Articles Index

Summer Burgers With Eggplant Recipe - Svizzere Estive

The word for "hamburger" in Italian is Svizzera (Swiss), and no, I don't know why. But they have been popular since long before the arrival of the Double Arches, and Italians have a great many ways of preparing them. Here they are with tomatoes and eggplant, and while the recipe will work well with a griddle over the stove, it will be even nicer if you do it outside, over the coals.

Veal with Mustard and Green Pepper Recipe - Vitello alla Senape con Pepe Verde

Fillet with a green peppercorn sauce was extremely popular a few years ago, and though now those who follow food fashion find it somewhat passé, I still enjoy it. Here we have a variation in the theme, which also calls for mustard, a condiment that isn't that popular in Italy, but that I don't often see people refuse.

Veal Wallets Stuffed with Pickles Recipe - Portafogli di Vitella Ripiene

Portafogli are similar to involtini -- both are made using cutlets, veal in this case -- but whereas the involtino is a cutlet or scallop spread with a filling and rolled up, the portafoglio is simply folded over the filling, making a wallet. These will be a nice variation in a family meal, and could also -- if you halve the recipe -- be nice for a romantic occasion.

Saltimbocca alla Romana - Roman Saltimbocca

Saltimbocca is one of the most classic Roman dishes. The name literally translates as hopinthemouth and is singularly appropriate -- you can never have too many of these veal cutlets with prosciutto and sage.

Veal Piccata with Parsley Recipe - Piccata di Vitello al Prezzemolo

Veal piccata is a Milanese specialty that calls for thinly sliced veal, but can also be made with chicken or turkey breast. Quick, tasty, and zesty.

Veal Chops with Bell Peppers Recipe - Nodini di Vitello ai Peperoni

Bell peppers go nicely with all sorts of things, and are perfect with veal chops. Veal Chops with a Bell Pepper Sauce.

Veal Wallets Stuffed with Porcini Mushrooms Recipe

Veal cutlets folded around a wild porcini mushroom filing. In short, a great delight.

Veal Cutlets with Peppers Recipe - Costolette di Vitello coi Peperoni

Veal Cutlets with Peppers, or Costolette di Vitello coi Peperoni: This is Calabrian recipe, and ideally the peppers should have some bite. If need be, however, you can use sweet bell peppers instead.

Contadina-Style Veal Chop Recipe - Costolette alla Contadina

Contadina-Style Veal Chops, or Costolette alla Contadina: This is a simple, hearty veal chop recipe from Lombardia that makes pleasing use of beans as well. The use of cloves is somewhat unusual, as Italian dentists still used clove oil on cavities until recently, and some cooks will omit them.

The Wine-Maker's Veal Cutlet Recipe - Braciole del Vinaio

The Wine-Maker's Veal Cutlets, or Braciole del Vinaio: This Tuscan recipe is simpler than the ingredient list might make you think, and will be quite refreshing on a crisp fall day.

Beef Cutlets Palermo-Style Recipe - Bracioline alla Palermitana

Beef Cutlets Palermo-Style, or Bracioline alla Palermitana: The use of pine nuts and raisins dates to the time that Sicily was an Arab province, almost a thousand years ago. These cutlets are grilled, and will serve six.

Beef Fillets in Orange Sauce Recipe - Filettini all'Arancia

Beef Fillets in Orange Sauce, or Filettini all'Arancia: This recipe for beef cutlets in orange sauce is a relatively recent creation, as is shown by the inclusion of Worcestershire sauce.

Italian Burgers with Spinach Recipe - Svizzere e Spinaci

A Svizzera is a pan-cooked Milanese hamburger, and they are generally served with a sauce of one kind or another. In this case the ground beef is combined with ground ham and chopped spinach, and will be a nice alternative to more standard burgers. In addition to pan-frying them per the recipe, you could grill them.

Creamy Anchovy Hamburger Recipe - Hamburger All'Acciuga

Americans are for some reason put off by anchovies -- when I was in college I often ordered anchovy pizza and none of my friends ever wanted to partake. Their loss, because anchovies have the delightful freshness of the sea, and are very tasty in these burgers.

Italian Double Pancetta Hamburger Recipe - Hamburger Incatenati

American-style fast food has become quite popular in Italy, and it's only natural that Italians should begin making hamburgers at home too. This clearly derives from some of the burgers one gets from the takeout window, but builds nicely upon the concept.

Pizzaiola Style Hamburger Recipe - Hamburger alla Pizzaiola

Carne alla pizzaiola, cutlets cooked in a tomato sauce of the sort that goes over pizza, is one of Naples's signature dishes. It is only natural to do the same to a hamburger. And don't omit the anchovies, because they add a very fine savory touch, with the freshness of the sea.

Italian Breaded Hamburger Recipe - Svizzere in Cotoletta - Breaded Burgers

The cotoletta alla Milanese, a breaded fried cutlet, is one of the quickest and easiest (and most popular) meat dishes in Italy. It's just a step further to fry up a burger, but here we have an added twist: it's stuffed with cheese and ham that melt delightfully. Very tasty at lunch, especially with a tossed salad.

Italian Burgers With Creamy Sauce Recipe - Svizzere Gustose

A Svizzera is a pan-cooked Milanese hamburger, and they are generally served with a sauce of one kind or another. In this case a creamy sauce with some mustard, and they will be quite nice in the spring.

Veal Fillet with Oranges Recipe - Filetto di Vitella all'Arancia

Oranges are tremendously popular, but primarily as fruit. They don't get used as often as they might in the kitchen, and this is a pity because they work wonderfully with other ingredients, in this case veal. The recipe calls for fillet. You could also use veal medallions, and I think it would work with chicken too.

Surprising Scaloppine Recipe - Fagottini Curiosi - Surprising Rollups

This collection of veal and cabbage involtini, scaloppine and cabbage leaves rolled up around a variety of fillings, isn't the sort of thing you'll want to make every day, but it will surprise and delight your friends when you invite them to dinner.

Fillet with Green Peppercorn Sauce Recipe - Filetto al Pepe Verde

Though one can put all sorts of things on steaks and fillets, the bottled sauces one finds in the US really haven't caught on in Italy. What one does often encounter is a simple pickled green peppercorn sauce. It's perfect with pan-cooked or grilled fillet.

Leonardo Romanelli's Braciole Fritte alla Fiorentina

Florence's braciole fritte are thin slices of beef, breaded, fried, and recooked in tomato sauce: this is a traditional family dish, one prepared to satisfy the hunger of those at the table, and the sauce is just as important as the meat, as it gives the diners something to dip their bread into.

How Done Is That Meat On the Grill? How to Judge Meat Doneness

How Done Is That Meat? With the arrival of spring, it's time to fire up the grill. One of the most difficult things for inexperienced grillers is judging the doneness of the meats they're cooking, and it may come as a surprise to some that one of the best ways of judging is touch.

Smoked Scaloppine Recipe - Scaloppine al Fumè

Fumè means smoked, and these veal scallops have a more woodland feel, with bacon and scamorza affumicata, a smoked Italian cheese which is firm enough to slice, and that melts quite well. In its absence, use another mild flavored, moderately smoked cheese.

Veal Scaloppine With Olives & More Recipe - Scaloppine con le Olive

Olives, capers, oregano, and tomatoes are a simple, zesty addition to a pan of veal scallops.