Cocktail hours and aperitivi have always been a beloved way to get together and socialize. Italian cocktails and mocktails are frequently low alcohol content and often with a hint of bitter flavor. This is changing with globalization. Italian cocktails and mocktails are now beginning to take on an international flare and resemble those you’d see in the United…
Recipes
Homemade Pizza
Pizza Party Time! Yesterday was my husband‘s birthday so we decided to have a homemade pizza party! OK, so it was just the two of us, but trust me it was a real party! We called it a party and did all the things that we usually do during a pizza party but with a…
Homemade bread with home-ground flours
This has now become my go-to homemade bread. It’s a recipe I’ve been working on for over a year now, adding and subtracting ingredients, and working with different flours and grains. I’ve started grinding my own flours and it really does make a difference. My favorite is farro, a 7,000 year old grain which…
Castagnole di Carnevale, a Delicious Mardi Gras Dessert!
Castagnole di Carnevale are a wonderful treat for Mardi Gras! Italian tradition has it that just before the forty days of lent when one feels compelled to give up tasty goodies, is the time to indulge in sweet, fried foods. Castagnole have been part of this tradition since the 17th century, along with frappe and a…
Pasta with Wild Boar Sauce
Pasta with Wild Boar Sauce is my favorite dish on cold winter days! If you don’t have pappardelle on hand then use another pasta like rigatoni or fettuccine. There are many dishes that I love but make infrequently because they just take too much time to prepare. I found that a pressure cooker or instapot allows…
Broccoli and Mussel Curry
Broccoli and Mussel Curry is a great way to occasionally switch out from my classic Italian style of cooking. I prefer a curry that has a hint of Thai flavors so I like to make mine with coconut milk. I had some fresh mussels and broccoli on hand and decided they would go together beautifully…
Beetroot Fettuccine with Butter and Sage
I love making Beetroot Fettuccine with Butter and Sage for a number of reasons. First off, I love making homemade pasta, both hand-rolled and with a pasta machine. It’s relaxing and there’s nothing quite like the consistency of freshly made pasta. One of my favorite things is beautifully colored pasta as it looks so great…
Creamy Lemon Spaghetti
Did you know that January 4th is National Spaghetti Day? So if you haven’t figured out what to make today – or any day! – then go for a great plate of spaghetti! I hadn’t made spaghetti with a creamy lemon sauce for a while so that’s what I made for lunch. We have a…
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….
Pasta and Bean Soup – Pasta e Fagioli
Pasta and Bean Soup – Pasta e Fagioli I don’t know why I never posted my mother-in-law’s delicious recipe for pasta and bean soup – pasta e fagioli – but there you have it: it slipped through the cracks somehow. It was just when I made it the other day that I realized I had…
Easy Chocolate Truffles
My sister made these Easy Chocolate Truffle for a recent cookie exchange party and as she described them to me I knew they were a winner! Then when I saw a picture of them I was completely sold. The flavor is so rich and delightful, and incredibly chocolatey, you think you’re eating truffles. And so…
White Chocolate with Dried Fruit & Nuts
White Chocolate with Dried Fruit & Nuts is so easy to make: A guest brought this to a party at our home: white chocolate with pistachios and dried fruits. Tasty and gorgeous! So easy to make: Melt 300 grams of white chocolate over double boiler, then use a metal spatula to spread thinly on oven…