Holidays in America

Holidays in America

Lidia Bastianich’s PBS special “Lidia Celebrates America: Holiday Tables and Traditions” is a celebration of family traditions, the common immigrant experience and the importance of food in 4 ethnic cultures. Watch it. You’ll feel good.

My Basil Pesto Gnocchi Is Too Green!

My Basil Pesto Gnocchi Is Too Green!

Olive Garden, Romano’s Marcaroni Grill, Buca di Beppo bastardize true Italian and Italian-American dishes. Stay away! Make your own easy, delicious authentic dishes.

Calzone From Leftovers

Calzone From Leftovers

Make calzone stuffed with sauteed escarole, roasted sausage and mozzarella. In case you don’t have leftovers in your fridge here’s the recipe from scratch.

Free Recipe: Roast Beef Studded with Garlic and Parsley

Free Recipe: Roast Beef Studded with Garlic and Parsley

Roast Beef studded with garlic and parsley is a zesty roast that you can make in about an hour. You’ll be happy if you have any left over for sandwiches.

Christmas Eve Feast of Seven Fishes (Cena di Vigilia)

Christmas Eve Feast of Seven Fishes (Cena di Vigilia)

UPDATE: There is now a video recipe for Cioppino, the simple and easy seven-fish San Francisco stew: WATCH NOW Italian-American families have their favorite dishes for Christmas Eve fish dinner – some serve 7 fish (for the 7 sacraments or 7 virtues), some serve 10 (for 

Fried Calamari with Vinegar Pepper Confetti

Fried Calamari with Vinegar Pepper Confetti

Calamari fritti (fried squid) takes about 5 minutes to make and you are rewarded with the fresh, clean taste of the sea.

Free Recipe: Semolina Bread with Sesame Seeds

Free Recipe: Semolina Bread with Sesame Seeds

I recently spent a delightful evening with my friend Viola Buitoni, a wonderful Umbrian cook and teacher, and Carol Field, the San Francisco author of the just reissued classic, The Italian Baker. Viola hosts the wonderful Italian gastronomy series at the Italian Cultural Institute.  The presentations 

A Post-Thanksgiving Melting Pot Dinner

A Post-Thanksgiving Melting Pot Dinner

Two branches of the family gathered in northern Jersey to enjoy a great Italian-American meal with a Syrian twist.

A Jersey Thanksgiving

A Jersey Thanksgiving

We’re all gathered in northern Jersey for our Italian-American Thanksgiving dinner, 3 generations in the kitchen today. My sister Rose and her daughter Wendy are in charge, I’m just the sous chef. RoRo has been rocking in the kitchen since 7 this morning and barking 

NYC’s Real Little Italy

NYC’s Real Little Italy

  I’m interested in the health of Italian-American communities across the country so I travelled from Manhattan to the outer borough of the Bronx to check out a neighborhood I’ve heard about for a long time but never visited. Arthur Avenue is a vibrant Italian community 

Pickled Peppers

Pickled Peppers

Here’s a really simple recipe to capture the bell pepper bounty in a jar for your winter pantry. Just slice the peppers into strips, make the vinegar brine and put everything in a jar. Pickled peppers, or “vinegar peppers” as my family calls them, keep in 

400 Food Bloggers in SF

400 Food Bloggers in SF

The Foodbuzz Food Blogger Festival was in town. I met some great people and learned a lot.

Village News: Pulcinella, Garchik, Foodbuzz Bloggers & NPR

Village News: Pulcinella, Garchik, Foodbuzz Bloggers & NPR

It’s just been 2 weeks since we saved the severely damaged Song of Pulcinella restoration and rolled it across Columbus Avenue to a safe haven. It’s been a week since I brought the San Francesco statue to Emerald Tablet gallery to oversee the restoration.   

Weekend Recipe: Cioppino

Weekend Recipe: Cioppino

Cioppino has been on my mind lately. Some of my fans asked me to share my recipe so I just had to make it today. Cioppino is a San Francisco original created by the Italians on Fisherman’s Wharf in the 1800s. The local story is 

Cavati (Cavatelli) with Vodka Sauce & with Broccoli Rabe

Cavati (Cavatelli) with Vodka Sauce & with Broccoli Rabe

Rhode Island friends are in town and we we’re making 2 classic Italian-American pasta dishes. Carol brought a cavati pasta machine all the way from Little Rhody. I’ve never seen this contraption and I was anxious to try it out. You say cavati, I say