Americano Cocktail
Is there any aperitivo as welcome on a summer evening as the Americano? If there is, I haven’t found it yet. What is an Americano? Equal parts Campari and sweet vermouth, topped up with sparkling...
View ArticleParmigiana di melanzane alla siciliana (Sicilian Style Eggplant Parmesan)
The parmigiana di melanzane or Eggplant Parmesan that my grandmother Angelina used to make, a version typical of the hinterlands of Naples with its eggplant dipped in egg and fried, then layered with...
View ArticleTagliata di manzo con rucola e parmigiano
Like many people, we do a lot of grilling in the summertime. More often than not, especially when I’m grilling for a crowd, I opt for a grigliata mista or mixed grill, with its tempting spread of...
View ArticlePasta ai peperoni (Pasta and Peppers)
September is here and, for many here in the northern hemisphere, the return to work this means autumn is already here. Here in US, last Monday was Labor Day, which. marks the unofficial end of summer....
View ArticlePomodori gratinati (Gratinéed Tomatoes)
It’s a bittersweet time of year this, as the summer comes to a close. Autumn is my favorite time of year. (Or at least it used to be before the advent of gas powered leaf blowers. Don’t get me...
View ArticleBaked Clams Oreganata
It’s that time of year again. As longtime readers will know, once a year during the month of October— Italian-American Heritage and Culture Month—this otherwise continental Italian cooking blog take a...
View ArticlePasta alla grigia con carciofi
Our last day in Italy last spring was certainly memorable. The train back to Rome from Bari was cancelled midway through our trip due to a landslide on the tracks and, while we got eventually got...
View ArticlePasta con zucca e funghi (Pasta with Winter Squash and Mushrooms)
An easy and versatile cold weather dish, pasta con zucca e funghi or Pasta with Winter Squash and Mushrooms, is the kind of pasta that you can prepare in 30 minutes or less. You just put the pot on...
View ArticleBaccalà alla piastra su purè di ceci (Pan Seared Salt Cod with Chickpea Purée)
Baccalà con i ceci (salt cod stewed with chickpeas) is one of the classic cucina povera dishes of traditional Roman cookery. Although not particularly well known among tourists, it’s a typical Friday...
View ArticleArrosto di maiale con cipolline (Roast Pork with Pearl Onions)
While as we saw last week a traditional Italian Christmas Eve dinner is fish based, Christmas Day dinner is a carnivore’s delight. Capon is perhaps the most classic secondo (main course), but roast...
View ArticleTimballo teramano
Timballo teramano, one of the signature dishes of the Abruzzo region of Italy, is a kind of lasagna, but a very special one, made with the ultra-thin regional version of crepes called scrippelle...
View ArticlePolpo in umido con le patate (Octopus and Potato in Tomato Sauce)
After last week’s magnum opus, I want to share a simple, easy to prepare recipe with you this week. If you’re a seafood lover, this will be pure comfort food: polpo in umido con le patate, or Octopus...
View ArticleCavolfiore alla Cavour (Cauliflower à la Cavour)
If you’ve spent any amount of time in Italy, you have probably come across the name Cavour. I don’t think there’s a city or town of any size in the country that doesn’t have at least one piazza or via...
View ArticleSporcamuss
I had the delightful confection called sporcamuss in Bari during our trip last April to Puglia. Even though I don’t have much of a sweet touch, it was love at first bite. Perhaps because it leaned...
View ArticlePesto di cavolo nero (Tuscan Kale Pesto)
Generally speaking I’m not a picky eater. Just the opposite in fact. There are very few things I won’t eat or at least try. I’ve had alligator in Florida, live lobster sashimi and rattlesnake in New...
View ArticleZuppa di lenticchie e porri (Lentil and Leek Soup)
Regular readers of this blog will know that lentils are my favorite legume. I adored my grandmother Angelina’s pasta e lenticchie as a kid, and I still love just about anything made with lentils,...
View ArticleInvoltini di verza con merluzzo e patate (Cod and Potato Stuffed Cabbage Rolls)
It may come as a surprise to some, but Italians make stuffed cabbage. The dish, which they call involtini di verza or cabbage rolls, is especially popular in the central and northern regions of the...
View ArticleFrandura di Montalto (Ligurian Potato Pie)
I learned about this week’s dish, a Ligurian potato pie called frandura di Montalto, from fellow food blogger Josephine Wennerholm, author of one of my favorite Italian cookery blogs, Frascati Cooking...
View ArticleZeppole di San Giuseppe
Father’s Day in Italy is coming up on March 19, la festa di San Giuseppe (St. Joseph’s Day. This holiday has given rise to any number of special dishes, some of which such as bignè di San Giuseppe and...
View ArticlePasta salmone e piselli (Pasta with Salmon and Peas)
A quick and easy dish that doesn’t skimp on looks or flavor, pasta salmone e piselli (Pasta with Salmon and Peas) is a staple in our home. We have this or something similar for dinner just about...
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