Rome: An Overview of the Ancient City Many experienced travelers who head to Italy strategically avoid Rome and the associated tourist herds and ancient ruins.  The logic goes that the ancient city is crowded, expensive, and not worth the hassle.  The truth is, however, that while one won’t find the tranquility of the Tuscan country side nor the exquisite beaches […]

In my parent’s region of Italy (Calabria) almond paste cookies are abundant, but rainbow cookies aren’t found in southern Italy (and to the best of my knowledge the rest of Italy is also devoid of this moist and luscious cookie).  Rainbow cookies are an Italian American invention and most likely created to honor the color of the Italian flag.  However, […]

Italian Corn Bread When my wife (then girlfriend) visited my parent’s home for her first Italian themed Thanksgiving she was bewildered by the selection of non traditional Thanksgiving day foods such as pasta, salumi, olives, various vegetables, nuts, fruits, cheeses, and pastries (I offered no explanation, but suggested she eat as much as possible so as to not offend the […]

The following fish recipe yields a delicious, garlic infused, parsley sauce and delicate, moist cod.  Our cod sautéed in olive oil with parsley and garlic recipe does call for a good amount of olive oil but it forms the base of the green sauce as well as the basting liquid so we suggest you incorporate the entire 1/4 cup of olive […]

Our version of homemade ice cream cake incorporates very good strawberry gelato, sponge cake, and whipped cream.  We were inspired by an ice cream cake we consumed at a pasticceria in Bagnara Calabra  during our extended summer vacation in 2010; the cake was made with local gelato, freshly whipped cream, and luscious strawberries. The ice cream cake recipe below can be […]

Italian 7 and 7 Cocktail is made without whiskey, but it’s a variation you’ll grow to love! Our growing family recently crossed the Hudson River and took a short drive into the isle of Manhattan for lunch with our cousin and his fiance.  Cousin M. is a lover of food and the culinary world in NYC so we take his […]

Amarena cherries are a product of the marvelous Emilia-Romagna region of Italy where other noteworthy products include tradizionale balsamic vinegar, Ferrari, Culatello di Zibello Ham
 (the king of salumi), Parma ham, Parmigiano Reggiano, Salamini italiani alla cacciatora, Brisighella Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena, etc.  Amarena cherries are harvested in the wild and known for having both a sweet and […]

Italian Vegetarian Recipes and the Culture of Vegetables in Southern Italy (Verdure) The Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras spent time in deep thought on the Ionian coast in Calabria, specifically in Crotone, and outside of his ideas in math and science he was known to have espoused the Pythagorean diet or what later become known as vegetarianism.   The Pythagorean diet excluded meat, fish, […]

Chicken Marsala (Polla alla Marsala) is a popular Italian-American restaurant dish and it takes its name from Marsala wine, a fortified dry/sweet wine used for the sauce which is produced in western Sicily.  Chicken Marsala is easy to prepare and universally loved by Italian food fans.  Mastering this dish will provide an easy and consistently good meal for your Italian food loving family […]

One of our favorite ways to enjoy a perfectly, pan fried, chicken cutlet is with a great salad.  In fact, we often place our salad right on top of our chicken cutlet and let our homemade vinaigrette penetrate into the crust of the cutlet – leading to a great combination of crunchy bread coating, steamy and moist chicken, and acidic/extra virgin olive oil flavors […]