Rome has produced two world famous artichoke dishes, carciofi alla romana (Roman-Style Braised Artichokes) and carciofi alla giudia (Jewish-Style Deep-Fried Artichokes) Both are fantastic but require rather elaborate preparations and deserve ‘star’ treatment as an antipasto or even a light vegetarian second course. Lesser known but every bit as delicious, … Read More
Lasagne agli asparagi (Asparagus Lasagna)
A good dish of lasagna is one of the most satisfying meals I can imagine. But, to be honest, a dish of classic lasagna, whether it a southern style lasagna di Carnevale or a northern lasagne alla bolognese can be a bit on the heavy side, especially as the weather starts to … Read More
Cavolfiore in salsa di acciughe (Cauliflower in Anchovy Sauce)
A quick note with a recipe for what is probably the most versatile of winter vegetables: cauliflower. It lends itself to practically every cooking technique you can think of: steaming, braising, boiling, frying, baking, roasting… And its mild flavor lends itself to pairing with all sorts of other foods and … Read More
Torta di porri (Tuscan Leek Pie)
This recipe for torta di porri (Tuscan leek pie) comes from the Florentine chef and food historian Giuliano Bugialli. He is one of my favorite Italian cookbook authors. But he’s is relatively little known, particularly as compared with his near contemporary Marcella Hazan. Bugialli produced a number of wonderful cookbooks, … Read More
Carabaccia (Tuscan Onion Soup)
Carabaccia is an ancient Tuscan onion soup, going back to the Renaissance. They say it was a favorite of Leonardo da Vinci—and that, as for so many other classic dishes, the recipe was brought by Catarina de’ Medici to France, where it evolved into the soupe à l’oignon we all know and love today. You … Read More
Insalata russa (Russian Salad Italian Style)
Russian Salad, known in Russian as Салат Оливье or Salad Olivier, was once a common feature on festive tables all over the world. Russian salad Italian style is distinguished by the use of Italian-style mayonnaise made with fruity olive oil. This venerable dish seems to have gone out of fashion, perhaps … Read More
Barchette di radicchio (Manu’s Radicchio “Boats” Filled with Mascarpone, Gorgonzola and Glazed Walnuts)
It will only be a quick post this busy holiday weekend, dear readers, but I didn’t want to let too much time pass without making good on my promise to prepare at least one dish from fellow blogger Manuela Zangara’s holiday cookbook. My choice, her recipe for these pretty radicchio … Read More
Pasta con la zucca alla napoletana (Pasta with Winter Squash, Naples-Style)
Pairing pasta and vegetables is common throughout Italy, but it is probably fair to say that no region puts so much emphasis on this classic combination as Campania, the southern Italian region from which Angelina hailed. Campanians are so associated with their love of vegetables that they used to jokingly … Read More