Scamorza is a cousin to the more familiar mozzarella. Like its famous relative, it’s a cheese made from stretched curd, formed into a ball but then tied with string and hung up to dry, giving it a more solid texture, as well as its typical ‘pear’ shape. And it’s generally made from … Read More
Pizzetta fritta aka “montanara (Fried Pizza Rounds)
I’ve said before and I’ll say it again: is there anything more primally satisfying than fried pizza dough? If there is, I haven’t come across it yet. The Neapolitans have come up with all sorts of tidbits made from fried dough, of which we’ve already seen two examples, zeppole and … Read More
Spiedini e arrosticini (Italian Kabobs)
Summer may be drawing to a close here in the Northern Hemisphere, but there’s still time to get in some more grilling. In fact, grilling is a lot more pleasant in the cooler temperatures of the late summer and early fall than at the height of the summer—standing over a … Read More
Calzoncini napoletani (Neapolitan Miniature Calzones)
It probably won’t come as a surprise that Neapolitan cooks have come up with a vast variety of ways to fry and bake dough. Pizza is, by far, the most famous internationally and most people will have heard of calzones, and zeppoles, but there is much more to the Neapolitan … Read More
Coniglio allo spiedo (Spit-Roasted Rabbit)
Rabbit is one of the most under-appreciated types of “fowl”. Many people have a visceral negative reaction to eating rabbit, since in some countries rabbits are more likely to be pets than a dinner item, but in Italy and other countries, rabbits are highly esteemed for their culinary value and, in these days of … Read More
Astice alla griglia (Grilled Lobster)
It seems I can’t get enough of grilled seafood! We’ve already featured grilled fish, grilled mollusk and grilled cephalopod, so let’s complete the series with grilled lobster, which may be the most delicious of them all. Here in the US, we are blessed with an abundance of lobster and, much … Read More
Quick Note: Vongole alla brace (Grilled Clams)
I don’t know about you, but even for an inveterate cooking enthusiast like myself, the dog days of summer take their toll. I like to keep time spent over a hot stove to a minimum, so I turn to lots of quick and easy dishes that need little or no … Read More
Homemade Mayonnaise, the Italian Way
Mayonnaise may have been invented by the Spanish and popularized by the French, but Italians make maionese, too. The Italian method for homemade mayonnaise is not very different from elsewhere, but, not surprisingly, you make it either partially or entirely with olive oil (like the original Spanish version). And it’s very basic, … Read More
