The Best Italian & Italian-American Recipes on the Internet
Are you afraid of squash blossoms that are flooding farmers markets now? Don’t be. The blossoms are versatile and easy to cook up. Grab some if you can. Stuff the blossoms with mozzarella and anchovy and fry them coated with a light batter. Use them as …
I scored the first of the organic San Marzano tomatoes from Happy Boy Farms at the Thursday Galleria farmers market in San Francisco’s financial district. I was lazy and wanted a simple sauce so I didn’t cook it at all. This pasta can be on …
I snagged some baby arugula at the Petaluma farmer’s market yesterday. Simply drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, a drop or 2 of red wine vinegar and sea salt, the tender peppery arugula is a summer treat. But arugula isn’t just for salads. I have …
These braciole are beef rolls filled with prosciutto, provolo and a bread stuffing with chopped egg, parsley, garlic and pecorino. The braciole braise in San Marzano tomatoes to create a sauce with deep rich flavors and a brick red color. In Italy the sauce is …
Neapolitans love clams. The outdoor fish stalls have clams of all sizes just out of the bay on display in buckets of water. For me, the smaller the better. I love vongole verace, those clams the size of your thumb, but you have to cook a …
My trip to Italy is fast approaching. I wanted to do a couple of posts before I leave and the dishes had to be simple. Meat-eaters love meatballs. These are from Naples and may be a bit different than what you’re used to eating here …
March 19 is the Feast of St. Joseph, Festa di San Giuseppe. It’s a big day in Italy and a big day among Italian-Americans. St. Joseph’s Day is Father’s Day in Italia. Joseph was Mary’s husband and helped raise the young Jesus. St. Joseph is also Sicily’s …
Here’s one of my favorite spaghetti sauces that’s ready in the time it takes to cook the spaghetti. The recipe comes from the the small hill town of Amatrice in the Sabine Hills northeast of Rome. You see spaghetti all’Amatriciana in all the trattorie in …
April Bloomfield just bought North Beach’s iconic Tosca Cafe on Columbus and will soon be serving her food there. She has a cult following at her restaurant The Spotted Pig in NYC’s Greenwich Village. I wondered what was in store for us when she arrives here …
My friend Susan called from Jersey and the subject of her renowned cavatelli with broccoli came up during our conversation. Actually, we talked about “gavadeal” and broccoli, as cavatelli is known in the Jersey southern Italian-American argot. The broccoli in my fridge had to be …
Actually it’s called ragu alla Bolognese. It’s a long-cooked meat sauce from Bologna, in the northern region of Emilia-Romagna, the culinary heart of Italy. The ragu is traditionally served with tagliatelle in Bologna, a flat pasta a bit narrower than fettuccine. The pasta’s shape is perfect …
I was hosting a 4-course birthday dinner for a friend. I asked her what she wanted. “Nothing special. You come up with something. It’s always good,” she told me. But the next morning she sent me an email. “Can you make sweet potato gnocchi? I’ve been …
Flavor memories of my Mom’s hunter-style braised chicken overwhelmed me. I headed down the hill to get what I needed to make this easy, rustic dish. I’m a breast man but go ahead and include all of your favorite chicken parts. The breasts take less …
I was navigating through the crowd waiting for the bus outside of Cavalli Cafe on Stockton and didn’t notice the hand-written sign in the window. Owner Santo Esposito saw me passing by and ran out to tell me that black truffles (tartufi neri) had just …
Baked Ziti for Valentine’s Day?
Why go out for a “romantic” dinner on Valentine’s Day? The restaurants are crazy busy. Why tolerate the hassle of overbooked places and food pouring out of an overworked kitchen? All you’ll get is agita (heartburn). Don’t go out. Stay home and cook Valentine’s Day …