Even if you’re not much of a music expert, you’ve probably heard of Frank Sinatra. “Ol’ Blue Eyes,” as his nickname went, sang hits like “My Way” and “Come Fly With Me,” and appeared in movies that included “Guys and Dolls” and “The Manchurian Candidate.” But while he’s best known for his musical career, his favorite foods reveal a different side of a legend. Frank Sinatra was Italian-American, and his favorite dessert was the Italian classic: lemon ricotta torte.
You may have seen this lemony dessert on the menu at an Italian restaurant or even tried to make one yourself. It’s a tangy dessert, where tart lemon combines with rich, creamy ricotta cheese. While some people may find the inclusion of ricotta, homemade or otherwise, in a dessert surprising, this cheese is actually common in a variety of traditional Italian sweets — from the filling of a classic cannoli to ricotta pie, which is an Italian-style cheesecake similar to the torte in question. While Sinatra’s favorite lemon ricotta tortes were served at Patsy’s Italian Restaurant of New York, you can make one yourself — it’s surprisingly easy to make ricotta at home.
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Plan a Sinatra menu from start to finish
Veal Milanese with salad and lemon slices – Sergii Koval/Shutterstock
While Frank Sinatra had a sweet tooth, he also enjoyed plenty of savory treats. So many, in fact, that you could plan a full, three-course dinner party themed around his tastes, complete with his greatest hits as background music. Sinatra’s favorite appetizer was Italian-style stuffed artichokes, and while his beloved Patsy’s would make them for him with less garlic than was traditional (due to the singer’s digestive issues), feel free to add plenty of garlic if you like it.
The main course in your Sinatra-style feast would have to be veal Milanese. Sinatra loved the thin, crispy breaded veal cooked at Patsy’s (where else?) so much that he would arrange for orders of it to be flown to whatever city he was performing in, which was a favor the restaurant was happy to do for its most famous customer. You don’t need an airplane to enjoy veal Milanese, though, just some time in the kitchen. Finish up your meal with a slice of lemon ricotta torte, and enjoy an Italian feast Frank’s way!
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