Topic Index
The font size for a topic word is sized by the number of articles that reference that topic. The more articles the bigger the font.
Click on a word to search for posts with that topic. This page will reload with the search results.
Farrotto allo Zafferano con Pignoli Tostati
Creamy Farro with Saffron and Toasted Pine Nuts
I recently received an absolute treasure trove of Rustichella d’Abruzzo products from Rolando Beramendi of Manicaretti Italian Food Importers. Rustichella D’Abruzzo products, the ones that come in the brown bags, have been a favorite of mine since I was first introduced to them in the mid-eighties by food writer Kristine Kidd. I decided to start with the farro (FAHR-oh). Read the remainder of this entry »
The Glorious Vegetables of Italy by Domenica Marchetti – A Book Review
Carrot-Ricotta Ravioli with Herbed Butter
Green is the new black, so the food writers say. Vegetables are the answer to feeding a hungry planet, so the scientists say. However, this is not news to Italians. Their country’s rich soil produces an abundance of vegetables, each variety in astonishing array. Through the ages, from Apicius of ancient Rome, to Bartolomeo Scappi and Giacomo Castelveltri of the 16th and 17th centuries, right up to Pellegrino Artusi, Italian food writers have had a way with vegetables. With The Glorious Vegetables of Italy, food writer and cookbook author Domenica Marchetti has produced a treasure for our times and beyond. This book is the second in my Suggestions for Christmas Giving, but perhaps you had better not wait until Christmas. After all, the groaning board that is the Thanksgiving feast is replete with vegetables.
In this third volume of Ms. Marchetti’s Glorious series, she demonstrates the versatility and brilliance of classic Italian vegetable cookery, reinterpreted for the contemporary palate. It’s all here, opening with a section on vegetable identification, uses and seasonality, including a beautifully realized photographic gallery. There are basics on equipment and herbs, pasta dough and sauces. Course by course, this book will realign the senses of anyone who thinks of vegetables only as side dishes. Read the remainder of this entry »
On Sunday, occasionally – No. 1
Welcome to my newest feature. In my virtual peregrinations I find articles that are informative, entertaining and just downright beautiful. Some are by professional food writers, others by amateurs. I’ve decided to post my favorites here on my site. This way you can see what I see. Most of what I post here will be in English, and I’ll focus on things Italian, but there are no limits. Not yet anyhow. If I see something special, I’ll post it here. For now my list will go up on the occasional Sunday – no promises yet on a regular schedule.
Many thanks to Kathy Ayer, whose Italy on a Plate-Weekly Roundup inspired this project, and to Judy Witts Francini for telling me to get going. Thanks also to Nancie McDermott, who wrote to me “You are the clipping service that never sleeps.”
Here are nine that caught my eye. Click on the descriptions to see what I discovered! Read the remainder of this entry »
Crema alla Fragola – Homemade Strawberry Cream Liqueur from Domenica Marchetti
Adri’s Great Blog Cook-a-thon #8
Got strawberries? Got a lot of strawberries? Domenica Marchetti has the answer. Make Crema alla Fragola, Strawberry Cream Liqueur. Welcome back to my Blog Cook-a-thon. I know. You thought I was done with it. It has been a while. Apologies, but the project got away from me.
A couple of months ago cookbook author and food writer Domenica Marchetti posted a photo of a Strawberry Milkshake on Facebook. Remarkably, I had never tasted a Strawberry Milkshake, but I figured that since berry season would soon be upon us it wouldn’t be long before I could try one. Patience after all, is a virtue. In short order Domenica followed her milkshake shot with one of Crema alla Fragola. While I could surely be patient and wait for the milkshake, there was no waiting to start the strawberry liqueur. After all, it needed to infuse for three days. I would not ask Job to wait to get started on that one. Read the remainder of this entry »
Fonte di Foiano Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Maccheroni alla Chitarra with Roasted Tomatoes
Extra virgin olive oil is the new wine. Like fine wine, it is a delicate thing, its quality a function of the olive varietal or cultivar (type of olive) from which it is made, the area and conditions under which the fruit is grown, and harvesting time and technique. Factor in the art and skill of the makers who press and blend the oil, and you will get a sense of what I mean.
Just as wine nerds took over the table conversation with a new vocabulary forty years ago, so olive oil enthusiasts are introducing food lovers to the limitless variety and nuances of extra virgin olive oil. From personal experience I can say that even if you grew up consuming olive oil every day, until you have tasted a fine extra virgin olive oil, you don’t know beans.
I have been tasting and cooking my way through extra virgin olive oils sent to me for review from Olio2go, a retailer of Italian extra virgin olive oils. Most recently I have indulged my every whim with a collection of five oils from Fonte di Foiano, a producer in Tuscany. The Fonte di Foiano oliveta is in Castagneto Carducci where the rich limestone and clay soil and briny air combine to produce particularly flavorful fruit. In the 1970’s the di Gaetano family breathed new life into the ancient groves, keeping some of the older trees and introducing newer, younger ones. Read the remainder of this entry »
American Food Roots meets Italian Christmas Cookies
Adri’s Great Blog Cook-a-thon #5
Greetings of the season to all. And to those of you who follow me on Facebook, welcome to installment #5 of my Great Blog Cook- a-thon. For the rest of you dear Readers all, who are wondering “Great Blog what?” – let me explain. I often wonder if anyone actually makes the recipes I post. I figured I could not possibly be alone in the wondering. So I thought I’d cruise my fave blogs and make some of the recipes I see. So far I’ve made Linda’s Spiced Persimmon Cake, Greg’s Potato Galette, Mette’s Parrozzo, and Paola’s Ciambella.
Today it is Gabriella’s Calcionelli, a Christmas cookie from Italy’s Abruzzo region.