Quick Navigation Chicken al Mattone with PancettaIngredientsInstructionsNotesNutrition I get a lot of emails asking for new chicken recipes, since it is the most popular meat in America. I took influence from my recent trip to Tuscany and found this simple and delicious recipe called Pollo al Mattone which means “chicken under a brick”…but I decided to eliminate the brick […]
Quick Navigation SWEET OR SALTY?THE ORIGINS OF THIS NEAPOLITAN EASTER BREADCASATIELLO ON EASTER TIME – WHY?Casatiello Napoletano – Neapolitan Stuffed Easter BreadIngredientsFor the doughFor the fillingInstructionsNotesNutrition The casatiello is a traditional Neapolitan bread that is made as part of Easter celebrations. Typically donut shaped, it features a mixture of water, lard, lots of pepper, and […]
Like all other countries on earth, Sardinia has had her fair share of problem but it hasn’t had a negative effect on the people at all – they are extremely hospitable and generous to a fault and will invite a stranger into their homes to share a meal at the drop of a hat. Pasta […]
I was introduced to polenta when I was 15 and it took me one sauce-dripping bite to fall in love! I learnt to make it shortly afterwards and I’ll have you know it wasn’t that instant quick cooking stuff; it was the boil-for-45-minutes-stirring-continuously kind and it was so worth it. Admittedly I fluffed the bit […]
Quick Navigation A Brief History of Italian CheeseThe Ultimate List of Italian CheesesBittoCaciottinaBagossMozzarellaBeddoFontinaCastelmagnoCaciocavalloGorgonzolaBurrataProvoloneMascarponeTaleggioTomelloAsiagoRicottaBrussFormaggio di FossaMontasioCaprinoParmigiano-ReggianoPecorinoCrescenza and SquacqueroneFiore SardoCasizoluAccasciatoPuzzone di MoenaBraRagusanoRicotta SalataGrana PadanoScamorzaPiaveToma Brusca (Castelrosso) Italy makes some of the best tasting, aromatic, and artisan cheeses in the world. They claim their rightful spot at the top of the list for their extraordinary cheese products and […]
Quick Navigation Home Made Maraschino CherriesIngredientsInstructionsNutrition A Japanese legend tells of a warrior who became so old that he outlived his family. His most precious memory was of playing underneath a cherry tree, but when it died, he was so devastated that he wanted to die too, despite the fact that a new tree had […]
Quick Navigation Easy Basic Choux PastryIngredientsInstructionsNotesNutrition Choux pastry isn’t made like other types of pastry. Here the fat is put into a pan with water and when this has boiled, the flour is poured in and the mixture beaten. It’s really important that you only beat the flour until the pastry is smooth and it […]
Quick Navigation HEALTH BENEFITS OF TOMATOESROMA TOMATOESSAN MARZANO TOMATOESCHERRY TOMATOES CAMPARI TOMATOESSANTORINI TOMATOESCAMONECUORE DI BUE DATTERINODI BELMONTEDI MANDURIAPACHINOPOMODORO VESUVIANO OR PIENNOLO For many people, if you were asked to name a fruit or vegetable that reminds you of a specific country, the humble tomato, would probably score very highly when discussing the country of Italy. […]
Quick Navigation Baked Anelletti Recipe – Anelletti al Forno – Timballo di AnellettiIngredientsInstructionsFor the Meat sauceFor the PastaNutrition Anelletti al Forno. From the city of Trapani in Sicily comes this delicious baked pasta dish, similar to a Baked Ziti, but with a smaller pasta shape. I switched out the usual meat sauce of pork and […]
Quick Navigation Traditional Authentic Ragù BologneseIngredientsInstructionsNutrition When my grandmother was preparing the dish every Sunday in Italy, no one in the family was late for lunch! I can still remember the aroma of the ragu that was cooking all morning. In my house we strictly respected the Bolognese tradition in the making of this dish, […]
Quick Navigation Chilled Italian Roast Tomato SoupIngredientsPestoInstructions Soup is a wonderful meal to serve as a starter, a light or not-so-light lunch and for any supper. Tomatoes lend themselves to soup and are used as an ingredient in almost all soups to give color, to add flavor and zest. Tomato soup was fashionable in the […]
Just last week a friend and I had a discussion on quinces because she’d found a tree laden with fruit at the university where she works. The next morning I went down to the garden to see whether our quince tree was still standing but it seems as if it’s been taken out and I’m […]
Quick Navigation Panettone RecipeIngredientsInstructionsNutrition There’s no doubt that my favorite panettone is the Poli and and the best spumante I can think of is the Giulio Ferrari, Riserva del Fondatore which is why, if you can get hold it, it’s the Christmas gift to give any Italian. And me. If anyone needs to know where […]
This Italian cheese bread is a traditional Easter bread from two bordering regions of Italy: Umbria and Marche. In Umbria is called “Pizza di Pasqua”, while “Crescia al Formaggio” in the Marche region. Regardless of its name, it’s delicious!
Quick Navigation WHERE DOES THE CAPER COME FROM?LOOK AT THAT CAPER!THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF CAPERSTHE HEALTH BENEFITS OF THE CAPER The caper (Capparis spinosa) grows on a perennial spiny bush that has big white flowers (sometimes even pink) and fat fleshy leaves. The caper is a bud and is the part that’s commonly picked for […]
Quick Navigation Frico FriulanoIngredientsInstructionsNutrition A frico is a cheese pancake that isn’t really a pancake because it has no eggs. Fried until it’s firm and crisp, it’s typical of Carnia, in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of Italy. Potatoes are usually added but the variations are endless and each village and mountain valley has their own […]
Quick Navigation Tortelli di Zucca – Pumpkin Filled RavioliIngredientsFor the FillingFor Fresh PastaInstructionsFor Fresh PastaNutrition Lombardians have far too often been unfairly accused of failing to contribute to the Italian cuisine – and that because they were the ones building the economic hub driving the Italian economy so that the South can indulge in a […]
Quick Navigation Nougat Torrone TurrónIngredientsInstructionsNutrition Even though I always believed that this well loved sweet was originally the brainchild of Apicius who lovingly described nucatum (also based on honey, walnuts and eggs) in his writings, it was probably the romantic in me and it does seem that nougat, in it’s current form was invented in Marseilles during the 16th century […]
Quick Navigation CHEERS! TYPES OF ANISE LIQUOR Absinthe – FrenchAguardiente – ColombianAnisette – FrenchAnís – PeruvianArak – ArabianChartreuse – French (yes, it’s one of the secret ingredients!)Jägermeister – GermanMastika – Eastern EuropeanOuzo – GreekPastis – FrenchRaki – TurkishSambuca – ItalianTYPES OF FOOD USING ANISEEDAustralian HumbugsBritish aniseed balls,Dutch muisjes,Greek stuffed vine leaves, dolmaGerman pfeffernusse and springerleItalian pizzelleMexican atole de anís or champurrado (a type of hot chocolate)New Zealand aniseed wheelsNigerian tom-tom sweetsNorwegian knottsPeruvian picarones.STAR ANISE Aniseed (Pimpinella anisum) is a flowering plant native to the eastern Mediterranean region […]
Quick Navigation How to Make an Omelette (Omelet)IngredientsInstructionsNutrition One of the most popular lunchtimes dishes on menus are omelettes and occasionally one does find really good omelettes; but that’s occasionally and it’s strange because they’re pretty easy to make, both plain or filled. The trick here, again, lies in the eggs and the pan. Eggs need […]
Quick Navigation Easy Tuscan Bean SoupIngredientsSoup IngredientsSoffritto ingredientsInstructionsNutrition I don’t know whether it’s a kick back from the childhood days or whether it’s just a thing with me but I love beans – especially cannellini beans and Tuscan bean soup leaves me weak at the knees. There’s no single recipe for it and I’ve come […]
Quick Navigation Chocolate Zuccotto Cake RecipeIngredientsInstructionsNutrition This classic Tuscan cake has been exported all over the world and there are a myriad of recipes in existence. It’s delicious and always worth the effort but it’s terrible when it’s made badly, as is everything else. Everyone needs to have a recipe for this to be able […]
Quick Navigation WHAT IS CUCURBITA (SQUASH)?LIST OF SQUASH VARIETIESBUTTERNUT SQUASHKABOCHA SQUASHSPAGHETTI SQUASHACORN SQUASHSWEET DUMPLING SQUASHSUGAR PUMPKIN SQUASHRED KURI SQUASHDELICATA SQUASHCARNIVAL SQUASHBUTTERCUP SQUASHBLUE HUBBARD SQUASHBANANA SQUASH Although many of us love to cook, if you are the main chef in the home, work full time, and have to come up with interesting and exciting meals on […]
Quick Navigation Tiella Recipe (Rice, Potatoes, and Mussels Casserole)IngredientsInstructionsNutrition Tiella pugliese is a hearty layered casserole similar to potato gratin or paella. The name “tiella” refers to the cooking vessel as well as to the food inside it. Typically, a tiella is made of terracotta, but a cast iron skillet also works well for this […]
Quick Navigation Vitello Tonnato – Veal With Tuna Sauce and CapersIngredientsIngredients for the VealIngredients for the SauceIngredients for Garnish:InstructionsNutrition Vitello Tonnato first began appearing in cook books in the 19th century because Piedmont was allied with Liguria where tuna was canned along the coast. At this time, also, lemons and capers from Sicily and a […]
