Buffalo mozzarella has a porcelain white color and is known as the pearl of the table. It’s a flavorful fresh stringy textured cheese with a very thin rind. When you cut into it its delicious white milky liquid seeps out. Buffalo mozzarella is typically made into round shapes often weighing 1 kg each. Sometimes…
Italian
Pork Sausage and Lentils (Cotechino e Lenticchie)
Pork Sausage and Lentils (Cotechino e Lenticchie) Serves 4-6 Pork Sausage and Lentils is a traditional New Year’s dish in Italy. Lentils are purported to bring wealth and good fortune. In Lombardy dialect zecchini – coins from the 1500’s – were also called lenticchie, which gave rise to lentil’s association with prosperity and good health….
Rimessa Roscioli and the Wine Club – Podcast Episode 41
If you’re looking for a wonderful place to eat in Rome that has incredible and unique wines with a vast cellar, plus its very own bespoke Wine Club then Rimessa Roscioli fits the bill.Today I chatted with Lindsay Gabbard from Rimessa Roscioli, about their wines and their bespoke Wine Club that features smaller artisanal wineries…
Traditional Italian Christmas Cookies and Holiday Desserts – Podcast Episode 40
Holiday baking is one of the cornerstones of the holiday season and many of us have recipes for traditional Italian Christmas cookies and desserts that stem from family and local traditions. Almost every single town and region throughout Italy has fabulous holiday recipes and many of these have been adapted by Italian Americans and Italian…
Cacio e Pepe with Pear Slivers
There’s nothing tastier than cheese with pears and Cacio e Pepe with Pear Slivers exemplifies this magical pairing to the fullest. There’s a saying from the 1200’s about the delightful pairing of cheese with pears: “Dio non ha mai fatto un matrimonio così riuscito, ossia il connubio tra pera e formaggio.” – God has never…
Whole Grain Farro Nut Bread
Farro is an ancient grain that dates back 7000 years and is a mainstay of the Italian diet. It’s especially prevalent in the land-locked Umbria region, just north of Rome. Farro has a crunchy, chewy and delicious texture and is wonderful in soups and as a substitute for rice in risottos and other rice-based dishes….
Quick & Easy Chicken Pot Pie
I think perhaps the most quintessential comfort food is a hearty, creamy, quick and easy Chicken Pot Pie. Chicken Pot Pie remains in my memory from childhood as something warm and delicious and comforting, so much so that decades later I still think about it with longing. Chicken Pot Pie isn’t something I have fond memories…
Torta Caprese – Chocolate Almond Cake from Capri
The history of the Torta Caprese I love a rich moist dark chocolate cake and there’s none better than this classic Torta Caprese – Chocolate Almond Cake – from the exquisite island of Capri. There are lots of stories about where the original recipe comes from but the history that makes the most sense to…
Flavors of the Liguria Region – the Best Food and Wine – Podcast Episode 26
Where is Liguria? Right up at the top of Italy along the coast as the Mediterranean curves left along the Ligurian Sea you’ll find the Liguria region and its best food and wine. It’s an arch of land above the Ligurian Sea made up of of four different provinces: Imperia, Savona, Genoa, La Spezia. Along…
Pan Seared Sea-bass with Cherry Tomatoes and Chickpeas
I love a recipe that’s simple and delicious that I can make all in the same pan. A heavy bottom nonstick skillet like cast iron is ideal. If the olive oil gets too dark after you cook the fish you can always change it to cook the tomatoes and chickpeas. Personally I love the seared…
Molise Region Food & Wine Guide: 5 foods you have to try! – Podcast Episode 25
The Molise region, although very small, has a culinary heritage all its own and there are five foods you absolutely must try. In Podcast Episode 25, Molise Food & Wine Guide, Lori DeSanctis from Molise Cuisine was back with me to give me a roundup of the very best food and wine in the Molise…
Zucchini Parmesan and Prosciutto
Zucchini Parmesan & Prosciutto is a deliciously gooey and cheesy dish that makes great use of all your summer garden zucchini. No frying or precooking needed! It’s not fair to call zucchini a weed but in many ways it acts like one in the garden. It self-propagates from year to year from any seeds left…