Citrus zest is one of my favorite flavorings for a whole variety of recipes. However, if you just need the just need the juice for a recipe, it’s a shame to waste the zest. Zest the citrus before you juice it and store the zest in a sealed storage container in the refrigerator and save […]
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The Tortellini Tag Team
My Grandmother immigrated to the U.S. as a young mother from Bracigliano, a town in the province of Salerno in the Campania region of Southwestern Italy and just below the Bay of Naples. My Grandparents left Italy hoping for a better life for their growing family as so many did. They arrived through Ellis Island […]
The Shelf Life of Chocolate
The shelf lives of different chocolates vary. If stored properly, unsweetened and dark chocolate can last for about 2 years. However, you should count on milk and white chocolate only having a shelf life of about 6 months because of the higher sugar and fat content. Be sure to put a date on any chocolate […]
Ice Cube Tray Time Saving Re-purposing
Those old ice cube trays now sitting in storage can be used for so many new ideas… You can make up a batch of pesto, fill with your cold unused brewed coffee, use your food processor to finely mince fresh garlic, squeeze fresh lemon juice, etc., etc. The list can be as long as your […]
Stuffed Artichoke with Tomatoes and Panko
Artichokes are one of my favorite vegetables and they are so versatile. Growing up in an Italian family, stuffed artichokes were a holiday staple. My Grandmother would stuff them dry and then pack them into the pressure cooker. She was a master at this. I do remember though, being over at a family friend’s house […]
Spice and Herb Substitutions
Sometimes you can find yourself ready to cook a recipe, but you’re missing a key spice or herb. Here’s a quick spice and herb substitutions chart to help you out. Some of these spices are exotic and hard to come by and you’re not sure you’ll use them enough to warrant purchasing them. This substitution […]
Broiled Shrimp Piccata Scampi
Piccata and Scampi are two different recipes, each incorporating garlic, butter and parsley in each of their recipes respectively. Let’s discuss piccata first. There is no known origin of the term piccata in Italy, and most Italian authorities believe the sauce was termed in the U.S. in the 1930’s by Italian Americans. The method called […]
Cherry and Ginger Soup at Dinner for Two in Santa Fe, New Mexico
You know how once in a great while, you happen upon an exceptional restaurant and your experience with the food you enjoyed there remains in your brain and on your taste buds for weeks. Well, that was what I experienced recently while there on vacation visiting a very dear lifetime friend. We had just taken […]
Enjoying Italian Cheeses!
Whatever the occasion, you can never go wrong with a special cheese presentation. There is, of course, always the trusty Mozzarella Caprese Salad, but here are a few other ideas to use Italian cheeses as an appetizer, hors d’oeuvre, or a cheese board as a finale to any meal: As an hors d’ oeuvre, consider […]
Pasta with Sauce Bolognese
I’ve done a little research to give you an accurate and succinct background on the origins of a Ragù alla Bolognese. A Bolognese sauce is an Italian meat-based sauce served with egg pasta which originated in the northern Italian city of Bologna. In Italian cuisine, this sauce is traditionally used to sauce a tagliatelle and […]
Easy Peel Eggs
Eggs are always hard to peel without damaging the cooked egg white. To make the egg’s shell easier to peel off, add 3/4 teaspoon of baking soda to the water when making hard boiled eggs.
Herbed Butter | Don’t Cry Over Extra Cream!
I always seem to have left over heavy cream for a recipe. Instead of leaving it the refrigerator forgotten, make an herb or flavored butter. Pour the cream into your food processor and pulse until it firms up and holds a shape. Then throw in the herbs and pulse a few more times. You can […]