I’m just back from a two week trip to Italy, where we visited Rome, my old stomping grounds, and Puglia, the southern region where my paternal grandfather Lorenzo was born. It was a memorable trip, my first time back in Rome in years and, believe it or not, my first … Read More
Cacciucco (Tuscan Fish Soup)
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
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
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
Pasta con le sarde
One of Sicily’s signature dishes, pasta con le sarde, or Pasta with Sardines, is also one of my personal favorites. I was lucky enough to enjoy it on its home turf a few years back, during a trip for a family wedding. Unfortunately, replicating this classic back here at home … Read More
Gamberoni alla griglia (Grilled Shrimp)
The Italian way with grilled shrimp, like most Italian grilling and indeed most Italian cookery, is simplicity itself. You marinate the shrimp briefly in fruity olive oil and lemon juice mixed with a few simple seasonings, then slap them on a hot grill for a few minutes on each side, … Read More
Carpaccio di salmone affumicato (Smoked Salmon Carpaccio)
Here’s an elegant yet quick and easy starter that would fit perfectly into just about any menu: Carpaccio di salmone affumicato, or Smoked Salmon Carpaccio. Classic carpaccio, of course, is made with thinly sliced beef. But the term carpaccio has evolved into a kind of passepartout for any number of … Read More
