Zucchini and eggs were meant for each other. They are found together in a whole assortment of Italian dishes, perhaps most notably as a frittata. Zucchini cacio e uova is another example of this pairing, where the zucchini rather than the eggs star. Zucchini is sautéed with onion and perhaps a … Read More
Agnello in umido (Lamb in Tomato Sauce)
Lamb may be my very favorite red meat. It’s more interesting than pork—as much as I enjoy it, too— and more savory than beef. So I guess it’s no surprise that you’ll find a good number lamb dishes here at Memorie di Angelina, whether it be grilled chops or skewers, or fried and … Read More
Petti di pollo al burro (Butter-Braised Chicken Breasts)
In Italian Food, the 1954 book that introduced the English to real Italian cookery, Elizabeth David includes a recipe for petti di pollo alla fiorentina, or Florentine-Style Chicken Breast. She says it is a “lovely way of cooking a good chicken, and has a nice, extravagant air”. And indeed it is. But the … Read More
Angelina’s Polpettone (Angelina’s Meatloaf)
Yes, Italians make meatloaf. They call it polpettone, or a ‘big meatball’, which is, in fact, what it is if you think about it. It’s made from essentially the same mixture of minced beef and pork (and optionally veal), lightened with bread and flavored with garlic, cheese and parsley that you would use to make … Read More
Calamari in zimino (Squid Braised in Greens)
If you’ve read our Glossary of Italian Cooking Terms, you’ll know that the term ‘in zimino‘ refers to a whole class of dishes in which the main ingredient (usually seafood) is braised in spinach or swiss chard. And perhaps no dish represents this class better than this one, calamari in zimino, from … Read More
Filetti di baccalà (Fried Salt Cod Filets)
During my years in Rome, I mostly lived on the small but charming piazza di san Paolo alla Regola, not too far from the famous Campo de’ Fiori and its mercato. Along the via dei Giubbonari on the way to the campo, where I usually bought my fruits and vegetables notwithstanding the astronomical prices, there … Read More
Stinco di maiale al forno con patate (Oven-Roasted Pork Hock and Potatoes)
I am taking some poetic license with today’s recipe. You see, stinco di maiale is actually the shank of the animal. It is a fairly easy to find cut in Italy, sold in many supermarkets already skinned and trimmed and ready for the oven. Here is the US, I’ve never been able to … Read More
Minestra dei morti (Soup of the Dead)
Modern Milan, political capital of Lombardy and financial capital of Italy, conjures up images of sharply dressed business people, trendy fashion shows and elegant shops. Lombardy is one of the riches areas of Italy and, indeed, the world. So it may come as a surprise that the region’s traditional cuisine is actually fairly rustic, with … Read More