Cavatelli with a Spicy Tomato Mussel Sauce is a wonderful southern Italian dish typical of the coastal area of the Puglia region. We order everything online now that we are in lockdown which is infinitely safer than going to a grocery store ourselves. The one caveat with our favorite store is that orders must be for…
Seafood
Spaghetti with Clam Sauce (alle Vongole)
Italy has such delicious clams that spaghetti with clams is always one of my top choices when we eat out. It’s also something I make at home frequently. It’s easy to prepare and I have a few magic ingredients that make this dish extraordinary. Everyone you serve it to will ask what you do to make…
Potato Gnocchi with Mussels and Clams
Gnocchi are considered a primo, or first course dish, served in place of pasta. The classic sauce for potato gnocchi is a simple tomato sauce like the one pictured above, but there are many variations to this and my personal favorite is Potato Gnocchi with Mussels and Clams. Potato gnocchi are a kind of dumpling…
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…
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…
Rigatoni with Smoked Salmon & Mascarpone
My husband is retired now which means most of the time he’s home for lunch. I’m usually the food preparer and find myself in a quandary at lunchtime. When I’m on my own its leftovers, salad, something simple. But Maurizio loves his pasta for lunch so that’s what I make. I try to keep it…
Marinated anchovies with spacca sassi, Portonovo, Monte Conero, Le Marche
We spend time in Portonovo 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 is covered with white stones and…
Red Snapper Ceviche
Yesterday we spent the day fishing in Belize. Cagey, a local fisherman, took us out for the day on his small boat and we hit all his top fishing spots. I’d really hoped to catch a tuna and we nearly did. We had a barracuda on the line that broke away and even managed to bend…
Linguine with Shrimp, Tomato and Zucchini
One of my favorite dishes that allows me to use the abundance of zucchini from my garden is Linguine with Shrimp, Tomato and Zucchini. It’s simple to make; follow your personal taste and instincts when making it. The potato ricer is a must for preparing this dish. You miss out on lots of flavor…
How to smoke salmon
A wood burning pizza oven is a perfect way to smoke salmon. For two days before the actual smoking process place the salmon under a mixture of two parts salt to one part sugar. Weigh the salmon down using a baking sheet with heavier objects placed on top. Twice a day baste the salmon with…