Peperoncini – hot chili peppers – and ‘Nduja, the darlings of Calabrian Cuisine, are used to add delightful heat to dishes in Calabria and throughout Italy. Italians add heat to their food with peperoncini, or hot chili pepper. The peperoncino is a mainstay in Calabrese cuisine and is celebrated each September in the lovely coastal…
Specialty Italian Foods
‘Nduja Spaghetti with Slivered Zucchini and Arugula
‘Nduja Spaghetti with Slivered Zucchini and Arugula I have to be honest that it never crossed my mind to make pasta using ‘nduja, a delightful spicy Calabrian spreadable pork paste, and I have to thank my friend Michele (@mangiawithmichele) for the inspiration. Everyone is cooking differently now that we’re in coronavirus “shelter in place” mode…
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….
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…
Leonardo da Vinci‘s Vineyard & Malvasia di Candia Aromatica Wines
Leonardo da Vinci‘s Vineyard & Malvasia di Candia Aromatica Wines are a side of the genius you may not be aware of. The genius of Leonardo da Vinci remains unparalleled and his works of art and scientific knowledge are world renowned. One thing you might not know about him is that he also cultivated a…
Christmas in Rome 2019 – what to see and do!
Christmas in Rome 2019 is all about sharing time with family and friends and enjoying wonderful food! The city is increasingly filled with lovely holiday decor interspersed with beautiful nativity scenes. If you’re here over the holidays make a point of strolling around and tasting all the seasonal goodies. Here are some of my favorite…
Corzetti Pasta
What are corzetti? I love making unusual pasta shapes and forms and one of my favorites are corzetti, a disk shaped pasta with an imprinted design; the below corzetti have a giglio fiorentino (fleur de lis) design. The Encyclopedia of Pasta, by Oretta Zanini de Vita and masterfully translated into English by Maureen B. Fant, dedicates a…
Balsamic Vinegar
One of the favorite and most used condiments in Italy and abroad is balsamic vinegar. It’s used to dress salads, as an ingredient in many dishes and to drizzle on top of foods like strawberries and Parmesan cheese. There are dozens upon dozens of balsamic vinegar products on the market purporting to be IGP Balsamic…
Pasta, gnocchi & risotto: luscious Italian primi
Italy is characterized by starting off each meal with delicious first courses, or primi. Oftentimes a primo and salad can be enough for a whole meal. Rarely will you see Italians skip their scrumptious primo! Take a look at these wonderful first course ideas, most of which you’ll find in Italian restaurants, and also in our…
Italian Herbs & Spices
I use a lot of herbs and spices in my cooking, mostly what is growing on our property, both planted & foraged. Fresh is my preference; the flavor is richer and I love the colors of fresh herbs. I buy spices from all over the world at Rome’s largest market in Piazza Victoria to make…
How to Make Homemade Pasta
On our way home this morning we stopped to visit some neighbors and before we left they gave us a precious gift; five freshly laid eggs. So I decided to use two of them to make fettuccine for our lunch. How to make homemade pasta: The recipe for pasta is simple: 100 grams of flour…