A quick pasta dish with vegetables that you can whip up in less an 30 minutes, Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe makes for a fine meatless dinner, with cheese and fruit for dessert. It’s pretty typical of the kind of thing we like to eat in our house on a weeknight when there’s … Read More
Torta di mele (Apple Torte)
 Torta di mele a homely version of an apple torte that could hardly be easier. And believe me, if a non-baker like myself can make this with no trouble at all, you will, too. You just make a simple batter in your trusty mixer, fold in apple slices, pour everything … Read More
Hamburger alla panna (Hamburger with Cream Sauce)
Hamburger in cream sauce is an Italian dish? Yes! Not everyone associates hamburgers with Italian cooking, but Italians have a long tradition of using ground beef in imaginative ways, for meatballs (polpette) and meatloaf (polpettone), as well as as a basis for the classic ragĂą alla bolognese. So it should … Read More
Spezzatino di manzo (Italian Beef Stew)
It’s hard to believe, but in all the years that I’ve been writing this blog, somehow I’ve managed to avoid writing a post about Italian beef stew. I suppose that’s a tribute to the vast variety of Italian cooking or perhaps a reflection of the somewhat secondary role that beef … Read More
Frank’s Hot Chocolate
Is there anything quite so comforting, after a chilly day’s outing, as a cup of hot chocolate? It almost makes me look forward to the cold weather. But, if you ask me, most kinds you can find commercially, either entirely pre-made or from a mix, is either too thin or … Read More
Funghi ripieni al forno (Oven-Roasted Stuffed Mushrooms)
Autumn is really in the air these days here on the East Coast of the US. The sun is shining, the air is crisp and cool and redolent with the scent of freshly fallen leaves. The markets are full of all the wonderful produce of the season: curly chicory, radicchio, … 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
Canederli (Tyrolean Bread Dumplings)
Canederli is the Italian name given to the bread dumplings so popular in Austria and other parts of central Europe, known in German as Semmelknödl or just knödel. During my years in Vienna it was one of my favorite things to eat, so when I re-discovered them in Italy, on … Read More