Brutti ma buoni, meaning “ugly but good”, is the jocular name Italians give to these nut and meringue cookies originally from north-central Italy (their precise origin is disputed) but now popular all over the country. The recipe is simple enough, though you need to take some care so they come … Read More
Uova sode alla piemontese
Uova sode alla piemontese (Stuffed Eggs Piemonte Style), also known as uova ripiene al tonno, is an exquisitely simple yet elegant dish. Just hard boiled eggs filled with tuna whipped with the egg yolks, capers and anchovies, and sometimes olives. The recipe is about as effortless as you can imagine, … Read More
Cavolfiore alla Cavour (Cauliflower à la Cavour)
If you’ve spent any amount of time in Italy, you have probably come across the name Cavour. I don’t think there’s a city or town of any size in the country that doesn’t have at least one piazza or via Cavour. So who was this Cavour? His name was Camillo … Read More
Zuppa alla canavesana (Piedmontese Bread and Cabbage Soup)
When the weather starts to turn really cold, as it’s beginning to do around these parts, we naturally turn to warming dishes like the one we’re offering up this week: Zuppa alla canavesana, a hearty cabbage and bread soup from the Canavese area near Torino in the region of Piemonte … Read More
Carne cruda all’albese
It might be controversial in some circles, but I absolutely love Steak Tartare. There’s something about raw meat that scratches a primal culinary itch every now and again. Italians have their own take on the dish from the region of Piemonte called carne cruda (meaning simply “raw meat”), which is … Read More
Peperoni alla piemontese
This simple but flavorful antipasto hails from the prosperous region of Piemonte in northwest Italy. The region has a relatively obscure but fascinating cuisine, perhaps best known for its iconic bagna cauda. This dish, peperoni alla piemontese, or Bell Peppers in the Style of Piemonte, features an anchovy sauce very … Read More
Brasato ai funghi (Italian Pot Roast with Mushrooms)
While I’m not a vegetarian, meat doesn’t play a very central role in my diet. Usually at least. There’s something about the late autumn and winter that brings out the inner carnivore. When the colder weather sets in, there’s nothing better than a good pot roast. We’ve featured brasato, the northern … Read More
Italian Charoset for Passover
It may come as a surprise, but Italy has a long tradition of Jewish cookery. Jews have been living in Rome since ancient times. Jewish communities have long existed in other cities, perhaps most famously Venice, and even in small towns like Pitigliano in Tuscany, known as “the Little Jerusalem”. These communities produced a … Read More