Here is a cookbook that truly understands how Italians eat. “Italian meals are structured in a way that keeps family and friends at the table,” the introduction tells us. The focus on family and friends eating together is a central theme throughout this book. In addition to being family-centric, the Italian way of eating is…
Grilled pizza. It doesn’t sound right, does it? Whenever I tell my friends that I am making grilled pizza, they usually give me a skeptical look. It is not until I finish explaining the process that I hear a hesitant, “That sounds good.” Nobody really is completely sold on the idea until they actually taste…
From Seafood alla Siciliana: Recipes and Stories from a Living Tradition (Lake Isle Press, 2009) Here’s another variation on the agrodolce theme, based loosely on a recipe from Charly, chef of Taormina’s Vicolo Stretto restaurant. With red onion crowning each tuna steak, it looks pretty and makes an especially nice warm-weather dish, served at room temperature–like…
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…
From Sicily: Culinary Crossroads (Italy’s Food Culture) (Oronzo Editions, LLC, 2008) Mussels have several other dialect names in Sicily–cozzi, cozzi niura, arcella, catacozzula, anapinnula–to name a few. The mussels that have been grown for centuries at Ganzirri, an inlet just outside Messina are much renowned. 4-1/2 pounds fresh mussels in their shells 1 medium onion, chopped 1…
From Cucina Napoletana: 100 Recipes from Italy’s Most Vibrant City (Interlink Books, 2008) In this typical pasta dish from the Posillipo district of Naples, the most is made of the fresh seafood available along the coast of Campania. Posillipo, situated at the western end of the Bay of Naples and leading down to the water, is one…
From Italian Family Dining: Recipes, Menus, and Memories of Meals with a Great American Food FamilyItalian Family Dining (Rodale Books, 2005) We tested this recipe with a very fine canned tomato called Vaegri — indeed, the best we ever tasted beside our own homemade. We buy it at Tino’s Deli in the Bronx. We prefer fresh or…
This recipe comes from my Cousin Sal and the dish is the centerpiece of his traditional Christmas Eve meal with his family. Chopping up the meat from the claws and including it in the stuffing is a really nice touch.
We have received many requests for this recipe, which in many peoples’ minds is synonymous with Italian food. In actuality, this is more of an Italian-American dish, since in Italy they do not serve their meatballs on top of pasta. This recipe comes from Chef Paolo’s wife, Frances, who in my humble opinion makes the…
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…
