Scorzette di Arancia
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If you can peel an orange and boil water you can make candied orange peel! I feel very fortunate to have several citrus trees in my yard and I…
Dessert
Baci di Dama
Perugina, the renowned Italian confectionery icon, is Italy’s most beloved chocolate maker. On Valentine’s Day in 1922, Luisa Spagnoli, the co-founder, created their signature candy. Baci, meaning kisses in…
Brown Butter Fig Biscotti
Toasting the almonds and browning the butter is the key to what gives these nutty, buttery cookies their depth of flavor and richness. Sometimes I add a smear of…
Poached Figs with Ricotta
I have said many times that dishes do not have to be difficult to prepare nor costly to be delicious. A simple bowl of poached dried figs nestled on…
Salame di Fichi
Although it has been stated many times before that Italians typically do not eat a rich dessert after a meal, it is a well-known fact that Sicilians have a…
Cinnamon Spice Pomegranate Pears with Mascarpone Cream
Pomegranates, an ancient fruit, dating back to biblical times, flowers between Passover (April 22, 2016) and Pentecost (May 15, 2016) and are ready to pick towards the end of…
Fig Walnut & Chocolate Biscotti
A few dried figs with a handful of nuts are a favorite afternoon snack of mine. The natural sugar of the fruit gives me quick energy while the healthy…
Toasted Almond Breakfast Cake
As a rule, when a recipe calls for toasted nuts, it really is non-negotiable. Toasting intensifies their nutty flavor and whether the nuts are whole, sliced or slivered, you…
Olive Oil Zucchini Bread
Summer squash is abundant this time of year. We have eaten it grilled and oven-fried, in a refreshing cold soup and a marinated salad. If you love zucchini and if you…
Blackberry Balsamic Crostata
Seasonal fresh fruits are nutritious and delicious any time of the year but, I find the berries of summer to be a special treat. They can be added to…
Watermelon Pizza
Watermelon seems to be the quintessential fruit of summer for many folks. In Italy, there is a proliferation of fruit stands selling this thirst-quenching fruit, by the slice and…
Flourless Chocolate-Orange Olive Oil Cake
It may sound odd but, I often plan my dinner party menus with the end in mind, meaning dessert. This makes perfect sense to me, as it is the…
Torta di Riso (Rice Pudding)
My mother was a finicky eater as a child — something she never really outgrew. As an adult, her petite frame of barely five feet tall and one hundred…
Pistachio & Candied Orange Biscotti
Throughout the Middle Ages, the pistachios eaten by Sicilians came from eastern Sicily, where they are still grown, particularly around Mount Etna and in the Bronte area. They are…
How to Grate Nutmeg
Nutmeg, the healthy spice that takes a back seat to your everyday spices for much of the year, comes out swinging during the holidays. This seemingly seasonal spice is…
Panettone Bread Pudding
Just the mere thought of panettone, the slightly sweet, Milanese Christmas bread, conjures up the aromas of citrus, vanilla and candied fruit. This holiday bread is traditionally made using…
Brown Butter Biscotti
I rarely order biscotti in a restaurant as I am usually disappointed. If one happens to find its way to my table, it is only because the biscotto (singular)…
Almond Cookies
In Sicily, these flour-less, macaroon-like morsels are known as cassettine. Requiring only a few ingredients, they are quick to put together and just in time for Saint Joseph’s Day (March…
Venetian Lace
Also, called Florentines, (they originally came from Florence, Italy) these cookies are a Tuscan Christmas classic. Because they contain no flour, they are really more confection-like than cookie. They…
Italian Wedding Cookies
The plate I have chosen to serve these tender, snowy-white, crumbly cookies, was a wedding gift given to my great grandmother in 1904. (It seemed appropriate). The cookies are…