Torrone (literally translated as “big tower”) is a sweet nougat or confection and is usually comprised of honey, vanilla (at times orange), sugar, egg white, and toasted almonds or other nuts.  Torrone is made throughout Europe, but the regions of Cremona (in northern Italy) and Bagnara Calabra in Calabria are well known for the product, especially hard torrone. The candies […]

Oliva Schiacciate or Calabrian Cracked Olive Salad One of the great thrills in my life, if you haven’t noticed, is the simple ritual of preparing and eating food.  The preparing part fulfills me on a tactical kind of level; that is, finding the ingredients, thinking through how I’ll manipulate the products, and working with the food.  The eating part, well, […]

What is Cucina Povera? A friend recently asked me to explain the concept of cucina povera and here’s the working definition I came up with: A style of cooking best represented, in the past, by the lower class (read: peasants) of a given society.  Peasant cooking aims to utilize whatever is found in the kitchen, household, farm, etc. to prepare meals. […]

The Culture and History of Homemade Grappa Homemade Grappa is traditionally made from grape stalks, seeds and stems (essentially the remaining components of the wine making process) and has been around since the Middle Ages.  Grappa was understood very little outside of Italy until after the War when some mass production started to take place.   Like many Italians, my […]

(photo: by Piero Morello.  Children in Calabrian classroom.) One of the great appeals of living in a country like Italy is that daily life is truly enjoyed.  That is to say, a stroll by the sea, a day hunting with friends, or a simple prank in a classroom is seen as a form of fulfillment or happiness. The following photos […]

Young Scordo’s First Experience with Fennel Like most foods I love today, my first introduction to fennel was a catastrophe.  My mother recalls a Christmas Eve dinner back in 1981 when a young Scordo (viz., me) erupted in a temper tantrum to end all temper tantrums when it was suggested by an inebriated uncle that he try a piece of […]

Roasted Rabbit or Coniglio Con Pomodoro From a culinary perspective, I’m always surprised by what one culture finds appealing and another finds foreign and strange.  For example, in parts of Sicilia consuming raw snails is thought to fight gastrointestinal disorders and in Tuscany (and other parts of Italy) pork blood pie is prized (and it’s tied to the idea of […]

One of the nicest Italian rituals I continue to observe  is the “Sunday visit.”  The idea of the Sunday visit is centered on spending time with your family and friends, maybe consuming an espresso or aperitif, and celebrating a leisurely day without work or obligations.  I was exposed to the Sunday visit early on at my grandparent’s home, where we […]

(photo: cover of My Calabria) Authentic Calabria When I see or experience anything with a resemblance of Calabrian authenticity here in the United States I get very excited.   I had a wonderful experience stumbling across Mary Palmer’s very genuine, and heartfelt, cookbook Cucina di Calabria at a used book store during my college days.  Along the same lines, when I […]

You can tell that a country is serious about preserving food culture when they issue “protective status” labels for cheeses, meats, wines, etc.  Italy, for example has standards for wine (such as DOC or Denominazione di Origine Controllata; meaning that any particular wine from an officially recognized region of Italy must be produced in specific well-defined regions, according to specific rules […]