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Fried Calamari
Fried Calamari has become ubiquitous, I see people ordering it everywhere from pizza places, to the local sports bar alongside a plate of Buffalo Wings. It perturbs me to see the dish lowered down to the level of deep fried bar food. Sometime I even catch myself raising an eyebrow when I see it on…
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Appetizers | pantry | Recipes
Roasted Peppers
Sure you can buy roasted peppers in a jar at the supermarket, but there is really no reason to do that when it is so easy to roast your own. After I roast the peppers I like to store them in an airtight container tossed with some extra-virgin olive oil and sliced garlic. They will…
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Appetizers | Recipes | Risotto | Sicilian
Arancini with Smoked Mozzarella and Basil
A few weeks back I featured a Fig and Prosciutto Arancini recipe. One of the great things about Arancini is that you can take the basic recipe and change the flavors up by varying the stuffing. This slightly more traditional but no less tasty variation with smoked mozzarella and basil comes from my sister in-law, Diana. Another great thing about…
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Appetizers | Recipes | Risotto | Sicilian
Arancini with Fig, Prosciutto and Gorgonzola
Arancini, stuffed risotto balls, are a traditional street food in Sicily. The most common stuffing is meat sauce, peas and cheese. However, I wanted to try something a little different and the the inspiration for this version actually came from a pizza. We have been ordering the fig and prosciutto pizza from a local restaurant,…
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Sformato di Parmagianno and Prosciutto
From Prosciutto, Pancetta, Salame by Pamela Sheldon Johns (Ten Speed Press, 2005)Here is an elegant but simple dish that can accompany roasted or grilled meats. A sformato is a dish that is cooked in a mold, then unmolded to serve. Serves 4 8 slices prosciutto di Parma 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 cup diced onion 3/4…
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Pasta e Fagiole
From Cucina Napoletana: 100 Recipes from Italy’s Most Vibrant City (Interlink Books, 2008) This is very much a country dish. In areas where meat was scarce or expensive, legumes were often used to provide necessary protein in the diet – with the added benefit that they were filling and could be used over the winter months when…
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Parmigiana Di Melanzane
From Cucina Napoletana: 100 Recipes from Italy’s Most Vibrant City (Interlink Books, 2008) Possibly one of Naples’ best-known traditional dishes, and taken all over the world by the waves of migrants seeking a new life after World War II, parmigiana di melanzane is as tasty as it is familiar. Salting the eggplants before cooking is the key…
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Eggplant Rollups
From Puglia: A Culinary Memoir (Italy’s Food Culture) (Oronzo Editions, LLC, 2008) Serves 6 1 onion, minced Extra-virgin olive oil 2 cups fresh tomato puree or 2 8 -ounce cans Basil leaves 3-1/4 pounds eggplant (6 small) 2 eggs Sea salt Flour for dredging Stuffing: 6 ounces ground meat, any combination of lamb, veal, and pork 2…
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Spedini Alla Romana
4 slices of white bread 4 slices of prosciutto 4 slices of mozzarella cheese flour for dredging 2 large eggs beaten vegetable oil 4 anchovy filets 2 tablespoons of butter Serves 2 Place one slice of bread on working surface, then place 2 slices of prosciutto and 2 slices of mozzarella on top of bread…
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Caponata
From Jamie’s Italy (Hyperion, 2006) This is a fantastic dish from southern Italy that’s eaten as a warm vegetable side dish or a cold antipasto. Sicilians are really proud that it’s made with produce from their island. All the different methods of making it are more or less the same – the thing that makes it special,…
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Baked Asparagus Wrapped in Prosciutto
This recipe is best made with thick asparagus spears; however if all you can find are thin ones, wrap 2-3 spears in each slice of prosciutto. This dish can be served as an appetizer or a side dish. Regardless of the course served with, it always draws praise from my dinner guests. Prep time: 5…
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Bresaola with Arugula
Bresaola is a cured and air dried beef that is the specialty of Valtellina in the Lombardy region in northern Italy. You should be able to find it in a good Italian deli or specialty store. I remember whenever my Dad had some in the restaurant, I used to love slicing it up paper thin,…
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Prosciutto e Melone
Prosciutto and Melon is another simple and classic Italian combination in the same vein as last week’s Caprese Salad. Once again, quality ingredients are key here, use good imported Prosciutto di Parma or if you want to try something different, Prosciutto di San Daniele from the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of Italy. The balsamic vinegar is…
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Appetizers | Recipes | Salads
Caprese Salad
Recently I conducted a small poll on the Italian Chef Facebook page asking what kind of summer recipes people wanted to see more of here. No cook recipes like salads and cold antipasti narrowly beat out Italian grilling recipes. So, over the next couple of weeks I am going to feature some of my best…
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Grilled Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus
We have actuallly had a Baked Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus recipe on the site for years. But lately, I find myself making it on the grill much more often. The prosciutto gets nice and crispy and you get a smokey flavor, expecially if you use charcoal. Plus, this recipe is about as easy as it gets….
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The Great Cherry Pepper Hunt of 2011
The week after Christmas, I was chatting with my friend Mark on IM. He was telling me about the Christmas Eve fish dinner his Mother (she is originally from Naples) made. He was running down the list, Linguine con Vongole, Fried Calamari, etc. While it sounded like a great dinner, it didn’t really excite me…
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Appetizers | Pasta | Recipes
My Favorite Weeknight Pasta Dish
For me, a good weeknight dinner must possess two essential qualities: It must be relatively quick and easy to prepare. It has to be tasty enough to make me actually want to cook after a hard day at work. It’s much easier to get motivated if, as the work day ends, I am eagerly anticipating…
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Stuffed Mushrooms
Stuffed mushrooms are one of those appetizers that always disappear first at any gathering. They look impressive on the table but are actually quite simple to make, my favorite kind of recipe. These savory little bites were a staple at my father’s restaurant, and I’ve lost count of how many trays of them I’ve made…
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Stuffed Artichokes
The Holidays are coming and Stuffed Artichokes makes for an excellent appetizer. We have them on Thanksgiving and Christmas. They are deceptively simple to prepare, the video below demonstrates how easy they are to stuff, and work well as a make-ahead option. You can stuff and refrigerate them the day before you are going to…
