Crispy Succulent Shrimp (Gamberi Fritti)

Crispy Succulent Shrimp (Gamberi Fritti)

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 

Summer Heirloom Tomatoes Are In

Summer Heirloom Tomatoes Are In

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 

Baked Stuffed Mushrooms (& Friends)

Baked Stuffed Mushrooms (& Friends)

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 

Pasta alla Norma: Rigatoni in a Tomato & Eggplant Sauce

Pasta alla Norma: Rigatoni in a Tomato & Eggplant Sauce

A classic from Catania on the eastern shore of Sicily, this wildly popular pasta took on its name in honor of favorite-son Vincenzo Bellini’s opera Norma 180 years ago. You’ll find it on menus all over Sicilia now. A couple of you asked about this dish 

Deep-Dish Pizza on My Mind

Deep-Dish Pizza on My Mind

Sausage Deep-Dish Pizza Chicago Style Chicago-style pizza has been on my mind lately and luckily in my mouth too. I had one when I was in Chicago a couple of weeks ago. I love the classic pie with sausage but I lost the vote and we 

Stuffed Peppers (Peperoni Ripieni)

Stuffed Peppers (Peperoni Ripieni)

I had a hankering for stuffed peppers for a while so I made some today. Peppers are flooding the farmers market and a couple of big, ripe red bell peppers called out to me this morning. The roasted stuffed peppers are tender and sweet. The arborio 

Spaghetti alla Carbonara from Roma

Spaghetti alla Carbonara from Roma

A Roman friend’s son Luca shot a video of Claudio, the chef/owner of Osteria Dar Bruttone making spaghetti alla carbonara, a classic Roman pasta dish. I had to share it with you. Claudio is passionate about Roma and about its food. His osteria in the 

Frittata: Italian Egg, Sausage and Potato Pie

Frittata: Italian Egg, Sausage and Potato Pie

Frittata, an Italian egg pie with potatoes and roasted sausage. Use the basic recipe and include your favorite ingredients. You can have a flavorful fritatta on the table in about 20 minutes.

Pasta Primavera: Bowtie Pasta with Spring Vegetables

Pasta Primavera: Bowtie Pasta with Spring Vegetables

The farmers markets are overflowing with early spring vegetables so I just had to make Pasta Primavera, farfalle (bowtie) pasta with just-arrived asparagus, fava beans and sweet peas. Pasta Primavera is a classic Italian-American dish concocted by Sirio Maccioni and made famous at his Le 

Italian Wedding Soup: Chicken and Escarole Soup with Veal Meatballs

Italian Wedding Soup: Chicken and Escarole Soup with Veal Meatballs

Chicken and escarole soup with tiny veal meatballs is an Italian-American classic often called the Italian Wedding Soup. It’s easy to make and it’s delicious.

Caponata Siciliana (Eggplant and Vegetable Cooked Salad)

Caponata Siciliana (Eggplant and Vegetable Cooked Salad)

I scored some beautiful small Italian eggplant at Union Street Produce so I just had to make caponata. I love this flavor-packed sweet-sour eggplant side dish (condimento) from Sicilia. Usually I make caponata during the summer when the eggplant and tomatoes are at their prime. I 

Sausage and Peppers

Sausage and Peppers

I used hot and mild sausage from North Beach’s Little City Meats.

Friday Recipe–Roasted Baby Eggplant

Friday Recipe–Roasted Baby Eggplant

Here’s a really simple dish that brings out all of the sweet creamy flavor of these little gems. It’s one of the recipes from my first eCookbook–North Beach Italian: Vegetable Dishes, Volume 1. https://gianni.tv/giannis-first-recipe-ebook-is-available-now/ It takes about 10 minutes to prepare and get the baby eggplant 

2012 The Year of the Meatloaf?

2012 The Year of the Meatloaf?

So says The Chronicle’s Paolo Lucchesi, meatloaf along with pickles will be hot in 2012. Maybe I’m ahead of the curve on the pickle front. Try my pickled vinegar peppers and my giardiniera (pickled vegetables) that I posted late last year. My Mom’s meatloaf or 

North Beach Discovery: Fresh Truffles from Italia

North Beach Discovery: Fresh Truffles from Italia

Fresh truffles arrive in North Beach from Italia. Get them while they last at Cavalli Cafe.