Artusi once introduced a recipe with "I can't stand this, but since you might like it here it is." While I admit I'm not a great fan of peas, there aren't any recipes here I really don't like. However, I do have many favorites, and you'll find them collected here.
Arista is the Tuscan name for pork roast, and is also applied to the cut of meat used to make pork roast, the loin with ribs attached. Pork loin is a perfect cut for family or company, and here is a selection of my favorite Italian pork loin, or arista recipes.
As temperatures fall off in Autumn, warm, and even hot foods become welcome again. Risotto is quick to cook, brings warmth to the table, and is ideally suited to all sorts of fall ingredients, from mushrooms to apples to sausages. Much to choose from!
There are a great many pasta recipes on this site, and I have put together a number of collections of pasta recipes -- winter pasta recipes, summer pasta recipes, red sauced pasta recipes and so on. Here are some of my favorite pasta recipes, arranged roughly by how long it takes to make them: Quickest first.
The word
Bistecca, as Artusi pointed out more than a century ago, derives from the English beef-steak, and denotes a cut of meat -- the T-bone cut, usually with both fillet and contrafillet, or, if it's from a larger animal and cut thick, a Porterhouse. There aren't as many cooking options with steak as there are with some other meats -- Italians use high heat, from coals if possible -- bu…
While
red sauces are primarily summer sauces -- they are tomato-based, after all -- green sauces happen year round. Though what makes them green, e.g. spinach, broccoli, basil, does change considerably. Endless, tasty variety!
These recipes are arranged by vegetable, beginning with summery basil.
If you visit an Italian market during the summer months, you will find tomatoes: Red shot with green for salads, cherry for salads and sauce, and... San Marzano, or plum tomatoes. Bins and bins of them, which people take home by the basketload to make tomato sauce with -- what's called pomarola in Italy, and Marinara in the US. Much of it goes over pasta, and here are some of my favorite tomatoey…
Italy boasts a rich tradition of bread soups, which is born of necessity: In the past people were much too poor to throw away stale bread. They therefore had to devise ways to make it edible; one of the most obvious (and tasty) is to work it into a soup. One important thing: You will need real Italian bread of the sort baked directly on the oven floor or a pizza stone, with a firm crust and crumb…
Cauliflowers, Broccoli, Broccoli Raab... They're all Crucifere, so called because their flowers have four petals that resemble a cross in shape. They're among the healthiest of winter vegetables, with many compounds that slow aging and combat a variety of diseases, are rich in vitamins and minerals, are an excellent source of fiber, are versatile, and are inexpensive too. Little wonder that Itali…
Pork chops, which are called
bistecchine di maiale (at least in Tuscany), are extremely popular, both because they are fairly lean, and because as meats go they're inexpensive, especially when sold in family packs. The quickest Italian way to prepare them is to sauté them in a skillet, seasoning them with salt, pepper, and a dusting of fennel seeds. But there are other tasty options too, …
If you look up the word
Involtino in a standard Italian dictionary, you will find that it is a slice (generally veal, though other meats and vegetables can be used), rolled up around some sort of filling and cooked. If it's a good dictionary it will also tell you that the word involtino is replaced by
Braciola in much of the South, and if it's a very good dictionary it will tell you…
Chicken breasts are healthy, quite extremely versatile, and also cook quickly. A winning combination, and here is a selection of Italian chicken breast recipes.
Zucchini are one of the hallmarks of summer, and one of the best excuses to plant a summer vegetable patch, which will allow you to harvest them when they're smaller than many commercial growers prefer, and also more flavorful than what you'll find at the market. Wife Elisabetta likes her zucchini just steamed. I prefer to do a little more with them, and here are some of my favorite Italian zucch…
Fresh spring vegetables -- as opposed to what's grown in a hothouse -- are by now flooding the markets, and it's time to put them to use. Making Pasta alla Primavera, for example: There's no one recipe because people's tastes and vegetable patches differ, but they all share the delightful freshness of Spring.
"People say, and it's true, that beans are the meat of the poor man," wrote Artusi a bit more than a century ago. And indeed they were, but they are also much more: Versatile, tasty, and an excellent, healthy source of protein. In summer it's hard to beat a refreshingly cool plate of cranberry beans, seasoned with olive oil, salt, pepper, and some finely sliced onion (add tuna to make a meal of t…
Lemons are, after oranges, the most popular citrus fruit grown in Italy. While some gourmands frown at squeezing a lemon over fried foods, e.g. veal cutlets or fish -- they say it masks the flavor of the food -- I find a little freshly squeezed lemon to be quite refreshing, especially on a hot day. There are other things too, including Limoncello...
One of the nicest things about summer is the voluptuous bounty you'll find in a good vegetable market: Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, zucchini flowers... Wonderful, and wonderfully refreshing. Some of my favorite summer recipes:
If you live in (or visit) the heart of an Italian city you might not realize the degree to which Italian cooking revolves around the grill. If you head out into the suburbs, however, come mealtime and especially on holidays or weekends you're certain to smell the rich aromas of grilling meats, rising up from backyard barbecues or -- if it's raining -- coming from the hearths people have in their kitchens or [i]tavernette.[/i] Some of my favorite Italian grilled meats and more.
Roberto Benigni once did a movie in which he goes back in time and tries to stop Columbus from sailing, to keep his sister from getting engaged to the American who then dropped her. He fails, and this is good, because if he hadn't we'd be without potatoes, peppers, and... Tomatoes, which to many symbolize Italian cooking. Even now, however, there are many tomatoless Italian dishes. Here's a selection to help you choose if you either dislike or are allergic to tomatoes.
Italy has a long tradition of finger foods, tasty morsels to grab on the go: Arancini, panelle, calzoni, frittelle, or any number of things. These finger foods also make great party foods, while the many spreads and toppings people put on crostini (toasted bread) also make great dips. Much to enjoy!
As September flows into October the days shorten, temperatures drop off, and all sorts of new foods come to the market, from apples to chestnuts to black leaf kale. Italian cooking reflects these changes, becoming richer and heartier as fall advances into winter.
Desserts in summer should be light and refreshing. Cool, too, if possible, and there are many Italian options!
Set some of summer's abundance aside for winter: dry tomatoes, pickle onions, make giardiera for an italian antipasto platter, and more.
Summer is a time of richness and abundance: Strawberries, cherries, peaches, apricots, plums and more appear in voluptuous waves, and one of the saddest things about Fall is the way this richness fades. Doesn't have to be this way, however: It's easy to transform fruit into jams and jellies, which will remind you of the joys of summer every time you delve into one, and make great gifts besides.
There are times when you have to cook on the run, and though pasta with melted butter and grated cheese, served with a salad assembled while the water was heating, is an option, one can do more in 20 minutes. Here are a few of the dishes I resort to when I really should be heading out the door, but want a bite first.
Winter is the time for leafy greens -- arugola, salads, kale, and cabbages and their relatives, among others. Earthier that what one finds in summer, perhaps, but delicious and tremendously satisfying when properly prepared.
When it gets cold out, and possibly wet -- what Italians call tempo da lupi, wolf weather, the best thing to do is break out the stew pot, prepare the requisite meat, herbs, and veggies, and set it all to simmering. The bubbling pot will warm your kitchen and perhaps even your house, the aromas will whet your appetite, and when it all gets to the table, it will being comfort and joy.
Italy doesn't have a vegetarian tradition per se. Quite the contrary; in the past much of the population couldn't afford to eat meat more than once a week, and as a result eating meat often was a status symbol of sorts. This doesn't mean there are no vegetarian recipes, however. Quite the contrary; many meatless soups and pasta dishes will work very well as the centerpiece of a vegetarian meal. Add to them tossed salad and a wine (white, probably), and you're in business!
Italians have been enjoying stuffed pasta for a long time -- In the Decamerone Boccaccio mentions a fabled land of well-being where cooks stand on a great mound of grated Parmigiano, making maccheroni and raviuoli they cook in capon broth, and everyone can take as much as they want... And ravioli are just the tip of an iceberg; there are also tortellini, pansotti, agnolotti, tordelli, cannelloni (manicotti in the US) and much more.
As temperatures drop off in the fall, Italian cooking changes: The dishes become richer and heavier, to better stick to the ribs, and cooking times become much longer, because a slowly bubbling pot works wonders, spreading warmth and cheer throughout the home. Hearty soups, rich stews, and more. In short, comfort food.
An Italian meal wouldn't be a meal without a loaf at table, and lots of people even use it to accompany pasta (and then wipe up the drippings with the crust, what's called fare la scarpetta). Because of this love of bread we had 5 bakeries within a 5-minute walk from our house in Florence, and now that we're out in the country we've got 3. Problem is, sometimes we buy too much and some goes stale. Or is this a problem? No, because there are many uses for stale bread.
Italians are enthusiastic roasters, happy to cook just about anything savory over the coals or in the oven if that's what they have. When it comes to desserts, however, at home people are much more likely to make a pudding than bake a cake. Tiramisu of course comes to mind, but there are many other treats as well, including zuppa inglese, panna cotta, and... gelato.
Italy has hundreds of cakes, sweets, and other delights. Here's a selection of my favorites, some traditional and others quite newfangled. The one characteristic they share is that they don't require a spoon.
Spring is a time of rebirth, and in the markets the cabbages and other leafy winter vegetables give way to peas, asparagus, and many other wonderfully refreshing things that are especially nice after the long winter chill.
Italy has thousands of miles of bays, inlets, reefs, and beaches with all kinds of fish to choose from. Some of my favorite recipes:
Italian meat recipes are as seasonal as anything else in Italian cuisine: people grill more, because the grill is outside and doesn't heat the house, fry because it's a quick technique, and also serve chilled meats. Anything to beat the heat!
Italian foods are seasonal, light, refreshing foods in summer to counter the heat, and richer, more substantial foods during the winter to help us keep the chill at bay. Here's a selection of winter pasta recipes I especially like.
The success of a cookout hinges upon the grill. However, even the tastiest steak or grilled chicken surved up on a plate by itself will only go so far. And then you'll need a side dish. Some of my favorites:
Italian foods are seasonal, with rich foods during the winter to keep the chill at bay, and lighter, more refershing dishes in the summer to help us deal with the heat. Here are some summer pasta dishes I especially like.
Italians don't celebrate Thanksgiving per se, perhaps because the growing season never stops: even in the midst of winter there's something to harvest, broccoli raab in the south, or kale and cabbage in the north. Of course Italians are happy to celebrate any holiday, and here are some ideas to add to a Thanksgiving meal.
