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 […]

(photo: Feti’s Painting Portrait of a Scholar) If you’ve read Professor Nick Smith’s guide for undergraduates considering law school, then his Inside Guide to Academic Success article (see below) is required, secondary, reading! As Professor Smith points out, academic success is about applying oneself, pragmatically, to his or her studies.  There’s no secret sauce or strategically practicing all night cramming […]

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 […]

Should I Go To Law School? I spent myundergraduate days studying philosophy, linguistics, and psychology and, as I’ve told many close friends (and anyone else who wants to listen), Philosophy provides an excellent academic and pragmatic (yes I mean practical) foundation for countless careers and professions. One profession that is closely associated with studying philosophy as an undergrad is Law. Philosophy provides excellent training […]

Hello Scordo.com readers and welcome to the first Best of Money Carnival for 2010!  I’m excited and honored to be hosting this week’s carnival (thanks to Free Money Finance). There was no shortage of quality content submitted (70 articles in total) from eliminating credit card debt and marital tips on dealing with money to how board games teach valuable life […]

The Aerobie AeroPress Coffee and Espresso Maker produces the best American/drip style coffee I’ve ever tasted.  There, I’ve said it and I mean it!  I’ve come out and made the aforementioned claim because the AeroPress looks more like a high school chemistry prop than a world class coffee maker and looks can indeed be deceiving when it comes to making excellent […]

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