Tag: cooking

Grilled Chicken Marinated with Rosemary & Garlic

Grilled Chicken Marinated with Rosemary & Garlic

Last week we were staying in an updated 1930s cabin overlooking Lake Tahoe. I was excited about the grill on the deck right outside the kitchen door and we used it every day. One of our dinners included delicious grilled chicken breasts simply marinated in 

Marinated Zucchini (Zucchine alla Scapace)

Marinated Zucchini (Zucchine alla Scapace)

I have more late summer zucchini than I know what to do with. Well, almost. I made a fritatta with zucchini, potatoes, wild boar salami and fontina. I made ciambotta, a zucchini stew with potatoes and onions in a tomato sauce. I used what I 

Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Sweet Potato Gnocchi

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 

Pickled Eggplant

Pickled Eggplant

It’s getting near the end of the summer season so I’m putting up some eggplant to tide me over until spring. This a simple recipe from the south of Italia. The pickled eggplant is preserved under olive oil (sott’olio) and will keep in your refrigerator 

Chicken Cacciatore

Chicken Cacciatore

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 

Galloping Figs

Galloping Figs

I love fresh figs. I don’t care, black or white, I eat them all while they are in season. It all started when I was a kid. We had 3 fig trees in our Jersey backyard, 2 black, 1 white. I couldn’t wait for the 

Umbrian Black Truffles @ Cavalli Cafe

Umbrian Black Truffles @ Cavalli Cafe

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 Baby Eggplant

Baked Baby Eggplant

Don’t miss the next new video recipe. Please subscribe now to my YouTube channel. I love the small Italian eggplant now in the market. Here’s a quick recipe that explodes with flavor. Just cut the eggplants in half and bake them in the oven topped with crushed  San 

Panzanella (Summer Tomato & Bread Salad)

Panzanella (Summer Tomato & Bread Salad)

I never throw away bread. I use stale bread for my meatballs, for stuffings and for breadcrumbs. I always have some hanging around. Day-old bread inspires panzanella, a simple summer tomato and bread salad. Some of you asked for this recipe based on the classic 

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 

Hello Milwaukee

Hello Milwaukee

A while ago a post, Forget Food Network! 7 Cool Online Cooking Shows, appeared on Milwaukee Radio’s website. Gianni’s North Beach was #5. After all this time many of my site visitors come from Milwaukee Radio, 88.9 on your FM dial. So here’s a shout out to 

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