For sheer flavor punch — and kitchen economics — you can’t beat pickled ingredients. From pickles to olives to capers, a little goes a deliciously long way! And if you’re looking to create contrasting flavors, you can’t go wrong pairing a savory pickled ingredient with a creamy rich one, like cheese with olives or sour [...]
Few classic Italian dishes are as easy to prepare as pasta carbonara: it’s simply hot noodles tossed with crispy bacon, fresh eggs (the freshly cooked noodles cook the egg), and oftentimes Parmesan cheese. I can’t think of a more elegant crowd-pleaser. Who doesn’t like bacon? Unfortunately, though, when I recently had a hankering for carbonara, [...]
Continue reading about Four Ingredients, and You’ve Got Dinner
It’s August, and gardens are in full swing! Whether you have tomatoes or beans or broccoli or peppers, this quick salad is a great way to make use of whatever you have on hand. And to add a classic touch, how about tossing it with some fresh mozzarella and torn-up pieces of toasted tortilla? It’s [...]
Continue reading about A Mexican-Italian Twist on Bread Salad
From tortillas to naan to crepes, every culture has its favorite flatbread. (As opposed to risen, rounded breads.) One of my favorite flatbreads is whole-corn tortillas. While crepes are delightfully supple and soft, tortillas become magnificently crunchy after a few minutes on the stove — just heat in a dry skillet over medium heat for about two [...]
Continue reading about The Secret to Thin-Crust Pizza: Tortillas
Recently, I was introduced to a West Coast singer/songwriter who — along with being an inspired and inspiring artist and entertainer — is also a proponent of gluten-free cuisine. Chris Levy’s band is called “Son of Levi” in honor of his father, and his album “Always” was released earlier this year. (You can check out [...]
This is a tale of two culinary possibilities: turning a classic pasta dish into a pizza of sorts and how to save your summer tomato surplus without having to resort to canning. I’m all for canning, mind you, but it’s a lot easier to throw something into a bag than can it. The fact that [...]
Thinking of Italy probably makes you think of pasta…and with good reason. But in many parts of Italy, pasta isn’t the preferred culinary co-star. Arborio rice — the kind used in the famed Italian risottos — isn’t always a front-runner, either. Polenta is. The Romans adored this simple corn-mash-turned-cake and ate it everywhere, from the [...]
Continue reading about An Ancient Roman Favorite in Modern Times
You can put whatever you want on top of a pizza and still have a “pizza.” Pies can have an infinity of fillings and still be “pies.” The name is all about the structural concept of the dish, not the details. Category dishes like pizzas and pies are fun to play with — although you [...]
Continue reading about Relocating Cilantro to an Italian Classic
When it comes to produce, I’m a big fan of the “two-fer” deals: you buy beets with the greens attached and you get two veggies for the price of one, you buy one papaya and get fruit + edible garnishing seeds for the price of one. Rapini (or broccoli rabe, as it’s often called) is [...]
