Ragù Bolognese
Unlike many other Italian pasta sauces, Ragù Bolognese is serious stuff in Italy. Bearing little resemblance to the sauce in the USA of the same …
Spring’s Sweet Bounty: Strawberries with Balsamic and Black Pepper
The local farmer’s market is beginning to fill to the brim with spring’s fresh bounty – tender asparagus, baby peas, young lettuces and my favorite …
Bon Appetit’s June Cook the Cover Challenge: Spaghetti with Parsley Pesto
My family is a huge Bon Appetit family. We have subscribed for years and years and years. We have cellars full of back issues. We …
Polpo in Umido alla Siciliana (Sicilian Stewed Octopus)
As we wrap up our food-and-wine tour of Sicily, I thought I’d finish with one of Sicily’s most under-appreciated seafoods, the octopus. This is my …
Grilling a Sicilian fish at Sotto in Los Angeles @SottoLA
I had an opportunity to hang out in the kitchen with the staff at Sotto earlier this year. Reality food TV would have you believe …
Pasta con le sarde (Pasta with sardines) – The national dish of Sicily
My sister Michele visited me this week in L.A. for my official IBM retirement party. We thought hard about what to cook together. We’re focused …
The Magical Little Island of Pantelleria: Pasta with Shrimp, Toasted Almonds and Breadcrumbs
A few years back, I was on a mission to visit as many of the islands of Italy as I could. I still have quite …
Involtini di Pesce Spada (Sicilian Swordfish Rolls)
Sicilians really do love their fish and especially their swordfish. Sicily’s enviable position surrounded by three seas explains why fish holds such a revered place …
Blood orange olive oil cake (Torta di arance rosse e olio)
I can’t think of anything more Sicilian than olive oil cake and blood oranges. This Easter, I went looking for something to do with blood …
Simply Roasted Artichokes: A Sunny Taste of Spring
Spring is synonymous with artichokes for me. And with the days finally turning a bit warmer here, spring cannot arrive fast enough. I grow ridiculously …
Sicilian Ricotta Pie (Torta di Ricotta)
For me, Easter is not complete without a slice of ricotta pie. I go weak in the knees when I think of this dessert and …
Simple Pasta with Sun-dried Tomato Sauce
In Sicily, they make a highly concentrated tomato paste called ‘estrattu’ and it is a true labor of love. They start with an enormous amount …