It’s summer and it’s time to grill!! In Italy, grilling in the summer is just as popular as here in the U.S.A. While grilling chops and sausages are standard fare, you can create something really interesting by grilling rolled beef with different stuffings. But first, let’s get our “lingua” straight!! “Braciol” is not an Italian…
I was re-arranging my pantry recently and found a package of Sardinian fregola that I had purchased at Altomonte’s Italian market (https://altomontes.com/) a few years back. I had visited Sardinia back in 2008 and returned home with a few treasured recipes that have become family favorites. My mouth instantly watered (ho l’acquolina in bocca! –…
Porchetta, the real deal, served off the back of trucks and at food festivals, is one of the great food delights of Italy. Traditional porchetta originated in the Lazio region of Italy but is now available all over Italy and made with unique local recipes and ingredients. The basic idea is to take a whole…
So we finally finished the first phase of renovations on our home about 6 months ago. Couple that with the fact that we love to entertain. And that we live on the water. And that means that we are lucky enough to have a constant stream of friends and family drop on by to check…
‘It has been too long!’ said my friend as she walked into my kitchen and lightly placed a jar of Sicilian pistachio cream in my hand. My friend’s voice faded into a haze as I realized what she had handed me. OMG. My mouth watered instantly. Sicilian pistachio cream. This stuff is green gold. My…
Every Spring in a 2-foot by 10-foot space in our garden, I plant fava beans. This year I planted dried beans that I saved from last year’s harvest. Fava beans are one of those plant-it-and-forget-it plants that will come up and surprise you with a wonderful Springtime present. Once you harvest them, it’s a bit…
Woohoo! After a long chilly winter, spring has finally sprung here on the East Coast. It has been a frosty end to the winter. I, for one, am ready to toss off those layers and head to the kitchen to make lighter, brighter meals. The earth is vibrating ready for new beginnings. Until those fresh…
Christians around the world, during Lent, are supposed moderate their diets and have simple meals meant to invoke contemplation and a period of waiting for Easter. Italian tradition has come up a way to cheat a little – a roast that looks on the outside to be a simple, humble meal, but on the inside…
One of the greatest things about Italy are the local “sagre” (singular – sagra). Sagre or food festivals are a staple of the regions of Italy with a strong farming culture. Italian sagre focus on ONE thing and every variation there of: fava beans, porchetta or mortadella to name some examples. Bigger, broader sagre happen…
Winter will not quit here in the East! Snowed again last eve and we are expecting another few inches tomorrow nite. My dear brother out in sunny California keeps reminding me of how wonderfully warm it is in LA this time of year. I keep reminding him that I am much closer to Italy than…