Rabbit is one of the most under-appreciated types of “fowl”. Many people have a visceral negative reaction to eating rabbit, since in some countries rabbits are more likely to be pets than a dinner item, but in Italy and other countries, rabbits are highly esteemed for their culinary value and, in these days of … Read More
Astice alla griglia (Grilled Lobster)
It seems I can’t get enough of grilled seafood! We’ve already featured grilled fish, grilled mollusk and grilled cephalopod, so let’s complete the series with grilled lobster, which may be the most delicious of them all. Here in the US, we are blessed with an abundance of lobster and, much … Read More
Bollito di verdure (Italian Mixed Boiled Vegetables)
Grilled vegetables are fantastic, but almost equally popular for a light Italian summer meal are mixed boiled vegetables (or even better, steamed) allowed to cool and simply dressed with olive oil and seasoned with salt, or—for a richer taste—homemade mayonnaise. If boiled vegetables sound boring to you, then you need to think … Read More
Pesce al forno con patate e carciofi (Roasted Fish with Potatoes and Artichokes)
Fish and vegetables are a fabulous combination. We’ve already posted about fish and potatoes—a classic–as well as the less well-known fish and fennel. Now that spring is here, let’s take a look at another great pairing: fish and artichokes. Like the other combinations we’ve seen, the method is very simple: … Read More
Hamburger alla panna (Hamburger with Cream Sauce)
Hamburger in cream sauce is an Italian dish? Yes! Not everyone associates hamburgers with Italian cooking, but Italians have a long tradition of using ground beef in imaginative ways, for meatballs (polpette) and meatloaf (polpettone), as well as as a basis for the classic ragù alla bolognese. So it should … Read More
Pesce spada al salmoriglio (Swordfish with Salmorigio Sauce)
Salmoriglio is a typically Sicilian sauce that adds great flavor to fish, particularly that most typical of Sicilian fishes, swordfish. The fish is grilled or otherwise simply prepared and napped with sauce before serving. Salmoriglio looks like and plays a culinary role similar to the salsa verde that goes so well … Read More
Pollo al vino bianco con funghi (Chicken in White Wine with Mushrooms)
I love recipes that combine meat (or fish) with vegetables like this chicken in white wine with mushrooms. In Italian cooking terms, it combines secondo and contorno in a single dish, and if you serve the dish with some good bread, it becomes a one-pot meal, especially appreciated after the … Read More
Filetti di pesce al finocchio (Baked Fish with Braised Fennel)
Where would Italian food in the US be without Marcella Hazan? As much as I treasure my Campanian and Puglian food roots, I am forever thankful for the horizons that Marcella’s 1973 Classic Italian Cooking opened up for me. And even almost 40 years later, she continues to inspire. Here … Read More
