pumpkin gnocchi with sage, butter and parmesan With the crisp fall weather holding before the wet winter sets in,I am having a love affair with pumpkin. I am lucky to not have to buy whole pumpkins,but slices, as I need them. I find myself cooking pumpkin in many ways. So far I have done the grilled…
Tastes of Sicily- Pasta with Cauliflower
The markets are GREEN in Palermo this time of year Sicilian “green” cauliflower getting a ride Tuscan olives, usually picked green to press for oil Fall is in full swing as I returned to Tuscany from Sicily. I gave my neighbors some of my oil from Olio Verde they traded me some fresh olives to cure….
Pesto lasagna- to die for!
Todays food memory- Pesto Lasagna, San Fruttuoso near Camogli , Liguria Staying home for summer vacation is a real vacation for me. Time at the computer and watching the Olympics in my pj’s. Eating watermelon, plums, cantalope and grapes.Gorging on fruit; the flavors of the seasons. Thinking of past vacations and memorable meals. On a trip…
You say Tomato- I say Pomodoro
Reading Deb’s Tomato Fest on Martha Stewart’s Blog, Dinner Tonight, how could I not gather my Italian tomato recipes together in one place now that we are having a gut of tomatoes! So stopping by Margaret’s Way to the Garden Blog, I got the info on the Food Fest Party they are having weekly….
Can’t stand the heat?
My Tuscan-Russian Salad It is sooooooo hot here right now that it is almost impossible to even think about cooking, but one must eat, so I was inspired to create a cold New Tuscan Style- Russian salad. Insalata Russa was a classic when I first moved here, a vegetable salad bound together with at least a…
Gragnano Pasta- Stuffed Rigatoni
On our day trip to Gragnano, where one of the BEST pasta’s in Italy is made, our lunch was on a working farm. Driving past the village itself, I saw the factory for the Faella pasta company right in the main part of town. The pasta from Gragnano is famous not only because of the quality of the wheat…
The Secrets of Sugo -Tuscan Ragu
The True Test of Sugo, with Tuscan Bread In most Italian households, Sunday lunch is not just a meal, but a major eating event. No work on Sunday allows for the long leisurely lunches Italians are famous for.Slow-cooking potroasts, stews and meat sauces, called ragu, or here in Florence sugo,left simmering for hours on stovetops,…
Market leftovers- turnip greens
Saturday’s Turnips from the market, had such beautiful greens, I followed Roberto’s advice and cooked them twice. This is quite common for any leafy green in Tuscany. Overcooking by boiling in salted water, tenderizes even the toughest stems. Draining the greens and squeezing out all of the water and creating little balls is the base…