Quick Navigation Pappardelle Pasta with Porcini Mushrooms & LeekIngredientsInstructionsFor Porcini StockFor the BreadcrumbsFor the SauceNutrition I make fresh pasta from scratch every week. It reminds me of my Nonna who taught me how to make all the different shapes and varieties of pasta. This recipe combines some of my favorite ingredients, Porcini mushrooms, leeks and […]
Quick Navigation Polenta with Pork RaguIngredientsSAUCEPOLENTAInstructionsFOR THE SAUCEFOR THE POLENTANutrition Polenta is made from corn meal that is an ancient peasant food—in Northern Italy it is made with a harder consistency, cut and grilled and topped with a sauce, while in the center and South, it is served creamy, almost like American grits. I made […]
Quick Navigation Super Quick and Easy Chocolate MousseIngredientsTo DecorateInstructionsNutrition There’s no need to spend a fortune this time of the year and anyway, most of us have been affected by the economic downswing in some way or other, so we can’t. It is important, though, that we give ourselves some time to enjoy the company […]
You either love potatoes or you hate them, there’s nothing in the middle & those amongst us who say they hate them, are probably lying anyway. How do you hate a potato? Not possible. Mashed, creamed, whole & dripping with butter or generously drizzled with olive oil and lashings of lemon juice & salt, fried, […]
Edible vanillin (vanilla planifolia) is native to Mexico and is now widely grown throughout the tropics but Madagascar is the world’s largest producer. Vanilla pompona and Vanilla tahitiensis are grown in Tahiti and Niue even though they have significantly lower vanilla contents. The plant grows as a vine that usually creeps up a tutor tree […]
Quick Navigation SOME THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT RICETHE HISTORY OF RICEASIAAFRICAMIDDLE EASTEUROPECARIBBEAN ISLANDS AND THE AMERICASUNITED STATESTHREE MAIN CATEGORIES OF RICE17 MOST COMMON TYPES OF RICEArborioBasmatiBlackBombaBrownCarnaroliCarolinoKalijiraJasmineParboiledRed CargoRosemattaStickySushiVialone NanoWhiteWild One of my favorite winter comfort foods is risotto, and I love to order it when I’m in Italy. However, since I haven’t found a restaurant in […]
Quick Navigation THE LARGEST PRODUCER OF PEPPER IN THE WORLDTYPES OF PEPPERBlack pepperWhite pepperGreen pepperRed pepperAfrican Melegueta (Grains of Paradise)BRAZILIANLAMPONG (Indonesia)MALABAR (India)MUNTOK (Indonesia)PENJA (Cameroon)PINK (Reunion Island)SARAWAK (Malaysia)SICHUAN (China)TELLICHERRY (India)VIETNAMESE Black pepper originated in the monsoon forests of the Malabar Coast in southwestern India in prehistoric times; it has been used in Indian cooking for over […]
Quick Navigation Farro and Mushroom SoupIngredientsInstructionsNutrition Tender, chewy farro and earthy mushrooms make this hearty soup a meal in itself. Although it takes an hour to make, most of that is simmering time, during which you can feel free to curl up with a good book and wait for the flavors to meld. Farro is […]
Quick Navigation How to Make Homemade MustardIngredientsInstructionsNotesNutrition Making mustard is not only simple but is versatile – there are thousands of taste combinations that will suit whatever it is you’re cooking – so why limit yourself to store bought mustard? Mustard is made of a basic mixture that consists of dry mustard seeds, vinegar and […]
Quick Navigation Chocolate Almond Limoncello CakeIngredientsInstructionsNutrition There is a restaurant in Naples called Limoncello and today we pay tribute to them – the food is always excellent, the pizza bianca they serve before the meal out of this world and they make the best grilled calamari around. They also make brilliant Limoncello and few people leave […]
Quick Navigation BOTTA… WHAT?Spaghetti con bottargaIngredientsInstructionsNutrition The first time I ate bottarga was in a trattoria in Rome; the owner-cum-chef wasn’t overly friendly when I asked for a menu and tersely said that it changes daily because he only cooks the best and the freshest. Then he gave me three options. I learnt, that day, […]
Quick Navigation HOW IS MOZZARELLA CHEESE MADE?THE OTHER INGREDIENT: THE TOMATOCaprese Salad RecipeIngredientsInstructionsNotesNutrition If I was forced to choose a favorite cheese, I’d leave the room because it’s impossible so I’d have to choose a top 20 and, without doubt, good mozzarella will be one of them. Whilst many people believe that this cheese is […]
Quick Navigation Polpette are meatballsPolpette with Mozzarella (Italian Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs)IngredientsInstructionsNutrition Polpette are meatballs Meatballs are served as a main dish or in soups all throughout Italy. Almost every country in the world has their own version of a meatball. Italian-Americans created their own main dish of meatballs served with spaghetti, which is something I had never seen before in Italy. […]
Quick Navigation Sicilian PeperonataIngredientsInstructionsNotesNutrition A good Sicilian peperonata is one of the most underrated and economical meals on menus today. It’s a brilliant option for vegan and vegetarian guests and it’s truly easy on the pocket, an important factor nowadays. Peperonata can be eaten hot and at room temperature like its cousin caponata; the advantage […]
Quick Navigation GARLIC MYTHOLOGYBENEFITS OF GARLICGARLIC SIDE EFFECTSWHAT IS BLACK GARLIC? Garlic (Allium sativum) has been used and abused through the ages and most of us can’t imagine life without it even though we quite often wish that it had never been discovered. It belongs to the onion family (alliaceae) and is one of the most […]
Quick Navigation Torta della NonnaIngredientsPastryFillingInstructionsNutrition Torta della Nonna is a traditional Roman and Tuscan dessert to be found in most Italian bakeries. Rome, the eternal city, produces one version and Naples, the city for the sweet toothed on the Italian mainland, the other. The cake is delicious, similar to the Pastiera Napoletana and is made […]
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 […]
Quick Navigation Bavette Pasta with Pancetta and Pecorino Sardo CheeseIngredientsInstructionsNutrition 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 […]
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 […]
Italy is home to a lot of delicious cheeses. Every region, every area has their own traditional cheese which is enjoyed with cold cuts, pastas, meats or just straight up. Learn the different characteristics and pairings of these Italian cheeses.
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 BUEDATTERINODI 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. The […]
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 […]
