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….
Mediterranean
Steamed Cauliflower Florets with a Balsamic, Caper & Anchovy Dressing
For those of you who live in Italy, or have visited Italy, you will surely have noticed how delicious the vegetables are on restaurant antipasto tables. The vegetables are served at room temperature…the ideal temperature for flavor to come out to its fullest. Sometimes it’s hard to tell exactly what flavoring restaurateurs have used because…
Easy Lemon Spaghetti – or use your favorite pasta shape!
If you haven’t figured out what to make for lunch today then go for a great plate of easy lemon spaghetti! I hadn’t made this spaghetti with a creamy lemon sauce for a while and since we have a wonderful lemon tree that yields lemons year round it was perfect. Best to use untreated lemons…
Farro Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce
Farro pasta with fresh tomato sauce is a luscious whole grain pasta dish! Sometimes the best pasta dish is the simplest: just a basic tomato sauce with olive oil, tomato, and garlic. Actually it’s the pasta dish we have most frequently. I confess that generally I prefer a standard egg pasta over anything else, but…
Holiday Gift Guide – Top Gifts for the Home Cook!
It’s the time of year when everyone is scrambling for that last minute perfect gift for friends and family. If you have an aspiring chef or an avid home cook in your family or among your friends here’s my Holiday Gift Guide – Top Gifts for the Home Cook. It’s my go-to list of absolute…
Farro, Gorgonzola, Arugula & Tomatoes
Farro, Gorgonzola, Arugula & Tomatoes just happens to be one of the easiest, most delicious and nutritious recipes you can throw together in a flash. Farro is absolutely one of my favorite grains; it has a chewy consistency and almost nutty flavor, and it’s absolutely delicious almost any way you prepare it! I especially love…
Radicchio Ravioli with Chestnut Cream, Sizzled Pork Jowl and Fried Sage
When fall rolls around it’s time to make dishes that bring together some of the season’s best ingredients. Radicchio Ravioli with Chestnut Cream, Sizzled Pork Jowl and Fried Sage is one of those dishes! This recipe was adapted from a La Cucina Italiana recipe. Since these delicious ravioli can be made in advance and frozen they…
Bread and Tomato Appetizer
Bread and Tomato is just about the easiest and most delicious of all appetizers. If truth be told we have it just about every night while we prepare dinner, and often at lunchtime too. The key to preparing a delicious Bread and Tomato appetizer is simple: high quality ingredients! It sounds obvious, doesn’t it? Just…
Lemon Lavender Cake
Lemon Lavender Cake Serves 8-12 This cake is a great way to use fresh, seasonal lemons and lavender. You can never go wrong with a lemon cake and the delicate hint of lavender adds something unique and magical to this dessert. It also makes a beautiful presentation when topped with a few sprigs of fresh…
Chicken and Apricot Tagine with Prunes and Preserved Lemons
This summer our apricot tree yielded hundreds of apricots. We made the usual jam and froze some, but I decided to experiment with some new ideas. Chutney and apricot gelato were great successes, but my favorite by far was this Chicken and Apricot Tagine with Prunes and Preserved Lemons. Usually dried apricots are used in…
Orecchiette with Spicy Baby Calamari
Orecchiette with Spicy Baby Calamari When our now 31-year-old daughter was an infant we started spending our summers in Sperlonga at the seaside home of a delightful Italian family of contadini (farmers). Although already well into retirement age this couple still dedicated their days to their vegetable garden, lemon orchard, chickens and many plants on…
Fennel, Orange & Olive Salad
There’s nothing like the fresh crunchy flavor of fennel bulbs and they’re a perfect ingredient in this fennel, sliced orange and olive salad. I put fennel in just about any kind of salad; use a to slice fennel paper thin for your salad. Fennel tends to turn brown so toss the fennel slices in…