February 9, 2021
Asian Pan Seared Tilapia with Creamy Tagliatelle
Twenty-some years ago, while on a trip to New Orleans, my parents brought me a gift containing five Emeril Lagasse spice mixes. At the time Tilapia was all the rage...
January 17, 2021
Italian Peasant Soup
At one point in my life, for a short time, my family lived with my Nonna Elizabeth, in Chicago. I was seven years old, my father was traveling, and my...
January 10, 2021
Sausage and Rapini Lasagna
This southern Italian style sausage lasagna is easy to make and very typical of the region. A few well combined ingredients makes this lasagna one that you will want to...
December 24, 2020
Salt Cod – A Fish For All Seasons
Salt cod is prepared in homes throughout the world. It is versatile fish that is packed with nutrients. Salt cod is preserved in salt and dried to remove hydration, which...
December 23, 2020
Baccalà E Cozze alla Mari
Baccalà e Cozze is my own version of a trational Italian fish dish served during the holidays. My Italian Mother, Rosa, set the bar high when it came to preparing...
November 23, 2020
Decotto Della Nonna: Grandma’s Home Remedy
With rising Corona Virus cases throughout the world, we are doing what we can to keep our families and friends as safe as possible. In our home, we have dramatically...
November 18, 2020
Chicory And Beans, aka Cicoria E Fagioli Cannellini
Chicory, also known as Cicoria Catalogna or Puntarelle in Italian, is a leafy vegetable that is a member of the dandelion family. It is a bitter green that is overflowing...
October 20, 2020
Borlotti Beans in B Minor
Borlotti beans, also known as Roman Beans, or Catarino Beans are a derivative of the Cranberry Bean. Fresh Borlotti Beans, widely used in Italy and countries surrounding the Mediterranean, are...
October 18, 2020
Fava Bean Memories
Enjoying a Fava Bean snack this weekend, I am reminded of how I much I love them and how fortunate I am to have products like this so accessible in...
October 5, 2020
Orecchiette with Rapini and Italian Sausage
Orecchiette with Rapini is a classic Italian pasta dish that can be made with a fresh (homemade) batch of orecchiette or with packaged orecchiette that can be found at most...
August 28, 2020
Savoring Summer Meals
Summer meals, in our family, were celebrations. When most people think of summer, they think of lazy weekends, a casual barbecue, and cocktails on the patio. In our home, summer...
August 27, 2020
Ciambotta
Ciambotta is a southern Italian version of Ratatouille. Throughout the Mediterranean you can find many similar versions of this recipe. Some Italians refer to this dish as Giambotta or Cianfotta,...
August 22, 2020
Zucchini Flowers (Fiori di Zucca)
Zucchini Flowers are a wildly anticipated treat in our family. My mother Rosa often struggled to find every day ingredients in our local grocery store. What was used every day...
August 18, 2020
Italian Vegetable Stew (Googootz)
Googootz (cucuzza) is an Italian vegetable stew similar to Giambotta. If you get a few Italian cooks in a room, you will hear it referred to in multiple ways. For...
August 8, 2020
Kalbi – Korean BBQ Beef Short Ribs
This recipe for Korean BBQ Beef Short Ribs, is as simple as it gets. Marinate for a day or two and grill! It couldn’t be simpler! There is no shortage...
August 6, 2020
Upside-Down Cake with Peaches and Walnuts
Upside-Down Cake is a versatile dessert that can be easily made in just about an hour. In this recipe, I use fresh peaches. While I always recommend using fresh fruit,...
August 5, 2020
Roasted Red Pepper Pasta
When I make Fire Roasted Red Peppers, I reserve an extra pepper for use in other recipes. One such recipe is Roasted Red Pepper Pasta. I purée the peppers with...
August 1, 2020
Ravioli Days
From the time I was able to hold a fork, I was placed on ravioli duty. A few times a year, mostly around holidays, ravioli making was a major event...
July 30, 2020
Pesto Alla Genovese
Pesto Alla Genovese is a green sauce made with fresh basil, pine nuts, garlic, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, and olive oil. Originating from Italy’s Liguria region, this recipe is what most...
July 21, 2020
Shrimp Risotto with Peas & Cava
With the right ingredients, this simple shrimp and pea risotto is a breeze to make. Short grain rice is a key ingredient. I have several varieties of short grain rice...
July 15, 2020
Melrose Peppers
Behold the Melrose Pepper! For those of you not familiar with Melrose Peppers, they are a sweet Italian pepper, first grown in and around the Melrose Park neighborhood of Chicago....
July 14, 2020
Spaghetti Carbonara
Spaghetti Carbonara is a quick, easy dish that can be made in a flash with the right ingredients and a little practice. What I love about Carbonara is its silky,...
July 13, 2020
Chimichurri – A Meat Lovers Dream
It took me about three minutes to type the word Chimichurri, because I had to stop, several times, to dry the saliva that was forming at the sides of my...
July 4, 2020
Casa Del Lago and the German Pancake
At age 8, my family moved from Chicago to Milwaukee, where we became reacquainted with my mothers cousin, who lived and worked there with her eccentric artist husband. During that...
July 3, 2020
Fire Roasted Red Peppers
Roasted Peppers are a savory, versatile addition to many Italian recipes. In the recipe below, however, they are the star of the show. Ingredients: 3 large red, orange, or yellow...
