One of the most iconic dishes in Tuscan cookery, cacciucco is a fish soup made in the costal areas of Tuscany, most famously in and around the port city of Livorno. Like many Italian fish “soups”, cacciucco is really more of a stew, made from a large variety of fish, … Read More
Capesante alla veneziana (Venetian Style Scallops)
Scallops happen to be one of my very favorite seafoods. But in the years I was living in Italy, I didn’t eat them very much. If fact, if memory serves, I don’t recall seeing them on menus or in the markets in Rome, where I lived.* Seafood is ubiquitous in … Read More
Gulasch triestino
Italians make goulash? Yes, indeed they do. As we’ve observed before, the regions of Italy that were once part of the Austro-Hungarian empire, in particular Alto-Adige and Friuli Venezia Giulia, and to a lesser extent Lombardia, retain many traces of its influence. And nowhere perhaps is this more apparent than … Read More
Baccalà al forno con patate (Oven-Roasted Salt Cod with Potatoes)
As many of our readers doubt already know, Christmas Eve dinner among Italians traditionally features a seafood menu. And it just wouldn’t be Christmas Eve unless at least one dish on that menu includes baccalà, or dried and salted cod. Besides being a fixture on festive tables, baccalà is immensely popular … Read More
Ossobuco di tacchino (Turkey Ossobuco)
Let’s talk turkey, shall we? For most Americans, it wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without roast turkey. And for many others around the world, the same goes for Christmas. A splendid roast bird does make for a striking centerpiece for our dinner tables. But if we’re honest, how many of us really … Read More
Spezzatino di maiale e zucca (Pork and Pumpkin Stew)
This week we have an especially appealing dish for these chilly autumn evenings: spezzatino di maiale e zucca, or Pork and Pumpkin Stew, featuring two seasonal ingredients playing a lovely duo of savory and sweet notes. Although the Italian word spezzatino is usually translated as “stew”, the technique here is … Read More
Cozze alla tarantina (Mussels Taranto Style)
From the city of Taranto in the region of Puglia comes this a simple but tasty take on mussels, cozze alla tarantina, or Mussels Taranto Style. Taranto has been famous for its exquisite mussels since ancient times, when their deliciousness was praised by such luminaries as Pliny the Elder. Taranto … 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