We’ve looked at Angelina’s pollo e patate (chicken and potatoes) and agnello e patate (lamb and potatoes). Well, fish is also exquisite with potatoes as well, and while the chicken and lamb were ‘down home’ dishes, pesce al forno con patate, baked fish with potatoes, is elegant enough to serve for a formal dinner party. It … Read More
Pollo al forno con patate (Baked Chicken and Potatoes)
The weather this Labor Day weekend hasn’t been too congenial for a cookout. It seems Mother Nature has been in a changeable mood, sunny for a while, then cloudy, then stormy, and hot and muggy the whole while. So I took the chicken I was meaning to grill indoors and … Read More
Milanese con insalata di pomodoro (Milanese Veal Chop with Tomato Salad)
I once knew a charming couple from Milan named Omer and Maria Grazia. My memory of them is a bit hazy by now—sadly, we lost contact and it’s been years since I’ve seen them—but two food-related memories still stick out in my mind. The first was the time I made … Read More
Scaloppine al marsala (Scalopini Marsala)
The scaloppina (in the plural, scaloppine) and its manifold variations may be the most common secondo in Italian cooking. To me, it is typical of that Italian knack for using a bland main ingredient as a foil for a flavorful sauce. Pasta is the example we all know and love, … Read More
Crocchette d’agnello e bieta (Lamb and Swiss Chard Croquettes)
About this time of year we often find ourselves facing the same culinary conundrum: what to do with leftover lamb? I have always thought that throwing food away was almost criminal, but, truth be told, it is hard to know what to do with leftover lamb. It tends to develop … Read More
Uova in purgatorio (Eggs in Purgatory)
A perfect light lunch or dinner for those times when you don’t feel like making anything too complicated, these Neapolitan ‘eggs in purgatory‘ take perhaps 25 minutes and practically make themselves. Ingredients For 2 people 4 eggs 1 small (14 oz.) can of tomatoes (or passata di pomodoro) 1/2 onion, … Read More
Roman Style Lamb Shanks
Baby milk-fed lamb or abbacchio is one of the wonders of Roman cooking, in particular in the spring. Lamb that young is not often found in markets in our neck of the woods, but the same techniques work well with mature lamb as well. So the other day I ‘invented’ Roman … Read More
Costolette di maiale ai funghi (Pork Chops with Mushrooms)
You could probably devote a small cookbook just to Italian veal chop recipes, but with the price of veal being what it is, I usually do what many Italians do and turn to pork. The taste of pork is different, of course, but most veal recipes translate quite well into … Read More
