Stracciatella alla romana

FrankLazio, primi piatti, Soups48 Comments

Stracciatella alla romana

One usually associates Roman cookery with hearty and robustly flavored dishes and, by and large, the image holds true. But there are some exceptions, like today’s offering: stracciatella, a light and delicately flavored ‘egg drop soup’. Stracciatella is utterly simple and—if you have the broth at hand—very quick to make. Beaten … Read More

Sciusceddu alla messinese

Frankprimi piatti, Sicilia, Soups59 Comments

Scisceddu alla messinese

Sciusceddu alla messinese comes to us from Sicily, and specifically from Messina, where this unusual primo piatto is a fixture on Easter dinner tables. It has all the hallmarks of an Italian Easter dish. It’s rich, meat centric—although the meat is usually veal rather than the more typical lamb—and enriched … Read More

Torta Pasqualina (Easter Pie from Liguria)

Frankantipasti, Liguria, Spring40 Comments

Torta Pasqualina

Savory pies and enriched breads figure prominently on the Easter dinner table. We’ve already featured a couple Neapolitan examples on the blog: the casatiello and the incredibly rich pizza rustica. Today we head north to Liguria to present another classic savory pie served around Easter time: la torta pasqualina or, “Easter Pie”. … Read More

Babà al rum (Neapolitan Rum Cake)

FrankCampania, dessert33 Comments

Babà al rum (Neapolitan Rum Cake)

I remember this indulgently delicious rum-soaked Neapolitan dessert from my childhood, when it made frequent appearances on the Sunday dinner table along with other typical southern Italian sweets. The last time I had babà al rum, Neapolitan Rum Cake, was around 2003 in Naples, in a caffè in the Galleria Umberto … Read More