One of the dishes I miss most from my Roman days is the winter salad known as puntarelle, a kind of chicory native to the countryside around Rome. In fact, the vegetable is sometimes called “Roman chicory” in English. The shoots are rather thick but tender, white at the base and green … Read More
Cardi gratinati (Gratinéed Cardoons)
Cardoons are one of my favorite winter vegetables but they can be hard to find. So when I spied some in the market the other day I did a double-take and smiled. I hadn’t had them quite literally for years. The bunch I found was a bit bruised but would … Read More
Fagiolini in umido (Green Beans in Tomato Sauce)
While Sundays dinners at Angelina’s house were once-a-week, belly-busting, meaty affairs, she practically lived on vegetables during the week. This was long before vegetarianism went mainstream and she would not have thought of herself as a ‘weekday vegetarian’ or anything of that sort. It was just the way that she … Read More
Buttery Mashed Potatoes
While it’s true that we mostly eat Italian at home, there are some dishes that even I have to admit the French do better. (I hope Angelina isn’t listening….) One of them is potato puree, also known as mashed potatoes, and, more specifically, the incredibly buttery version made famous by … Read More
Fagiolini all’agro (Green Beans with Lemon and Oil)
This dish of green beans dressed with fresh lemon juice and olive oil, to my mind, typifies the simple elegance of Italian cuisine. Fagiolini all’agro, also known as fagiolini all’insalata, is austere in its simplicity but yet, when made with the freshest and best quality ingredients, is truly delectable. Trim … Read More
Patate in padella (Sautéed Potatoes)
These pan-fried potatoes make for a wonderful accompaniment to lamb and other meat dishes, and they are incredibly simple and easy to make: Peel and cut waxy, yellow-fleshed potatoes into wedges, put them in a non-stick frying pan with olive oil, a sprig of rosemary and a slightly crushed but … Read More
Insalata di arance rosse (Blood Orange Salad)
I recently found some blood oranges from California at the market–and I love blood oranges–so I made a blood orange salad as ‘dessert’: you just peel and slice the oranges, sprinkle over some black olives (Gaeta or nicoise are best), bits of red onion and parsley. Season with a bit … Read More