The new year brought a rush of activity that had made it hard to keep up with my blogging ‘duties’, but here is quick note on a nice idea for ‘recycling’ leftover brandade: just mix it up with an egg or two, give it a grind or two of black … 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
Fried Catfish: A Southern Classic
While Italian or other European dishes appear on our table most days, once in a while I do like to cook a dish from the New World, too. American food has a less than stellar reputation abroad. For many Europeans, it usually brings to mind junk food, fast food and … Read More
Catfish «en meurette»: A Classic Reimagined
The term en meurette refers to a dish that has been braised in a particularly delicious red wine sauce from the Burgundy region of France. Probably the best known of these dishes is oeufs en meurette, made from poached eggs. But even tastier, in my opinion, is fish made this way. … Read More
Risotto al nero di seppia (Squid Ink Risotto)
Here’s another installment from the colorful world of risotto. Last week we featured green risotto, this week it’s squid ink risotto aka ‘black risotto’, made with cuttlefish and its ink. Ingredients Serves 4-6 250g (8 oz) rice (see Notes) Broth, preferably homemade, or water, q.b. 250g (8 oz) cuttlefish or … Read More
Purpetielli affogati (Braised Baby Octopus)
Purpetielli affogati, or Braised Baby Octopus is one of Naples’ favorite dishes. Octopus is a popular food all around the Mediterranean basin and yet elsewhere it is often, for some reason, ‘controversial’. Many people who will happily scarf down fried calamari will shudder at the thought of eating its close … Read More
Baccalà alla napoletana (Neapolitan Baccala)
Baccalà, or salted codfish, is bound to make an apparence on the Christmas Eve table of many Italians. And for those who observe Lent, it is a standby for meatless Friday meals. Baccalà marries especially well with tomatoes, and who does tomatoes better than the people of Campania, home to … Read More
Non-Chef Nick’s Paella mexicana
It’s the 4th of July here in the US and the national holiday naturally makes me yearn for… paella! Well, not just any paella, but paella mexicana, a Mexican-style version inspired by my fellow blogger Non Chef Nick’s latest post on In the Kitchen with Nick. I absolutely love paella. … Read More
