Ahhhhh, Pasta Pomodoro….So simple yet so delicious! I will always remember when I was new to Italy and trying so hard to cook the complicated dishes and sauces and struggling to do things the Italian way.
Actually, it’s not hard or expensive to make sushi at home and there is a million different ways to make it. You can make it in a roll using Nori (Seaweed) or you can just form the rice in your hand using plastic wrap and squeezing your hand into a fist. In the second way you don’t need Nori. It can be as simple as laying a piece of smoked salmon on top of the sushi rice and enjoying along with some soy sauce and wasabi!
Focaccia is the delicious flat bread that comes to us from Liguria region, the same place that we get Pesto! This bread is best served warm from the oven and can be served as an antipasta course or with your meal. Everytime I have made it here in Italy my Italian guests are delighted and dive in exuberantly!
Zucchini and Pumpkin flowers are a favorite “flavor” here in Italy. I see pizza’s with zucchini blossoms and anchovy, there are fritters with zucchini flowers, I even see pasta and frattata adorned with the bright yellow flowers.
This is Classic Italian Ragu, the “Saturday Sauce”, the slow cooked traditional meal for lunch with family on the weekend. It’s served with Tagliatelle, not spaghetti and it doesn’t have garlic, basil or oregano.
This is a recipe that came as a direct result of the 2020 Quarantine. We found ourselves at home without hope of eating the “Cornetto” and Cappuccino that we had become so accustomed to on Saturday morning. So on our Anniversary morning I was thinking what I could make for Jeff that was special.
This is such a simple recipe, I learned it before the quarantine started when friends could still stop by and whip up an informal lunch together. My friends Davide and Giulia came by and wanted to prepare lunch for us. We stopped by the little local market before heading home, Giulia perused the pasta isle carefully, looking for the perfect pasta.
The other day I saw a post from a friend, she was eating an Éclair, and I thought, “Wow! It’s been a long time since I have made Cream Puffs….” of course Éclairs and Cream Puffs are made of the same Choux Pastry but did you know that Mexican Churros and British Yorkshire Pudding are also creations made from Choux pastry? All of these pastries sound quite exotic, foreign and difficult but actually they are not hard to make at all.
I am sorry for all of the other cakes in the world, but German Chocolate Cake is my favorite. It has been for a long time. I love the creamy carmel taste of the frosting with coconut and nuts. I think it is supposed to be with pecans but I always make it with walnuts.
(India Spiced creamed spinach with Feta)
If you are planning an Indian food night at home, I recommend making Pumpkin Coconut Curry Lentils, Butter Chicken , Vindaloo Beef, Basmati Rice and the perfect side kick is Spinach Saag. It’s the perfect compliment to round out your menu,
