It seems many of us have lost our taste for “variety meats” these days. It wasn’t that long ago—as I remember, well into my young adulthood—that you could find fresh veal and chicken liver, kidneys, tongue and yes, tripe in more or less any supermarket. Now you have to search … Read More
Polpo alla luciana (Santa Lucia Stewed Octopus)
I love octopus. And in my opinion this iconic Neapolitan dish, polpo alla luciana or Stewed Octopus in the style of Santa Lucia, with is one of the loveliest ways to prepare it. And surely one of the simplest. You simmer the octopus whole in a typically Neopolitan soffritto of … Read More
Calamaretti alla piastra (Griddled Baby Squid)
Quick and easy to make, calamaretti alla piastra, or Griddled Baby Squid, are a tasty summer treat. With some tangy Sicilian salmoriglio sauce on the side for dipping, these little flavor bombs make a delightful antipasto, but if you up the portions they can also be a light main course. … Read More
Scaloppine di pollo alla valdostana
I’ve always been puzzled by the popularity that chicken breasts enjoy, in particular here in the US. If you ask me, I’d nominate them as the world’s least interesting protein. Especially in this age of industrial poultry farms, chicken breasts tends to lack any discernible flavor, and then they dry … Read More
Calamari ripieni (Stuffed Calamari)
Everybody, it seems, loves fried calamari. But there are lots of other ways to enjoy this tasty mollusk. It’s delicious braised with peas in the Roman manner, for example, or with greens, after the Florentines. But I think calamari really comes into its own when it’s filled with a savory … Read More
Spezzatino di maiale con piselli (Pork Stew with Peas)
All of us—even us “foodies”—need some reliable and straightforward recipes in our lives for everyday cooking. This one for spezzatino di maiale con piselli, or Pork Stew with Peas, fits the bill rather nicely, I think. If you make your stew in a pressure cooker—and like many stews it’s ideal … Read More
Braciole di maiale alla brace (Grilled Pork Chops)
I used to love pork chops when I was a kid, but I’ve more or less given up on grilling them even since they started marketing pork as “the other white meat” back in the 1980s. Generally speaking, pork is bred so lean these days that the leaner cuts like … Read More
Asparagi in casseruola (Cavalcanti’s Sautéed Asparagus)
Asparagus generally doesn’t spring to mind when we think about Neapolitan cookery, but here’s an example that challenges our preconceived notions. This recipe for asparagi in casseruola comes to us from Ippolito Cavalcanti, the famed 19th century gourmand whose 1839 masterwork, La cucina teorica-pratica, is one of the Ur-texts of … Read More