Driving on the A3 autostrada from the Reggio Calabria airport to the village of Pellegrina (a tiny Comune di Bagnara Calabra) my mood changes instantly.  I’m greeted by a penetrating sun, flowing sea breezes, and intoxicating smells of earth.  The greeting has come courtesy of Calabria, the terra of my parents and the very foundation of my soul. Yes, I’ve been […]

  (photo: beautiful bread is a work of art and our reader Dr. K is a maestro!  photo courtesy of Dr. K.) I have to admit that I get very jealous of folks who bake with great success as I’ve been slow to experiment with baking bread, for example.   And it’s also why I’m incredibly thankful for skilled Scordo readers like […]

  (photo: Sangaspano extra virgin olive oil from Messina, Sicilia) On the morning of December 28th, 1908 a massive earthquake and associated tsunami hit the western province of Calabria and moved across the Stretto di Messina into Sicilia destroying city after city (including Reggio Calabria and Messina).  In Messina alone 60,000 people were killed and in Calabria our family lost many […]

If I haven’t mentioned it here on Scordo.com my father is a dyed-in-the-wool grappa fanatic.  In fact, he’s grown so found of the elixir made from sugar and grape stems he produces a limited quantity batch for his immediate family and select friends.  So, it wasn’t with great surprise when I brought over a bottle of Amaro Nonino Quintessentia on a recent weekend […]

When I asked readers on our Facebook fan page to name a few Italian food fallacies I was expecting a response but I was, frankly, overwhelmed with the feedback to our simple question.  That is to say, while I’ve experienced many of the overt food fallacies found in Italian American cooking (both in professional and home kitchens) there were some items […]

Growing up as an Italian American boy on the periphery of New York City, iced espresso or Caffe Shakerato was a rite of passage, at least for the Italian natives on our New Jersey block.  My mother, specifically, would prepare a large carafe of sugary espresso and place it in the freezer to develop a slushy consistency.  Thereafter, the fancy glasses would […]

(photo: Columbus Artisan hot sopressata sliced by hand) Peperoncini and Salumi If there’s one food item that the southern province of Calabria is famous for it would be peperoncini (or red chili peppers). Peperoncini are used in pasta dishes (Penne all’Arrabbiata, for example), cured meats and vegetables (including the trendy salumi spread, ‘Nduja), soups, and an eggplant stew dish called […]

(photo: Averna on the rocks with a slice of orange) Averna, the amaro and aperitif/digestif from, and still produced in, Sicilia, is a bona fide rock-star.   Yes, like Bono, Freddie Mercury, or Roger Waters, Averna makes you tingle all over and has you wondering how anything can be (taste) so damn good.   For those of you not in the know, […]

Our 22 month old son Tommaso has been on a frenetic streak over the last 6 months, that is to say, he has both the energy and ferocity to take on any task including doing full fledge sprints with theatrical spins and twirls, pooping dramatically, greeting family members and complete strangers ad nauseam, separating his parents from a warm embrace and kiss […]

If I were to say “red vermouth” you’d probably conjure up images of your frugal Aunt Carmela sipping on lukewarm Martini and Rossi sweet vermouth.  While the imagery was common decades ago, vermouth has fallen out of fashion and doesn’t get the respect it deserves; moreover, it’s probably one of the most misunderstood bar beverages in the United States.  Carpano […]