Agnello e piselli (Lamb and Peas)

FrankCampania, Puglia, secondi piatti28 Comments

Lamb and Peas

I love second courses that pair meat and vegetable in a single dish. Not only is the combination invariably delicious, but it saves the cook from making an extra dish. In this speciality from Puglia and Campania, lamb—the ne plus ultra of spring meats—is paired with peas—one of the classic … Read More

Vellutata di cavolfiore (Cream of Cauliflower Soup)

Frankprimi piatti, Soups26 Comments

Vellutata di cavolfiore

Here’s a dish that’s perfect for a spur of the moment meal, but is so beautiful and refined it could also serve as the starter for an elegant dinner: Vellutata di cavolfiore, or Cream of Cauliflower Soup. A vellutata—like its twin the crema, see the Notes below—can be roughly translated in English as a “Cream … Read More

Tomato Tonnato

Frankantipasti, secondi piatti, summer42 Comments

Tomato tonnato

Vitello tonnato (Tunnied Veal) is one of my favorite summer dishes, but I had never thought about other uses for tonnato sauce until I saw a Facebook post by fellow blogger and Tuscanycious honoree Judy Witts Francini. (You definitely shouldn’t miss her fabulous Divina Cucina website.) Judy’s post mentioned she was going … Read More

Patate al forno (Italian Oven Roasted Potatoes)

Frankcontorno37 Comments

Italian Oven Roasted Potatoes (Patate al forno)

It’s often the most obvious things that we overlook. And so I just realized that I’ve never blogged about patate al forno, Italian Oven Roasted Potatoes —without a doubt the most classic Italian contorno of them all. There’s no mystery about its popularity. It literally goes with any meat or fish … Read More

Verza stufata (Braised Savoy Cabbage)

Frankcontorno49 Comments

Braised Savoy Cabbage

With all the focus today on trendy vegetables like kale and Brussels sprouts, we tend to forget about good old fashioned cabbage. It’s cheap and tasty and—just like its more fashionable cousins—good for you. And while most people associate cabbage with northern European cooking, Italians enjoy cabbage, too. Braised Savoy … Read More