Prosciutto-wrapped scallops with lentils: Capesante avvolto in prosciutto con lenticchie
Lentils for an Italian at the holidays are all good luck. Lentils look like tiny coins and eating them at the holidays is sure fire …
Clementine negroni: Negroni di Clementina
Well nothing says Christmas like a Negroni with a seasonal fruit; in this case Clementines. Serve just one or two servings of these drinks per …
Chicken Stemperata: Stemperata di Pollo
The basic combination of olives, carrots, other vegetables, mint and hot pepper is a dressing for tuna and rabbit in traditional Sicilian cooking. This recipe …
Braised Pork in the Black: Brasato di Maiale Nero
This recipe is incredibly simple and has an incredible depth of flavor. It uses the most inexpensive cut of meat: pork loin. You can size …
Pork Chops with Fennel, Beneventana Style: Costole di Maiale Beneventana
This dish is from the Campania region of Italy where wild fennel is plentiful. Campania is the home of the city of Naples, the San …
Lemon panna cotta with raspberries: Panna cotta al limone con lamponi
Panna cotta (or “cooked milk”) must be the world’s simplest dessert; yet it impresses guests and tastes wonderful. It’s really a blank canvass to add …
Grilled Sardines
This has got to be the the simplest appetizer on the planet. The key is find fresh and cleaned sardines. In Los Angeles, I find …
Summer Torta
When most people hear the word “torta” they think of a summer fruit pie in a rustic crust or the famous Easter pie with loads …
Bruschetta with Caponata
So many people I know don’t like eggplant. I didn’t like it as a kid either. But besides childhood pickiness, most people don’t like eggplant …
Watermelon and Cantaloupe Salad with Mint Vinaigrette
This recipe is from Giada De Laurentiis. Watermelon and Cantaloupe balls are great by themselves. But adding this Mint Vinaigrette takes this to a whole …
Three-color Orzo Salad
Summer salads are so boring. A combination of what’s around with mayo or mustard. Why not do something more interesting. Both taste wise and visually. …
Pork Braciole (Grilled Pork Rolls)
The recipe is from Mario Batali and updated by me. This dish is a bit labor intensive but can be made ahead and grilled right …