Tonnarelli is the Roman name for the pasta you may know by its more popular Abruzzese name, spaghetti alla chitarra. It is a fresh pasta that looks like square spaghetti. In Rome, this pasta is sold in any supermarket but elsewhere, you may find you have to make it yourself. Due to its … Read More
The Italian Pantry
Every cuisine has a collection of dry, canned, preserved and fresh staple ingredients that form the backbone of its repertoire. These staples show up time and again in countless dishes and define the characteristic tastes and textures of the cuisine. Italian cuisine is no different, and enormous regional variations in … Read More
Memorie di Angelina has 10,000 subscribers!
After all my shameless crowing on the first anniversary of Memorie di Angelina, I had promised myself to avoid self-promotional posts in the future. There is nothing more tiresome in my book than immodesty, even if I don’t always live up to my own ideals. But this news was just … Read More
Gelato: The Basic Recipe
Today we’ll take a look at the basic recipe for everyone’s favorite summer dessert: ice cream! The Italian version of ice cream, called gelato, meaning simply ‘frozen’, is typified by the density of its texture and intensity of flavor. It achieves these qualities by avoiding any fillers or fluffers like … Read More
A Quick Note: Caffè Shakerato
I had my first caffè shakerato on the beach at Rimini way back sometime in the mid-90s. The black richness of espresso served cold and frothy was a relevation, and I was instantly hooked. It is by far my favorite way to drink iced coffee. The recipe for caffè shakerato … Read More
La genovese (Neapolitan Beef and Onion Pasta Sauce)
Besides ragù alla napoletana, la genovese is probably the most iconic of all Neapolitan pasta sauces, and yet it is little known outside Italy or, for that matter, little seen outside Naples itself. And, for reasons I cannot quite figure out, it did not seem to survive the trans-Atlantic voyage; … Read More
Vitello tonnato (Tunnied Veal)
If I had to mention one dish in the Italian repertoire that epitomizes elegant summer eating, this might well be it: vitello tonnato, also called vitel tonnè in dialect, which means’ tunnied veal’ or simply veal in tuna sauce. More often than not, though, it is called by its Italian name … Read More
Baba Ghanoush
I love eggplant and I am always looking for new ways to prepare it. One of the simplest and yet most delicious in my book is Baba Ghanoush, a specialty of the Levant. If you’ve ever made hummus, then the recipe will sound very familiar. Ingredients 1-2 large eggplants 2 … Read More
