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 […]
Antipasti
Appetizers and small bites.
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 […]
Fennel-Kohlrabi salad
So this doesn’t really have an Italian name because it’s my own creation, but it certainly follows the rules of traditional Italian cooking: start with fresh ingredients, in season, and don’t do more than is necessary. Also, if you find two ingredients that belong together (e.g., tomato and mozzarella, escarole and canellini), just put them […]
Stuffed artichokes
We had a wonderful holiday tradition when I was growing up. Every Easter, dad would make stuffed artichokes. There’s a two-part process for cooking them: first, they need to simmer in a pot, then they get browned beneath the broiler right before serving. So he would leave them on the stove until he was ready […]
String beans
My father grew beautiful beans in his garden. He’d gather some of the nicest ones and freeze them so we could enjoy them in winter. It’s important not to overcook the beans—they should still be very firm. Just cook them for a minute or two. Put them straight in the vinaigrette while they’re still hot […]