While as we saw last week a traditional Italian Christmas Eve dinner is fish based, Christmas Day dinner is a carnivore’s delight. Capon is perhaps the most classic secondo (main course), but roast pork is also a popular choice. And an ancient one. The ancient Romans ate roast pork for … Read More
Melanzane alla tarantina (Taranto Style Eggplant)
Eggplants might just be my favorite summer vegetable. In fact, eggplant parmigiana is probably my single favorite dish, but it is quite hefty eating as well as quite a multistep production to prepare. Sometimes you just want something lighter and easier to make without skimping on taste. Today’s dish, melanzane … Read More
Petto di vitella alla fornara
In most ways, the culinary culture in this country has vastly improved since I was a kid. I’m old enough to remember the days when if you wanted to cook with Italian parsley rather than the curly kind, you’d have to grow your own. Or if you wanted imported pasta … 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
Coscia di tacchino ripiena al forno (Oven-Roasted Rolled Stuffed Turkey Thigh)
There’s nothing quite so impressive as a whole roast turkey brought to the table for carving. It’s almost guaranteed to elicit oohs and aahs from your dinner guests. It certainly did back in Rome when we prepared Thanksgiving dinner for our Italian friends. A whole turkey was a rare thing … Read More
Angelina’s Polpettone (Angelina’s Meatloaf)
Yes, Italians make meatloaf. They call it polpettone, or a ‘big meatball’, which is, in fact, what it is if you think about it. It’s made from essentially the same mixture of minced beef and pork (and optionally veal), lightened with bread and flavored with garlic, cheese and parsley that you would use to make … Read More
Stinco di maiale al forno con patate (Oven-Roasted Pork Hock and Potatoes)
I am taking some poetic license with today’s recipe. You see, stinco di maiale is actually the shank of the animal. It is a fairly easy to find cut in Italy, sold in many supermarkets already skinned and trimmed and ready for the oven. Here is the US, I’ve never been able to … Read More