White beans, tomato and rosemary soup is hearty and delicious, and lifts your spirits on gray days. What makes almost all Italian dishes so delicious are two simple things: first, fresh seasonal and good-quality ingredients. Second, the use of very few ingredients so that each ingredient has a chance to participate in the luscious flavor...
Make-Ahead
Tiramisù!
I've come to love tiramisù now that I've fine tuned my recipe to exactly suit my taste. The key to great tiramisù is to use mascarpone, and to beat the eggs until they're cloud-fluffy. Of course good espresso and high quality Marsala wine are a given! You can chill tiramisù in a large serving dish...
Tomato Ricotta Tart
It's that delightful time of the year when our vegetable garden is exploding and yielding scrumptious produce in spades. We always plant lots of varieties of tomatoes; it's the true staple in Italian cuisine and we won't settle for anything but the best in the tomato department. Our favorite snack is bread, tomato and olive...
Marinated anchovies with spaccasassi, Le Marche
We spend time in Portonovo along the Conero Riviera every year, usually for brief weekend trips of a few days. Some of our closest friends live there and an additional benefit is the spectacular beauty of the area: the lush mountains of the Monte Conero spill dramatically into the Adriatic Sea. The beach...
Ginger Carrot Cake
Carrot cake is a universally loved cake by all. Carrot cake, zucchini bread or other desserts made from vegetables are not typically Italian, but once they taste these sweets they become instant converts. I'm in a ginger phase right now: I'm drinking ginger tisanas, making ginger scones, cookies and cakes. And I've always loved...