Cipollini
Little onions, (cipollini) look like ping-pong balls that have been slightly flattened. These little bulbing onions originated in Italy and are harvested 100 days after planting. They have a…
Month: July 2012
Panzanella Portabello
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“I don’t think you can find a poorer dish than this one,” says Sofia Loren of this stale bread salad. “As a child during the war, when I’d see…
Gorgonzola e Pera
By law and tradition, Gorgonzola is made exclusively with milk from cows raised in the Piedmont and Lombardy regions (borders Switzerland) of Northern Italy. This blue-marbled cheese (similar to…
Watermelon Gorgonzola & Balsamic Drizzle
In Italy, watermelon is the most prominent fruit of the summer. After spending a day in the hot summer sun, there is nothing quite so refreshing as a cold…
Golden Polenta with Prosciutto
Sur La Table is a national cookware store that also offers cooking classes. Last month for our “date night” Jack and I attended a class in Scottsdale, Arizona, called…
Bruschetta
“A table without bread is like a day without sunshine.” This Sicilian saying refers to the poverty of the past (faded but not forgotten) where a loaf of bread…
Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread …
Christians the world over recognize this line from the Lord’s prayer, a prayer I learned in catechism (the Gospel of Matthew version) many years ago and continue to pray…
Mini Orzo-Stuffed Peppers
This is the mini version of my Orzo-Stuffed Peppers. Just the right size for merenda (snack). Serve them as a delicious first course or bring a tray of peppers…
Cauliflower Tart (Crustless)
There are four major groups of cauliflower and hundreds of varieties used around the world. Of these groups: Italian, Northwest European biennial, Northern European annual and Asian, the Italian…
Carciofi alle Brace (Char-Grilled Artichokes)
As Pellegrino Artusi, the best-selling nineteenth century Italian cookbook author said, “everyone knows how to cook artichokes on a grill”. Well, if you haven’t attempted it yet, here’s your opportunity…
Roasted Crunchy Cece (Chickpeas)
The tradition of nibbling on salty snacks while sipping a glass of wine or aperitivo (cocktail) and sharing a plate of appetizers with friends is not a recent phenomenon.…
Frittata con Zucchini
A ridiculously quick and easy way to get a perfect frittata (Italian omelet) for one. It seems I always have leftover roasted or grilled veggies of some kind in…
Merenda (Small Bite)
In Italy, merenda is a nourishing “Small Bite” in it’s simplest form defined by the season, varies from region to region and is based on a respect for natural…