The Best Italian & Italian-American Recipes on the Internet
It’s a Jersey Christmas this year. I’m cooking a Seven Fish Dinner on Christmas Eve with friends. Christmas Day is with my sister Rose’s branch of the family. We’ll be 3 generations in the kitchen. My office-mates convinced me to cook for them before I …
It wouldn’t be Christmas in a Neapolitan house without struffoli, little round fritters bathed in a boiling honey glaze and then topped with colorful sprinkles. The little marbles are crispy outside with a nutty flavor sweetened by the honey. The inside is light and airy. …
Pasta and beans was a staple in my childhood Jersey home. My mom made this soup often and we all loved it. A fan asked for the recipe. Pasta and beans is a healthy and inexpensive peasant dish. You can have this one-pot meal that …
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 …
Marcia Gagliardi of Tablehopper blog fame shares her appreciation of 4 North Beach spots in her just-released video tour. Marcia visits Caffe Trieste, Molinari Deli, Liguria Bakery and Stella Pastry. Find out Marcia’s favorite coffee, focaccia, sandwich and sweet. I’m with her all the way. These …
Still undecided about your Thanksgiving dinner? Try my recipes for Roasted Turkey scented with rosemary, sage, lemon and garlic, chestnut/sausage stuffing and easy pan gravy. While the oven is hot, add brussels sprouts roasted with pine nuts and parmigiano and butternut squash roasted with honey …
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 …
When I’m in Manhattan one morning is set aside for a visit to Arthur Avenue in the Bronx. If you want to experience a vibrant Italian-American food neighborhood with a distinctly southern Italian flavor, this is the place to go. When we make the 20-minute …
When I was a kid on a steamy summer Friday night in Jersey, fried fish was one of my favorite dinners. My Mom lightly dredged an array of fish in flour and quickly fried them in olive oil. We ate the fish hot out of …
I returned from NYC to find the first decent crop of local heirloom tomatoes. A big, fat golden and red orb in the farmer’s market had my name on it. The ripe tomato had a sweet aroma and was just firm to the touch. You …
I made baked stuffed mushroom caps to accompany prosciutto and smoked mozzarella on my antipasti platter. That’s them in the front of the plate. Stuffed mushrooms are quick and easy to make and pack a lot of flavor. Serve them hot out of the oven or …
I love Italian pork sausage. Luckily I can get the best right here in North Beach. The Chronicle tasted 48 house-made sausages from all over the Bay Area, everything from traditional Italian pork sausage to Boudin Blanc and Spicy Georgia Peach Bourbon chicken sausage. Even …
The other night my Emerald Tablet friends and I put together a tasty family-style dinner at North Beach’s Vicoletto, the Calabrian restaurant on Green. We were talking about a Gianni’s North Beach cooking demonstration and tasting at their gallery and creative learning space. They don’t …
Here’s what we’ll be eating for our North Beach New Year’s Eve dinner. Quick and delicious dishes to get you ready to roll into 2012 with friends and family.
Neapolitan Christmas Salad
I just love this classic Neapolitan Christmas Salad, insalata di rinforza, in Italian. Insalata di rinforza translates into Reinforced Salad. How did such an important part of the Christmas table get such a silly name? Here’s the tale. Giardiniera, vegetables stored in a vinegar bath, …