The Boulevardier Cocktail The Boulevardier Cocktail or “Italian Manhattan” is credited to Harry McElhone, the founder and proprietor of Harry’s New York Bar in Paris, and dates to 1927.  The Boulevardier Cocktail has become our favorite winter time pre dinner drink and is composed of 1/3 Campari, 1/3 Italian vermouth, and 1/3 Bourbon whisky.  Like all cocktails, the better the ingredients the […]

We’ve written extensively on wild Italian mushrooms in the past, including recipes as the featured ingredient, how to hunt for wild mushrooms, and even how to pickle and preserve mushrooms so they can be enjoyed year round. However, we’ve never given our readers a general overview of mushrooms and specifically how Italians view and consume mushrooms. In Italy, foraging for […]

A great, slow cooked, pot of polenta can be transformative, while bad polenta, often made with “quick cooking” or instant corn meal, will turn you off to corn for years to come.  Polenta is essentially cornmeal ground in either a fine, medium, or coarse  fashion.  Like most Italian dishes, the better the cornmeal you select the better the outcome.  We […]

What We’re Reading – The Best of the Food Web Interactive seafood sustainability and guide – National Geographic has put together a great tool for sorting through varying types of fish in relation to health factors, sustainability, etc. Overview of the wonderful qualities of bitterness – Italians have embraced bitter foods and drink for hundreds of years, listen to this […]

Marinated Stuffed Cherry Peppers Spicy and tangy, marinated stuffed cherry peppers with breadcrumbs are a marvelous, and versatile, side dish that elevates an ordinary sandwich or lunch of various small plates such as good cheese, salumi, bread, eggs, or a piece of simple fish.  You can find these peppers at most Italian delis but why overpay for a small container […]

As of late it seems the Negroni has caught fire as the cocktail / aperitif of choice amongst discerning drinkers and eaters.  Mike Colameco, who hosts a popular NYC restaurant review show on PBS, raves about having a classic Negroni before each of his meals, for example.  The appeal of the Negroni (made traditionally with Campari, red vermouth, and gin) […]

There are many elegant, yet simple, recipes that every home cook should master; for example, frittata, pasta with olive oil, garlic, and parsley, tomato salad, etc.  Sauteed mushrooms is another home cook essential that is easy to master after a few attempts and will make consistent appearances on your dinner table. Our sauteed mushrooms utilize any mushroom variety but we […]

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 […]

Chocolate Hazelnut Spread (referred to under the brand name Nutella) has exploded in popularity as of late and if you walk into any grocery store you’re bound to find unlimited chocolate hazelnut spread options.  You see mentions of Nutella on social channels on an everyday basis and it seems as though some folks have adopted chocolate hazelnut spread as a […]

Wood burning ovens are superb at many things including roasting meats, pizzas, breads, vegetables, etc. In fact, some of the very best food I’ve tasted has come out of our Aunt Giovanna’s olive wood fired oven in southern Italy (via her Panificio), including a wide variety of durum wheat breads. In fact, the very best breads in all of Italy […]