Once you have let the artichokes sit overnight in vinegar, remove them and let them sit for a day to drain, upside down, on a plate. When they are dry, place then in a jar and cover with olive oil. It’s important to leave the open to remove any air in the jars. Hit the…
Keeping Kitchen- Artichokes
When shopping at the market, as I mentioned, we first enjoy all the the seasons best fresh. As the season goes on, then prices start to drop and we think about buying in quantity and putting up the excess for another season. I saw the first tiny “baby” artichokes at the market yesterday. Usually I…
Fall Favorites- Kale Bruschetta
Right now life is a little hectic. When I stop working, I have to catch up on work, if you know what I mean. End of the year paperwork, things I have let slip by. And when that happens, cooking time in the kitchen also gets cut down to quick recipes or really long slow…
Tasting the Past- Cotognata ( Quince Paste)
There are some fruits and vegetables that remind me of the past. Odd shapes and incredible flavor and fragrances. Quince are one of those fruits. Impossible to eat as is. Often when at the market something catches my eye that I HAVE TO COOK. I don’t think I ever cooked or saw quince in California…
Home is Where Your Mouth Is
As I prepare to go back to the states to deal with my mom’s estate, somehow flavors I miss while in Italy come to mind. Everyone asks what do I want to eat when I come “home”. ( Since I moved to Italy in 1984, almost half my life has been spent here- I think…
More Sicilian Gold- Arancine
Arancini or Arancine— east coast of Sicily says Arancini– and the Palermo side says Arancine. I will let you fight it out– with whatever name they are so worth making! Arancini or Arancine fried rice balls; looking like small oranges. An arancia is orange in Italian. They are probably the most iconic Sicilian street foods. We had…
Charcutepalooza- First project- Duck Prosciutto- DONE
I came home from my pizza workshop in Rome with Gabriele Bonci and the first thing I did was to check the duck breasts!!! They have been hanging under the attic and were not ready when I left. They were PERFECT. I adore learning new tricks and the challenges from the Charcutepalozza will be a …
Cooking Cardoons- Marisa’s Polpette
From emails I get from my blog readers and on FB, I see cardoons are getting easier to find in America. Cardoons are cousins with artichokes, looking more like celery, but tasting like artichoke hearts. What’s not to love? When I was at Paola’s,my ortolana (vegetable vendor), in town; she had huge fabulous long cardoons…