Here is one of the simplest ways to make peppers and, to my mind, one of the most delicious: peperoni al gratin, or peppers au gratin. Oven roasting intensifies and sweetens the natural flavors of the peppers, while garlic, olives and capers add piquancy, and a topping of seasoned breadcrumbs savor … Read More
Pomodori ripieni di tonno (Tuna Stuffed Tomatoes)
At our house, summer is a time for unfussy, often no cook eating. Even the most hardcore ‘foodies’ tend to get a little lazy in the kitchen when the hot weather sets in, and I’m no exception to the rule. Here’s a great example of the kind of thing we like … Read More
Torta Pasqualina (Easter Pie from Liguria)
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
Cocktail di gamberetti (Shrimp Cocktail in the Italian Manner)
New Year’s Eve in Italy, as for so many other special occasions, means a special meal, the cenone di Capodanno, or ‘big supper’. Like Christmas Eve, this meal is often “lean” or fish based—at least before midnight, when it’s time to break out the cotechino sausage and lentils for good fortune. (In modern times, however, … Read More
Peperoni ripieni di carne (Italian Meat Stuffed Peppers)
This iconic summer dish—and, as far as I’m concerned, it’s still summer—is one of many recipes for stuffed peppers in the Italian repertoire. Tuna Stuffed Peppers are a Neapolitan classic, while other recipes call for a vegetarian eggplant or bread stuffing. But today I’d like to show you how to make Italian Meat … Read More
Homemade Giardiniera
There are many ways in Italian cookery to put up food, relics of the days before refrigeration and freezing and commercial processing. There is straight up canning, of course. I can remember Angelina’s yearly day-long ritual of putting up summer tomatoes for the winter. The mason jars nearly filled one … Read More
Insalata di patate e tonno (Potato Tuna Salad)
Potato salad is a summer staple on American tables, but if you’re interested in a different take, here’s an idea for you: Potato Tuna Salad. At its most basic, Potato Tuna Salad is a close cousin to that staple of Italian buffet tables, fagioli e tonno. You take slices or cubes … Read More
Cialledda (Bread and Tomato Salad)
One of things I find fascinating about Italian cookery—cookery in generally, really—is how you can take a culinary idea and, with a few subtle changes in ingredients or technique, get very different results. The frugal idea of mixing stale bread with chopped up tomatoes to make a salad, for example, gave … Read More