Italy, being a rather slender peninsula, is a country where the sea is rarely too far away. And, of course, the products of the sea play a major role in its cuisine. And so it is not surprising that zuppa di pesce, or fish soup, is a dish that you … Read More
Crema di zucca (Winter Squash Soup)
Who doesn’t love winter squash soup? It is savory yet sweet, warming yet light. It makes a wonderful first course, to be followed by a roast, or a light supper after too many hearty holiday meals… My version of this soup is extremely easy: Ingredients Serves 4-6 1 kilo (2 … Read More
How to Make Homemade Broth
Making homemade broth is so easy to do, and the results are so wonderful and so almost infinitely useful, I really don’t understand why it’s almost disappeared from home cooking. Well, actually, I can guess: fewer and fewer people cook anything at all, let along things like homemade broth, which … Read More
Zuppa di scarola e fagioli (Escarole and Bean Soup)
Here’s a quick and easy dish, typical of the Campania region of Italy, that is a cold weather weeknight staple at our house: escarole and bean soup. Ingredients 1 small head of escarole, cut into fine ribbons 1 small onion, peeled and thinly sliced 450g (15 oz) boiled or canned … Read More
Minestrone: A Primer
Many people think of minestrone as the kind of hearty fare best eaten in the cold weather months. Minestrone is wonderful in fall and winter, of course, but it can actually be enjoyed year-round, its component ingredients changing with the seasons, served hot in the winter, warm in the spring … Read More
Quadrucci in brodo (Pasta Squares in Broth)
The simplest, and perhaps the best, way to use your skills for making fresh pasta and broth at home is to serve a warming bowl of pastina in brodo. It makes a wonderfully light but savory primo piatto, especially apt when you plan on a substantial (but not too assertive) … Read More
Pasta e ceci (Pasta and Chickpeas)
There’s nothing so satisfying yet so quick and simple than the combination of pasta and some sort of legume–beans, peas or, in this case, ceci (chickpeas). And, as you probably know, the combination makes for a complete protein with plenty of fiber and no cholesterol. This kind of thing is … Read More
