Month: November 2011

Simple Italian Food: The Anatomy of a Dinner

Simple Italian Food: The Anatomy of a Dinner

  (photo: examples of simple Italian food: lentil soup, fennel and cucumber salad, and flounder with breadcrumb topping) We’re at a food crossroads in America and anyone who takes food seriously in the United States should consider themselves lucky to be living in today’s culinary world.  The food universe landscape in the United States is moving from the ultra bland […]

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Italian Onion Soup with Fontina and Thyme

Italian Onion Soup with Fontina and Thyme

(photo: courtesy of Dr. K.; from a clockwise position: raw onions, reduced onions, water added to reduced onions, onions prior to cooking, and finished product). When our die hard fan Dr. K. mentioned he tried a new recipe from Michael Ruhlman’s excellent new cookbook Twenty I was eager to hear which dish he attempted.  And when Dr. K. sent us photos […]

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What We’re Reading

What We’re Reading

(photo: a shot of espresso from the MyPressi Twist) Eater.com – I’m a big fan of having practical skills regardless of profession and education.  With the aforementioned in mind it’s a good thing to know how to butcher meat and the photos and content in Ryan Farr’s Whole Beast Butchery look great.   NY Times Dining and Wine – Only in America: the […]

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Pan Fried Skate with Pancetta and Red Onion Risotto

Pan Fried Skate with Pancetta and Red Onion Risotto

Pan Fried Skate with Pancetta and Red Onion Risotto One of my favorite ways to eat is to simply head to the market and pick out items that look fresh, tasty, and don’t break the bank (this week a particularly nice item was fresh Skate).  Don’t get me wrong I’m not heading to the market every other day (like Nonna […]

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La Bella Figura and an Italian Barber Shaving Kit Giveaway

La Bella Figura and an Italian Barber Shaving Kit Giveaway

Update: Contest closed; the winner has been notified.   Scordo.com has partnered with our friends over at ItalianBarber.com for a great giveaway, sorry ladies this one is geared towards men who can grow facial hair (but read on if you want to win a great gift for your boyfriend or husband!). ItalianBarber.com is run by two second-generation Italians who live via […]

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The Scrumptious Pantry: Durum Wheat Rigatoni and Farfalle,  Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and Sun-Dried Tomato Spread

The Scrumptious Pantry: Durum Wheat Rigatoni and Farfalle, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and Sun-Dried Tomato Spread

(photo:Italian durum wheat pasta made by Carlo) When it comes to reviewing Italian products we’re pretty blunt and we’ve, unfortunately, offended a few Italian product manufacturers with not so positive feedback.  In fact, when companies approach us to review already prepared products we often turn them away for fear of writing yet another negative review.  In turn, many of our favorite […]

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The Gracious Gourmet Spreads and Tapenades

The Gracious Gourmet Spreads and Tapenades

Over the last few years there’s been renewed interest on the topic of what makes people happy (or happiness studies).  “Renewed” is probably the wrong word since humans have been chasing fulfillment and happiness since we picked up traits such as language, consciousness, and the need to write things down and keep records.  The interest in happiness I’m talking about […]

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Pork Chops with Pan Roasted Mushrooms and Chicory greens (costolette di maiale ai funghi)

Pork Chops with Pan Roasted Mushrooms and Chicory greens (costolette di maiale ai funghi)

(photo: simply pork cutlet with cremini mushrooms, white wine, butter, and rosemary) Cutlets, or costolette in Italian, can be found in many food traditions around the planet, including French, Indian, Japanese, and, of course, Italian cuisines.  Cutlets can be made with veal/beef, chicken, pork, and even mutton.  Cutlets are usually prepared with a thin cut of meat and generally fried […]

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Linguine Fine with Zucchini and Red Onion (Linguine con Zucchine e Cipolla Rossa)

Linguine Fine with Zucchini and Red Onion (Linguine con Zucchine e Cipolla Rossa)

  (photo: linguine fine with zucchini and red onion) It’s only fitting that after posting about cucina povera that our part of northern New Jersey is hit with yet another apocalyptic event; namely, a freakish snow storm in October causing hundreds of tree limbs to crumble under the weight of several inches of heavy precipitation.  Our small New Jersey town saw roofs collapsing, cars […]

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