(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 […]

Don’t tell my wife but I had a secret lover on my wedding day.  That’s right, in addition to my beautiful wife I secretly adored the Potato Croquettes (Crocchette di Patate) that were being served at our party!  The potato croquettes were made with a mashed potato filling, stuffed with cubes of fresh mozzarella, and breaded with fresh breadcrumbs, dried oregano, […]

(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 […]

Rice Balls Arancini Recipe One of my favorite dishes at a local trattoria in New Jersey is an appetizer consisting of potato croquets, mozzarella in Carrozza  (mozzarella sticks), calzoncini (friend pockets of dough), and arancini (rice balls).  All of the items in the dish, officially called frittura Napoletana, are expertly fried and generally well executed.  However, it’s the arancini that […]

Cold temperatures and bitter winds have parked themselves here in the Northeast over the last 4-5 days and with cold weather comes an increase in the consumption of comfort foods for yours truly.  Comfort foods mean different things to different folks; for example, I’m comforted by the following food items: fresh bread, cheese, olives, salumi, pasta, rice, and stew!  Some […]

(photo: via the Italian Farmer’s Table, rye bread) (UPDATE 1/10/09: Contest is closed.  The winner is SimplyForties!  Thanks to everyone for participating.) If you’ve read any of my articles focused on Italian living and lifestyle over the last 6 months, then you’ve probably come to the conclusion that my Italian roots (and those of my parent’s) are firmly situated in […]

Here’s a goodie from the Scordo.com archive and a recently highlighted post in the What’s New Newsletter (sign up if you haven’t done so already): Material Satisfaction and the Feast of the Seven Fishes Have a great holiday! Best wishes, Vince

(photo: Creminelli owner Cristiano with his artisan salami) Two weeks ago I had the pleasure of tasting and reviewing a wide variety of Creminelli salami, including Cacciatore, Sopressata, and Piccante and the salami was some of the best I’ve tasted (and I’ve consumed a ton of both US and Italian salami).  In fact, I was so excited about the Creminelli […]