Italian Braised Beef Brisket
Slow braised beef brisket served with aromatic vegetables is a simple and favorable one-plate lunch or dinner.
Tag: cooking
Flourless Potato & Onion Focaccia
A focaccia made with a potato dough with a sweet onion, olive and caper filling topped with a golden breadcrumb crust.
Couscous with Veal, Cauliflower, Red Peppers & Saffron
Sicily has been on my mind. I recalled a remarkable day on the northern coast where I learned of 2 new ingredients for my Italian-American cooking, couscous and saffron. We spent a delightful day in San Vito lo Capo lounging on the soft pink beach, …
Orecchiette with Arugula
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 …
Raw & Cooked Salad
Summer just arrived and I’m starting to get in the mood for the bounty slowly hitting the market. This simple yet complex salad is my bridge to the new season. Insalata cruda e cotta is an interesting mix of fresh and cooked vegetables and will be …
White Bean & Tuna Salad
I love cannellini beans and Sicilian canned tuna. Putting these 2 pantry staples together in this salad makes me very happy. You can use canned beans but since there are only 2 main ingredients in the salad I like to use dry beans. They aren’t …
Braciole–Neapolitan Stuffed Beef Rolls
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 …
Suppli al telefono: Fried Arborio Rice Balls Video
Suppli are tasty egg-shaped fried arborio rice balls. The surprise in the middle give them their name.
Escarole 2 Ways
The escarole in the market today was gorgeous, light green heads with fresh, tender leaves. I get 2 uses from a head of escarole. Save the yellow-green inner leaves for a simple salad dressed with extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon or red wine vinegar and …
Spaghetti with Clams Straight from the Bay of Naples
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 …
Veal and Spring Peas from Naples
We trained to Naples from Rome and settled in to our apartment in the Spanish Quarter high above Via Chiaia and Via Toledo, Naples major shopping streets. We have a half floor of an old palazzo and our landlady Filomene lives right next door. She …
A Surprise Guest in My Roman Kitchen
Giulia, the petite and effervescent aunt of my Roman producer, stopped by the apartment as we were setting up for the video shoot. She was doubtful that a guy from San Francisco could cook Roman dishes and she wanted to see for herself. Giulia does …
Roman Kitchen Inspiration
I met up with Alessandro, my produce vendor friend in the Campo di Fiori farmers market as the sun began to break through the early morning clouds. I was especially interested in what he harvested from his garden and from the wild. He had these …
Spinach Pies–My Bridge to Italy
Making spinach pies today is a culinary bridge from the States to my upcoming temporary home in Naples. The filling is inspired by the “Wimpy Skippy,” a crowd-pleaser from Caserta Pizzeria on Providence’s Federal Hill, an Italian-American bastion. I’ll find variations of spinach pies, called …
A Working Roman Holiday
Campo di Fiori, the farmer’s market in the historical center of Rome was ablaze in the morning sunshine. The stalls were overflowing with spring bounty. Peas, artichokes, fava beans, chicory and other leafy treats, even early tomatoes, were everywhere. I was scouting the market as …