A traditional sformato is an old fashioned dish. It’s a dish that takes some time and care to make, involving several steps. The kind of thing many people can’t be bothered with these days. But I think it’s well worth the effort. Not quite a quiche, not quite a soufflé, not quite … Read More
Rognoncini trifolati (Sautéed Kidneys)
Long time readers will know that I’m a lover of organ meats—the “quinto quarto” as they were affectionately called back in Rome. I love liver and tripe and sweetbreads and brains (although I haven’t had the latter since the Mad Cow outbreak in the 90s)… and, yes, kidneys. If they’re … Read More
Cavolini di Bruxelles fritti (Fried Brussels Sprouts)
As the holidays draw to a close, we all want to eat a bit lighter. But with temperatures reaching record lows and snow falling, let’s not make it too light, shall we? Enter Ada Boni, the doyenne of traditional Italian home cooking and author of the iconic Talismano della felicità, … Read More
Baccalà in guazzetto (Roman Style Salt Cod in Tomato Sauce)
Here is the “other” Roman way with salt cod: baccalà in guazzetto, simmered in tomato sauce. It may not be quite as famous as Rome’s iconic battered and fried salt cod filets called filetti di baccalà but it’s just delicious, although in a very different way. Simmering salt cod in tomato sauce—”in … Read More
Coscia di tacchino ripiena al forno (Oven-Roasted Rolled Stuffed Turkey Thigh)
There’s nothing quite so impressive as a whole roast turkey brought to the table for carving. It’s almost guaranteed to elicit oohs and aahs from your dinner guests. It certainly did back in Rome when we prepared Thanksgiving dinner for our Italian friends. A whole turkey was a rare thing … Read More
Shrimp Scampi
This blog is dedicated to continental Italian food—the kind of food you’ll find in Italy. But as long time readers will know, around this time of year we feature an Italian-American recipe. This year’s feature is a popular dish with a funny name: Shrimp Scampi. Funny to those who know Italian, that … Read More
Salsicce e fagioli (Sausage and Beans)
Pork and beans were meant for each other—think franks and beans from the States or cassoulet from France, to take just two examples. Italians enjoy the combination, too, of course, as in the festive Cotechino with Lentils, or the rustic fagioli con le cotiche, or in this simple, everyday dish … Read More
Pollo al mattone (Chicken under a Brick)
Pollo al mattone, which I would translate roughly as “chicken under a brick”, is an ingenuous way of grilling chicken. The bird is butterflied, flattened and weighed down so it cooks quickly and evenly over hot embers. It sounds astonishingly simple—and it is—but by some sort of sorcery I can’t … Read More