As long time readers may remember, my very favorite pasta when I was a kid was Angelina’s austerely simple but delicious pasta e lenticchie (Pasta with Lentils). I liked it so much so that most of the time I’d prefer to eat pasta e lenticchie even over her extraordinary Sunday … Read More
Carpaccio di salmone affumicato (Smoked Salmon Carpaccio)
Here’s an elegant yet quick and easy starter that would fit perfectly into just about any menu: Carpaccio di salmone affumicato, or Smoked Salmon Carpaccio. Classic carpaccio, of course, is made with thinly sliced beef. But the term carpaccio has evolved into a kind of passepartout for any number of … Read More
Cardi fritti (Batter-fried Cardoons)
Have you ever tried a cardoon? It’s a unique vegetable that looks like an overgrown celery stalk but tastes like an artichoke, to which, in fact, it is related. Cardoons grow easily in a temperate climate. In fact, they grown wild in California. But for some reason they have never … Read More
Frittata di salsiccia, patate e funghi (Sausage, Potato and Mushroom Frittata)
The Italian flat omelette known as the frittata, like pasta, is endlessly adaptable. The eggs provide a vehicle for just about any combination of meat, fish or vegetable your heart desires. So once you master the basic technique, a whole world of culinary possibilities opens up for you. One of … Read More
Gramigna con salsiccia
Gramigna is a delightful curlicue shaped pasta from the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. The word means Bermuda grass in Italian and I suppose the pasta does rather resemble it, if you make liberal use of your imagination. There are various ways to dress gramigna, but surely the best known is … Read More
Chicken Francese
October is Italian-American Heritage month, and long time readers will know that each year, around this time, we feature an Italian-American dish. This year, we’re serving up Chicken Francese, a perennial favorite you’ll find on the menu of just about every Italian-American restaurant in the country. Despite its fame, the … Read More
Trippa alla fiorentina (Florentine Style Tripe)
It seems many of us have lost our taste for “variety meats” these days. It wasn’t that long ago—as I remember, well into my young adulthood—that you could find fresh veal and chicken liver, kidneys, tongue and yes, tripe in more or less any supermarket. Now you have to search … Read More
Penne al baffo
Penne al baffo is one of those quick and easy pasta dishes that epitomize casual Italian cookery at its delicious best. Shallots and ham are quickly sautéed, tomato passata and cream are added and reduced into a lovely coral colored sauce. Your pasta, cooked to slightly less than al dente, … Read More