A steadily expanding collection of illustrated recipes and techniques, everything from traditional lasagna to boning a chicken.
Pasta is an astonishingly variable universe. Many fall/winter recipes are slow cooking, but there are times when one has to get the meal ready sooner, and Leonardo Romanellis' tortiglioni with sausages and cabbage recipe is quite tasty, and can be prepared in the time it takes the pasta water to come to a boil.
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.
A Ciambella Romagnola, Romagna's traditional ring cake, is wonderful for breakfast, dipped into warm milk or caffè latte. It's also quite nice at the end of a meal, either with a glass of dessert wine or with the slices drizzled with zabaione or a fruit sauce or glaze.
When Kipling said, "There are nine and sixty ways of constructing tribal lays, and every single one of them is right!" he could just as well have been talking about minestrone. It really is a universe, and there are all sorts of ways to proceed. Michela Cariolaro's minestrone della salute combines vegetables and legumes, thus providing greens, fiber, and proteins.
Step by step instructions for making crema pasticcera, or pastry cream, one of the basic ingredients used in Italian and French pastries and cakes.
A sformato is similar to a soufflé, but not as airy, and therefore doesn't require the care in preparation its French cousin does -- there's no danger that it will deflate. But a sformato is quite elegant, and also quite tasty, and therefore perfect for either a family meal or when company comes calling.
Italians prepare artichokes by stripping away the outer leaves to reveal the tender inner leaves surrounding the artichoke's heart. It's an easy preparation that opens the doors to many dishes.
The spring and summer anchovy harvest was vital to Ligurian fishermen, who salted much of the catch to carry them through less abundant times. Here is how they salted (and salt) their anchovies. It's not difficult, and the results are superb.
Schiacciata con l'Uva, an astonishingly rich, sinfully juicy wine grape pie whose country roots are clearly revealed by the dough and the crunchiness of the grape seeds. An illustrated recipe for Schiacciata con l'Uva.
Since salt roasting draws moisture (and fat) from unprotected meats, you will need to lardon the loin with pancetta. The result is a delightfully moist pork roast, and a spicy horseradish sauce.
Focaccia, or schiacciata, is a simple savory flatbread that's a fine change of pace from regular bread. It's also a wonderful base for a sandwich, and, when made with a topping, is one of the finest nibble-foods there is.
A zuccotto is a delightful combination of cake and ice cream, that gains verve from just a slight drizzle of liqueur. It's quite refreshing, elegant, and perfect for a when company comes calling. This particular zuccotto has a saffron cream filling.
Tuscany's signature dish is the Bistecca alla Fiorentina, a thick, succulent porterhouse cut. Depending upon how thick it is, there are a number of ways to present it, and here are a few.
Crespelle, as one might guess, is the Italian word for crepes, and they go back a very long ways. They also look beautiful, and are quite easy to make, once you have the hang of it, and are therefore the sort of thing that people will think you have gone to great deal more effort to make than you have. In short, the perfect beginning to a Sunday dinner or holiday meal, or something to serve company.
A fine chicken-based example of immigrant cooking, with the tables reversed: Rather than the Italians who traveled elsewhere bringing their recipes with them, here we have people coming to Italy to do things Italians are no longer willing to do, and bringing their dishes and techniques with them. Chicken, in this case.
The best known Italian roast pig is porchetta: A boned whole pig very well seasoned and spit roasted for hours. It's classic festival food, and a standby at markets and fairs. But unless you're feeding a huge gathering, and have quite a bit of experience managing a fire pit, roasting it's not practical. A piglet is, on the other hand, if you're feeding a large group -- say 20-30 people.
It's one thing to buy a bunch of cold cuts, cheeses, and whatnot. It's quite another to arrange them attractively for a party or picnic. The Perini Brothers, in Florence's San Lorenzo market, have all sorts of ideas.
A good tiramisu is an extraordinarily lascivious dessert that is perfect for almost every situation, from the family get-together through the romantic occasion. However, most Italian recipes for Tiramisu call for raw egg, which is potentially dangerous. Leonardo Romanelli gets around this by making his tiramisu with zabaione, a delicate creamy custard made from egg yolks. Considerable enjoyment and no risk!
Making Risotto: You sauté your herbs and flavorings in unsalted butter or olive oil, add the rice and sauté it too in the oil to lightly toast it, add a little wine, and, once it has evaporated, begin adding simmering broth or stock until the rice is done add butter and cheese if you want, let it sit for a couple of minutes, and serve.
There are some variations, however. For example, if your flavoring is moist, and thus can't be sautéed, you can use the two pot technique.
Zucchini and squash blossoms are (I think) one of the most delightful summer vegetables. They're good stuffed, but divine when fried.
La Piadina, Romagna's flatbread, is extremely popular. Little wonder; it's tasty to bite into, wonderful when spread with cheese, an excellent foil for cold cuts, and (when folded) perfect for containing all sorts of things, for example grilled sausages and onions. And it's easy to make!
A quick presentation of meatballs, baked, and the classic Italian presentation: As a second course (no pasta), with a glass of wine. Of course, if you want spaghetti with meatballs, these will be good there too.
Fried Calamari are quite nice as an antipasto or part of a fritto misto (mixed fried foods), or a fritto di pesce (fish fry). They're also easy to do.
Bollito Misto is Boiled Dinner, and you might think it simple. And it is, in some ways, but it's also one of the tastiest, most satisfying north Italian meals going. Here's a look at what you'll find on your plate.
Agnello Scottadito, which translates as finger-burning lamb, gats its name from the fact that the chops are so tasty people can't wait for them to cool, and thus burn their fingers. It can happen. Chef Alessio Pesucci, of the Locanda il Gallo in Chiocchio, a town about 15 miles outside Florence, serves his alla Diavola, with a hot sauce that adds a very nice touch.
Though you may be more familiar with pasta e fagioli (pasta fazool), pasta goes just as well with ceci, or chickpeas, and this chickpea pasta soup is wonderful in winter.
Michela Chiarolaro makes a quick, surprisingly easy, extraordinarily tasty variation on gnocchi, and seasons it with a rich cauliflower and leek sauce. Winter comfort food at its best, and the sauce will be quite nice over regular potato gnocchi or pasta too.
A cheese basket is a bowl or dish made out of cheese that you can fill with pasta (with a not-too-liquid sauce), risotto, gnocchi, or even stew. They're easy to make, and make for a beautiful presentation; they're nice for a change of pace, and perfectly suited to a romantic occasion.
Panigacci are a simple, quickly cooked flatbread typical of the Lunigiana region along the Tosco-Ligurian border. If you return them to the fire they puff up, and become focaccette. Hearth cooking at its finest!
What to serve Asparagus With? Because of its distinctive flavor, Asparagus can be difficult to pair with other ingredients, and indeed Italians tend to go easy on the sauces when serving it. It does, however, work beautifully with eggs.
Boning the bird is an important step in many recipes, and though butchers were quite willing to do it in the past, finding someone who will do it in a modern supermarket can be very difficult. Fortunately it's not too difficult, and this technique leaves the skin intact.
The best known Italian recipe for Ossibuchi, veal shanks, is probably ossibuchi alla milanese. One can do other things with shanks as well, however. Stew them with ground beef, for example, and this recipe yields both an extraordinarily satiny pasta sauce and a superb main course. Winter comfort food of the highest order.
Lasagna is as regional as everything else in Italian cooking; if you ask for it in Emilia Romagna or Tuscany, this is what you'll get: pasta smothered with Bolognese sauce, béchamel sauce, and lots of grated cheese. In short, classic winter comfort food.
Roasting a veal shank is quite easy, and virtually foolproof; you'll be able to prepare a tasty meal people will line up to enjoy, and only need to check on its progress every now and then. The recipe was prepared for me by Guido Stucchi Prinetti, who got it from his Mom, Lorenza De'Medici
Preparing live clams or mussels is quite easy, though it does take a little time to do. And the fresh shellfish will taste much better than anything from a can. So it's well worth the effort. Also, a tasty recipe for spaghetti with clams.
Gnocchi alla Romana are tremendously satisfying, but they are also rich, to the point that dieticians would frown on one's making them too often. This variation Elisabetta's Aunt Emma learned while living in Rome many years ago is much lighter: It doesn't have any eggs, and reduces the milk as well.
Tuscany's signature dish is the Bistecca alla Fiorentina, a thick, succulent porterhouse cut. Depending upon how thick it is, there are a number of ways to present it, and here are a few.
Though the Italian Mostarda does contain mustard, it's only distantly related to the yellow stuff in the squeeze bottle. Rather, it's fruit preserved in syrup that gains quite a kick from a healthy jolt of powdered mustard seed or essence, and is wonderful with boiled meats.
Peposo is Impruneta's signature stew, a zesty, peppery beef stew that can easily match any chili out there. And it's easy to make, too!
Cooking a chicken once you have boned it is easy: you simply prepare the stuffing, stuff the bird, and cook it. But as is true always, there are a few tricks.
Setting up a wood-fired oven is quicker and easier than you might think, and you'll be amazed by the pizzas that it will yield. You can also use a pizza oven to bake bread and roast meats, fish, and vegetables.
Chopping up a chicken is quick and easy. Cheaper than buying chopped chicken, too, and you chop it exactly as you want.
One of the nicest ways to cook very fresh, top quality fish is in salt: the salt seals it, keeping the juices from escaping as it cooks, while the skin keeps the salt from penetrating the fish. The result is extraordinarily tasty and tender.
