Travel to any home in Southern Italy during the summer months and one dish will stand out as universal; namely, the mighty, yet simple, tomato salad.  During our extended stay in Calabria we consumed tomato salad after tomato salad and never tired of the ripe tomatoes (grown from heirloom seeds), sweet basil, Cipolle di Tropea (famous red onions from Tropea), and […]

  The Prickly Pears, or Fichi d’India,  of Calabria  I’ve traveled to Calabria on many occasions (both as a child and adult) and the landscape continually amazes me.  The startling changes in elevation, for example, travelling on the numerous, via Nazionale,  switchbacks from Bagnara Calabra on the coast to Pellegrina in the hills is mind blowing.   And One’s line of vision is intersected […]

(photo: grilled eggplant with herbs, garlic, vinegar, and extra virgin olive oil or melanzane arrostite) Eggplant is consumed en mass in southern Italy and you see melanzane as a parmigiana, of course, pickled in olive oil and vinegar, slowly roasted and simmered for pasta alla norma, and my favorite preparation grilled with herbs, garlic, and vinegar.  

There are certain foods that stimulate the brain like a night in downtown Tokyo (with it’s neon glitter and masses of humanity).  For us, stockfish or pesce stocco, the native Calabrian dish (specifically from the region around Cittanova) triggers tremendoud food memories of my grandmother Rosa and her basement kitchen in New Jersey. Pesce stocco, the dried not salted cod fish, […]

(photo: Wild Fennel Seed (Semi di Finocchietto Selvatico) from Sicilia; you can use the seed as is or crush it via a mortar and pestle for savory and sweet dishes) Wild fennel, or Finocchietto Selvatico, can be found throughout most parts of southern Italy and is part of the staple diet for many Calabrians, Sicilians, etc.  My father tells romantic stories of foraging for wild […]

  I have to admit that I’m sucker for zucchini.  I like the clean taste of zucchini when added to soups, made into a risotto, or grilled with good extra virgin olive oil and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.  My preference for zuchhini, however, is not shared with many southern Italians and I was especially surprised to find the great disdain for zuchhini or squash (at […]

(photo: an old door in Pellegrina, Italy)   There’s a certain comfort in all things deemed old: Old homes, old devices, old parts, old countries, old texts, old people, old trees, old clothes, old friends, etc.  The old can be defined as something not made or experienced recently and having a history (or story) or emotive quality.  An old friend […]

  (photo: Femminello lemons grown in Calabria) The summer months always call attention to the misunderstood lemon.  Most folks use lemon in the summer months to squeeze on fish, make lemonade, and in their favorite cocktail.  And the Eureka and Lisbon varieties grown in the US (mostly in California and Arizona) are great for the aforementioned tasks.  Prior to the beginning of […]

One of the biggest fallacies in the Italian culinary world is centered on the idea that Italians do not eat dessert.  Italians do, in fact, enjoy dessert and the items consumed range from creamy gelato to luxurious cakes and icy granita to mind blowing cookies.  Here are some irresistible photos, including gelato, pastries, cookies, and granita – all scrumptious Italian desserts!

To say that bread is an important part of day-to-day life in Italy would be an understatement.  In fact, it’s more likely that the Italian political and economic system will be reformed over the next couple of years than it is that Italians will change their longstanding relationship with pane or bread.   Most modern Italians still buy artisanal bread […]