Ricotta Recipe My first memory of ricotta wasn’t pleasant.  I remember thinking that the cheese was tasteless and had a consistency of something akin to white mud rather than some wonderful food concoction.  Fast forward about 20 years and I’m in love with ricotta (and the associated ricotta recipe) and value its subtle flavor profile and creamy texture (not to […]

With some spectacular weather here on the East Coast my mind turned to the outdoors the last week or so, hence the long stretch without a post (my apologies).   My latest pasta conquest centered on the Cencioni, a little known pasta from the Basilicata region of Italy.  Cencioni, or translated as “little rag”, is perfect for loose sauces.   Cencioni has […]

(photo: diced up and waiting for the pan!) UPDATE: 4/2/10 Annelle Williams is the winner!  Contest is now closed! I’ve written on virtues of salumi, but to my surprise I haven’t waxed philosophically on sausage – that other ideal representation of the almighty pig. Italian Sausage, as it’s referenced in the States, is often grilled, used in stuffings, soups and […]

 I woke up this morning and had a revelation! Well, it wasn’t exactly a revelation of grand proportion like when Einstein told Newton he was all wrong about the physical world back in the early twentieth century rather my revelation was epicurean and it concerned my favorite food on the planet; namely, Pasta!Like Julie Powell’s idea of cooking through all the […]

(photo: Nonno Scordo’s vineyard overlooking the sea near Bagnara Calabra)  Ciro is the most well known Calabrian wine here in the US and it’s for good reason.  The region of Ciro is situated on the eastern tip of Calabria, about a 4 hour trip north from Reggio Calabria.   Ciro is designated a DOC wine or Denominazione di Origine Controllata, […]

Growing up in 1980’s Northern NJ on a densely packed block full of immigrant families (mostly from Italy via Calabria) both Thursday and Sunday were special days.  That is to say, for many of the Italian families in our neighborhood (hailing from Pellegrina, Bagnara Calabra, Grimoldo, and Ceramida) Thursday and Sunday were designated as pasta days ; hence our 8 Tips to Make Great Pasta […]

(photo: Scordoni awaits grapefruit juice and a quick stir) I didn’t always like Campari; in fact, I thought the liquor was bitter, fowl, and just unappetizing.  I remember ordering a Negroni (made with gin, sweet/red vermouth, Campari, and bitters) at a fancy New York restaurant and thinking this drink is strong, but it’s really not doing much for me on […]

(photo: tarallini made with red pepper flake) I’m going to ask the inevitable question; how many bags of chips did you consume this weekend?  And did you include some dips like sour cream and chives or salsa to go with the multiple bowls of corn and potato chips?  Well, I’m not going to scold you because it was Super Bowl […]

(photo: incorporating olive oil, garlic, and parsley with spaghettini) Update: Congrats to Susan for winning the contest.  The giveaway is closed. Back in September of 2009, in my overview of dried pasta entry, I made the claim that dry pasta is NOT inferior to freshly made pasta (this is the type of pasta which I often make at home with […]

(photo: couch’s whiting or blue whiting with red onion, peppers, and tomatoes) (UPDATE 1/31/09: Contest is closed.  The winner is Evan Lucas!  Thanks to everyone for participating.) In Elena Kostioukovitch’s preface from the book, “Why Italians Love to Talk About Food” Elena asks, “And why is that you identify particular historic moments with references to food?”  The “you” Elena is […]