Growing up as an Italian American boy on the periphery of New York City, iced espresso or Caffe Shakerato was a rite of passage, at least for the Italian natives on our New Jersey block.  My mother, specifically, would prepare a large carafe of sugary espresso and place it in the freezer to develop a slushy consistency.  Thereafter, the fancy glasses would […]

(photo: a piece of Italian Gorgonzola or blue cheese that I used with our basic salad dressing recipe) Condition Yourself to Love the Foods You Hate I’m always surprised when folks tell me they don’t like a particular food or ingredient such as cilantro, baby goat, rabbit, blue cheese or Gorgonzola, etc.  When I ask folks why they don’t like a […]

The simple tomato bruschetta is my go-to dinner party appetizer because it’s easy to prepare and universally accepted as looking and tasting great. Our simply recipe includes: Ingredients and Process: Finely diced ripe tomatoes (Roma, Plum, or San Marzano varieties are best) Finely diced red onion Very good extra virgin olive oil Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper Dried oregano Shredded basil. […]

(photo: courtesy of Dr. K., notice the great exterior crust and color) Dr. K.’s Bread Baking and Some Detail Behind the Recipe It’s been a while since we featured a guest post from our good friend Dr. K who’s wowed us in the past with bread recipes such as Whole Wheat Pita and Coccodrillo Ciabatta.  In turn, we’re delighted to […]