Carpaccio Where do names of dishes come from? Well, This is a painting by Vittorio Carpaccio, Venice, 1465-1525. Look at those vibrant reds. Red was a color depicting wealth. It was derived from a small bug which lives in a cactus, the cocciniglia, Dactylopius Coccus.In Florence, it is also used to color the liquore Alkermes which…
We Have a Winner- I Love San Marzano DOP
Congratulations to Denise Gudger! She sent in her family recipe for Carmela’s Eggplant Pie. I made the recipe and it is a keeper! It is like an eggplant parmigiana with sauted peppers and onions between the layers. A real celebration of Summer. Eggplants, Peppers and San Marzano dell’Agro Sarnese – Nocerino DOP . I made…
Simple Pasta Sauces- Penne Lisce Arrabbiata con Tuna
I was inspired to do a simple recipe by a fotograph taken of the panic in the local grocery stores around Italy with the Corona Virus scare. The circle is around the Penne Lisce pasta, obviously not a favorite with many people. Italians are fanatics about what sauce goes with what shape of pasta and…
Christmas Eve Salad from Naples- Insalata di Rinforzo
Happy Holidays! This Christmas Eve Salad is a new favorite in our house. Bringing a little Southern Italy into Tuscany. I can’t get enough cauliflower which is in season now, we have had it in so many ways. Baked, boiled, battered and roasted. The Markets are filled with such a variety. Have you seen the…
Feast of the Seven Fishes by Daniel Paterna |Book Review
I received a copy Feast of the Seven Fishes by Daniel Paterna to review for my site. As you know, I am not Italian American, but have been living now longer in Italy than I lived in the USA. In Italian years, I am 35. I always hear people complain when coming to Tuscany, that…
Market Recipes | Pork Filet from Massimo Manetti- Mercato Centrale
I opened my cooking school in front of Florence’s Mercato Centrale in 1988. I had moved here in 1984 and took 4 years to really learn the language and study the local cuisine. When I arrived here I was pretty much an Italian food virgin. Like many people, Italian food of the 80’s was more…
Italian Polpettone- Cooking like a Nonna
I didn’t grow up eating Italian food. My mom was raised in China so almost everything was seasoned with soy sauce and ginger. I taught myself American food using my Betty Crocker Cooking for Boys and Girls cookbook . One of my big successes was a meatloaf pie, using the recipe which was on the…
Panzanella – Why Tuscan bread is Saltless
One of the things everyone comments on in Tuscany is how tasteless the bread is. There is a reason, there is no salt in the dough. In the past, salt was a commodity. Florence bought their salt from Pisa. Pisa put a salt tax so high, that normal people couldn’t use salt for things like…