This is one of the easiest and most versatile vegetable dishes in the Italian repertoire: funghi trifolati, or ‘truffled’ mushooms, so called because the thinly sliced and sautéed mushrooms are said to resemble that other, more highly prized tuber. I use two methods to make funghi trifolati, and both are … Read More
Coniglio alla cacciatora (Rabbit Cacciatore)
Rabbit is a wonderful meat, leaner but yet tastier than most chicken you’ll find in these days of industrial agriculture. Many people (at least in the US) have an aversion to eating rabbit, but it is quite popular in Italy, Spain, France and elsewhere in Europe. And why not? Those … Read More
Pere al vino rosso (Pears Poached in Red Wine)
Dessert is our house is normally a piece of fruit, perhaps with some cheese, and, in winter, some mixed nuts in their shells. This is why you will not find very many desserts featured on this blog. But there is at least one prepared dessert that makes its way on … 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
