Here’s one answer to the perennial post-Christmas question: what to do with the leftover ham? As we all know, pork and legumes have a natural affinity, so why not pair ham and lentils in this rather loose riff on a cassoulet? First, simmer some lentils—about 100g (4 oz.) per serving—in … Read More
Mezzelune al brasato (Half-moon Ravioli Stuffed with Braised Beef)
Here’s a wonderful way to ‘recycle’ leftover brasato or other pot roast—as a filling for a half-moon shaped stuffed pasta called mezzelune: Ingredients Leftover brasato (pot roast) 1-2 eggs 100g (3-1/2 oz) freshly grated Parmesan cheese Salt and pepper A scrape of nutmeg One batch of fresh egg pasta, or dumpling … Read More
Crema di zucca (Winter Squash Soup)
Who doesn’t love winter squash soup? It is savory yet sweet, warming yet light. It makes a wonderful first course, to be followed by a roast, or a light supper after too many hearty holiday meals… My version of this soup is extremely easy: Ingredients Serves 4-6 1 kilo (2 … Read More
Côtes d’agneau Champvallon (Lamb Chop and Potato Casserole)
Lamb chops Champvallon brings me back to my Paris days, when I took a couple of years off from the law to teach English. Hearty but easy on the pocketbook, it was just the ticket for a temporary bohemian. These days my pocket are a bit deeper, but I still … Read More
Pappardelle all’anatra (Pappardelle with Duck Ragu)
When one thinks of Tuscan cooking, one of the first dishes that comes to mind—along with such icons as fagioli all’uccelleto and bistecca alla fiorentina—is pappardelle sulla lepre, a wide ribbon pasta with hare sauce. Its fame is perfectly justified; it is truly delicious. Finding hare is just about impossible … Read More
Risotto alla «zucca» (Pumpkin Risotto)
Risotto alla zucca, or pumpkin risotto, is one of the most popular autumn and winter risottos. Zucca is Italian for pumpkin, but Italian pumpkins are quite different from their American cousins: their taste is more intense and much sweeter, their texture finer, less fibrous. Most recipes aimed at the non-Italian cook recommend … Read More
Ossobuco alla milanese
Perhaps the most emblematic dish of the cuisine of Lombardy, the northern Italian region of which Milan is the capital, ossobuco (or oss bus in Milanese dialect) is veal shank, cut into thick rounds of shank meat around a marrowbone. It is typically served with risotto alla milanese, one of … Read More
Strozzapreti ai funghi (Strozzapreti with Mushrooms)
There are all sorts of mushroom sauces, some of which have made their appearance on this blog. The mushroom and tomato sauce, for example, that goes so well with dried pasta, or the mushroom cream sauce for gnocchi or even ox tongue. None of these are very hard to make, … Read More
