Rapini, also known as Broccoli Rabe, is a superhero of vegetables! It boosts your immune system, improves digestion, protects your eyesight, supports heart health, strengthens bones and detoxes. This cruciferous…
I enjoy all sorts of vegetables, but cauliflower is one of my favorites. As a child, my siblings and I were introduced to this cruciferous vegetable with my mother’s…
I really like Brussels sprouts. I enjoy them for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I realize not everyone is a fan of this healthy cruciferous vegetable and most folks either…
Broccolini, sometimes referred to as baby broccoli, is a hybrid that has thinner stalks and a slightly sweeter taste than broccoli. If I am only cooking a small amount,…
We eat a ton of vegetables in this house. Most of the time these vegetables are roasted, grilled, sauteed, marinated and eaten raw but, every now and then, they…
Hard winter squashes, such as butternut, Hubbard and spaghetti squash, make their seasonal appearance as early as October, just in time to grace our tables for the holidays, and…
Emmer wheat, called farro in Italian, is a nutritious grain with a distinctive nutty flavor and chewy texture. Farro is low in fat, high in protein and rich in…
Winter in Sicily is all about the citrus; Oranges, lemons, grapefruit, kumquats, tangerines and citron. The entire island is covered with citrus trees filling the air with their intoxicating…
Beets, native to the Mediterranean, are an excellent source of nutrients and minerals. Both the fleshy root and the greens are edible. Although they are not the prettiest vegetable…
Heirloom plant species, be they flowers, fruits or vegetables are grown from seeds that are passed down from generation to generation. Grown from seeds that are at least fifty…
Food does not have to be complicated. These colorful vegetables, simply roasted with olive oil and salt, then grilled are as pleasing to the eye as they are to…
The Italian eggplant (melanzane) is smaller than the American variety, although, both have a shiny, deep purple color. In Sicily, there are small, round eggplants that are mauve-colored with…
Salads and Summer go hand-in-hand. There are countless choices from light fresh fruit salads (Watermelon & Gorgonzola with Balsamic Drizzle, Melone e Mozzarella, Gorgonzola e Pera) to substantial main dish types…
Ricotta salata is not the ricotta used in dishes, such as lasagna. This ricotta is pressed, dried and salted, (salata) with a firm but crumbly texture and mild, milky…
“A Scapece” is a two-step method of preparing vegetables. First, le verdure (vegetables) are fried, then marinated in vinegar overnight. Typically, they are served as Merende or as a…
Referred to as baby broccoli and used in Italian cooking, this vegetable was first developed in Japan. Broccolini is a hybrid of broccoli and Chinese kale (kai pan). Unlike…
A potato salad in Italy is quite different from a salad by the same name here in the states. Consisting of boiled, cooked and peeled potatoes, this salad is…
For generations, the American South has cooked up some mighty fine eating, but it’s more than fried foods and decadent desserts. Greens became a staple food when slaves utilized…