One day in mid May we had a bush fire very near our house, here in the hills of Itri, Italy. We were coming home from Rome and as we neared our town of Itri we got a call from a friend that lives nearby, he said “Are you guys ok? There is a lot of smoke coming from your hill.”
Oranges are the seasonal fruit of December and this bright crisp salad brings the happiness of sunshine to your winter table.
My Dad was not exactly known in our family for his cooking skills but he diligently stood watch over our outdoor BBQ since time memorial. I can still see him standing vigilant in front of the BBQ with smoke spilling out of the lid. He stood with his standard-issue “cut-off” jeans and a tank top, usually with a fly swatter in his hands or a squirt bottle to extinguish the flames. His two big contributions to my recipe repertoire are “Lemon Chicken” and Shish Kebab. Of course this should not undermine his huge contribution in handing down his Italian heritage to me and all of the love of cooking that came with it.
I made this dish during my teenage years, long before I knew how to make real Chili Rellenos (click on the link to get the Authentic Version). Since I learned the real ones, I have neglected this recipe and it fell into disuse, way in the back of of my mind with all of the dusty memories of old.
Every leading lady needs a good supporting actress and that’s what “Riced” Cauliflower is, a good supporting role. We love riced cauliflower with Kung Pao Chicken, Broccoli Beef, Ossobucco,Beef Vindaloo, Chicken Cacciatore and any other “Star” that needs a little side kick.
Mmmmm, Pumpkin Risotto! It was one of my first acquired recipes while living in Italy and one of my favorites! The Autumn, with its sunny days and cold nights is the perfect time to enjoy this Autumn vegetable while it warms your home and your family. Pumpkin Risotto is like eating macaroni and cheese, the color is orange and the texture creamy. The addition of butter and parmesan at the end adds that cheesy goodness that we all crave.
Autumn is gently rolling in and the late summer harvest of Pumpkins has arrived. I love when I start to see the pumpkins with their large spheres and pale pink skins start to show up at the farmers market. The pumpkins here are different than our American version that are orange skinned. The pumpkins in Italy have pale skin and dark orange interiors. They call them ‘zucca” and this is my favorite variety.
