Month: January 2022

Antipasti, Holidays, Insalate

Octopus Salad

When I was a kid, we never heard of the Feast of Seven Fishes. It was simply Christmas Eve. It was held at my grandparents’ house in Brooklyn. The place was not very big, and had no formal dining room. Instead, they’d set up a table in the living room. And by table I mean […]

Butter-based, Primi

Spaghetti with Spinach, Bacon, & Cream

This is another one of my own inventions, though it’s in some ways similar to a carbonara. I normally get a fresh bunch of spinach, but you can also save some effort by getting a bag of pre-washed. If you’re starting with a fresh bunch, tear off the stems and soak the leaves in a […]

Antipasti, Holidays, Insalate

Baccalà salad

Baccalà, or salt-dried cod, once fueled the rise of Portugal as a global power, as it allowed the Portuguese explorers and merchants to sail across the world without starving. Interestingly, cod does not come from the Mediterranean, but rather from the North Sea. So go figure. It’s become a traditional part of the Italian Christmas […]

Secondi

Squash and Ricotta Risotto

I never had risotto growing up. Maybe it was considered too fancy, or maybe Arborio short-grain rice was too hard to find (nowadays you can get it in the supermarket). In fact, I think the first time I had it was in grad school, when I tried, with middling success, to make it myself. It’s […]