Here is one of my first FB live cooking classes making a traditional Spinach and Ricotta Flan,a sformata.They are commonly made with a base of bechamel instead of the ricotta. In Tuscany, we have such lovely ricotta and it is used in many ways, Crespelle alla Fiorentina, Ravioli Gnudi or a Torta Pasqualina. On this…
Market Day Menu: Chickpeas and Beets
Creating a market day menu for me is like being on one of those cooking shows every time I shop. In my own village, Certaldo, we have our large weekly market on Wednesday. They bring it all in, not just food. This is like the mall coming to you, you can get almost anything you…
The Joy of Cookies- Zaletti
As I was baking these Zaletti cookies from Venice last night for a friend of mine Monica from Cook in Venice, for an interview she did with me, I realized that baking is really one of the best therapies which brings me joy. It has been a tough winter, my husband has some medical problems…
Amici Miei- Gabriele Ferron [Risotto]
Non-stir risotto I first met Gabriele Ferron of the Antica Pila Vecia while shopping at the Mercato Centrale in Florence where he was visiting market vendors who sell his rice. He returned with me to my kitchen to cook the rice, showing me his risotto tricks. He said, “Don’t stir my rice. It is too delicate.”…
Feast of the Seven Fishes- Cacciucco
I have heard from so many of my Italian American friends about the Feast of the Seven fishes for Christmas Eve, but no one in Florence has ever heard about it. Like many Italian American traditions, they came with the immigrants and found new life in the USA. Regional Italian cooking, would trace that recipe…
Comfort Food- Bollito Misto
This recipe was from my old website as part of a newsletter for Andrea’s Xmas Dinner. My husband loves tradition and this is one that also saves me time and takes very little actual cooking time to prepare and feeds us for several meals. This is true comfort food. For Christmas we serve tortellini…
Ballotte-Stewed Tuscan Chestnuts
When the chestnuts come out you know the temperature has gotten chilly and we have broken out the down comforter, put the mattress heater on the bed (called scaldasogno) and turned the heat on in the house. The grapes have been harvested and driving past the wineries you can get drunk smelling the wine fermenting….
Amatriciana for Amatrice- #virtualsagra (updated)
One of Italy’s most famous sauce, Amatriciana, originated in Amatrice, a small town in Lazio famous for the pasta dish, made using guanciale. The 50th anniversary sagra, food festival, was to be held this weekend. Amatrice no longer exists. Hopefully it can be rebuilt. Usually they move the towns. The earthquake on August 24th leveled…