Tiramisu is an elegant dessert ‘cake’ that even non-bakers like myself can make easily. The truth is, the ‘cake’ part of this dessert consists of those elegant elongated cookies called ‘ladyfingers’ in English and savoiardi in Italian. The ladyfingers are lightly dipped in espresso, then layered with mascarpone creamed with egg, sugar … Read More
Zuppa di porri (Tuscan Leek Soup)
‘Tis the season for soups! When the temperatures dive, there is simply nothing that takes the chill off like soup. The wonderful thing about soups is their enormous variety: they can be thick and stick-to-the-ribs, whole meals in themselves, or they can be light, even austere, just enough to whet … Read More
La ribollita (Tuscan Minestrone)
We’ve already gone over the basic recipe for minestrone on this blog. Once you’ve mastered that, it is a lot of fun to explore the many varieties of minestrone from all over Lo Stivale (meaning ‘the boot’ one of the many nicknames Italians give to their country). Perhaps the most delicious … Read More
Crostata di mele (Italian Apple Tart)
As regular readers of this blog will know, I am not much of a baker. Nor do I have much of a sweet tooth. But, for some reason, I felt inspired the other day to make a baked dessert for some dinner guests. Foolish, perhaps, to start my baking career … Read More
Bagna cauda
Bagna cauda or, more properly, bagna caôda, means ‘hot sauce’ in English. It refers to a typical Piedmontese dish for communal eating that is popular in cold weather months, a kind of cross between fondue and pinzimonio, if I can put it that way. It is, quite simply, a collection … Read More
Stracotto alla fiorentina (Tuscan Pot Roast)
Some readers may remember last winter’s post on brasato al vino rosso, the wonderful red wine pot roast from northern Italy. Well, today we turn our attention to central Italy to present Tuscan Pot Roast. This dish, more specifically from Florence, is called ‘stracotto’, which literally means ‘overcooked’. Like a brasato, red wine goes … Read More
Crema di cannellini (Tuscan White Bean Soup)
Here’s a quick and easy weeknight supper for you, Tuscan White Bean Soup: a purée of cannellini beans, seasoned with garlic and rosemary, and thinned out with water or broth to create a soup. Nothing could be simpler or more satisfying. And if you are using canned beans—which you can, why … Read More
Verza e salsiccia (Italian Sausage and Cabbage)
Not sure about you, but the weather here has crossed the line from pleasantly crisp to downright cold at night. That’s as good an excuse as any for some good, stick to the ribs eating like sausage and cabbage. It may sound eastern European, but Italians, too, like their cabbage, … Read More
