Properly prepared, Brussels sprouts are a lovely vegetable. Called cavolini di Bruxelles or ‘little cabbages of Brussels’ in Italian, these most elegant of all the cruciferous family of vegetables lend themselves to all sorts of treatments, from a simple sauté to deep frying to this rich and creamy gratin, complemented … Read More
Stuffed Shells (Conchiglioni ripieni al forno)
Long time readers know that at least once a year, around Columbus Day, we feature an Italian-American dish. And here’s one— Stuffed Shells —that, though it wasn’t part of my upbringing, has a special place in the heart (and palates) of many Italian-Americans. As prepared here in the US, Stuffed … Read More
Focaccia genovese
Back in the day, one of our favorite places for a nice affordable meal close by the apartment in central Rome was Taverna Parione. Located on a small side street off the tourist-mobbed piazza Navona, despite its location it was the real deal, with excellent food, especially the pizzas and … Read More
Minestrone alla genovese
We’ve taken on minestrone before, with a base recipe that you can use to make just about any variation you want. But minestrone alla genovese, Genoa Style Minestrone, is different enough it really does merit its own post. There’s no soffritto to create a flavor base, no preliminary rosolatura of … Read More
Fiori di zucca alla ligure (Ligurian-Style Zucchini Blossoms)
Lucky me! I found some zucchini blossoms at our local market this week, for the first time in at least two years. Why they waited until the very end of the summer to start selling them, I can’t imagine. But I’m not one to look the proverbial gift horse in … Read More
Sgroppino
This Venetian invention is often described in English language sources as a “cocktail” but it’s actually sorbet, whipped together with champagne and vodka to form a kind of cold mousse. Originally intended as a palate cleanser between courses of an important dinner, today a sgroppino is typically served as dessert/digestivo … Read More
Cianfotta (Summer Vegetable Stew)
Cianfotta, also known as ciambotta, is a summer vegetable stew made throughout Southern Italy. Indeed, it belongs to a whole family of Mediterranean vegetable stews, the most famous of which is perhaps ratatouille from southern France. The version we’re featuring today comes from Neapolitan cookery, and more specifically from Jeanne … 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