandparents would come out here all the time, and we spent the weekends here growing up, and my grandfather was always making something, whether it be the brick oven pizza, or bread, you name it — he was an unbelievable cook, says Cutolo. “We bonded over that. He’s the one who instilled that passion in me. There’s a picture of me, two years old, on the kitchen stool with my hands in the pizza dough!”
Now, between cooking appearances on the Today Show and Good Day New York and working on his own cookbook and social media channels, as well as the brunt of his day spent behind the helm in the busy Gargiulo’s kitchen, Cutolo doesn’t have a ton of time to entertain. When he does, though, he reaches for the fresh, simple dishes of his family’s Neapolitan heritage, like this easy Sorbetto al Limone, that comes together in a snap.
Photo Credit: Doug Young
“Growing up in Gargiulo’s, food and family, entertaining and hospitality, it wasn’t something else — it was a part of life,” he says. “The cultural traditions are alive, and that’s why it’s so important that we still do what we do.”
Chef Matthew Cutolo’s Sorbetto al Limone
PREP TIME 20 minutes, plus at least three hours to freeze
COOK TIME 8 minutes
SERVES 4
6 lemons, rinsed and patted dry
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup sugar
Fresh mint, for garnish
1. Slice a small portion off the bottom of four of the lemons so they stand upright. Cut a larger slice from the tops and set aside.
2. Cut around the inside of each of the four lemons and scoop out the pulp over a bowl to catch the juice.
3. Transfer hollowed-out lemons to the freezer until ready to serve.
4. Peel the zest off the remaining two lemons. Squeeze out the insides and add to the bowl of juice and pulp.
4. Combine the juice and pulpy centers with the zest, water and sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Strain out the rinds and any stray pits.
5. Pour the mixture into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and transfer to the freezer for a minimum of three hours, up to overnight.
6. Blend until smooth in a blender and then spoon the mixture back into the reserved, hollowed-out lemon rinds. Garnish with the reserved lemon top and mint. Serve immediately.
