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 […]
Latest Posts
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Recent Comments