| Vincent Scordo is an Italian American who writes all about Italian food and life. He believes in the Italian Life for Everyone! >> |
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Amarena cherries are a product of the marvelous Emilia-Romagna region of Italy where other noteworthy products include tradizionale balsamic vinegar, Ferrari, culatello (the king of salumi), Parma ham, Parmigiano Reggiano, etc. Amarena cherries are harvested in the wild and known for having both a sweet and subtle bitter flavor, like many Amari drinks produced in Italy. The Amarena cherries we [...]
Italian Holiday and Winter Food Treats: Cherry Panettone, Cerignola Bomba Pugliese (Spicey Spread), Fig Syrup, and Frantoi Cutrera Extra Virgin Olive Oils The Christmas season is a wonderful time to celebrate food in Italy. In fact, almost every region of Italy produces holiday specific delicacies from special stuffed pastas to incredible desserts such as Panettone, Paneforte, and Torrone. One of our favorite holiday [...]
When folks find out we publish articles on authentic Italian recipes and food and live in the New York metropolitan area the inevitable question follows: can you give me a recommendation on a good Italian restaurant? The short answer is no and for several reasons: 1. we don’t believe our area (northern NJ) has many, if any, solid Italian restaurants (outside of [...]
Punt e Mes is an amaro-red (sweet) vermouth hybrid made by Carpano and the name means “point and a half” in the dialect from Turin. The legend goes that a man ordered a glass of red vermouth and half dose of bitters and Antonio Carpano’s bar. Punt e Mes is made with a variation of herbs and spices and [...]
Have you ever dreamed of being an Italian Count? You know, a fancy aristocrat with an ocean-side villa, a butler, and a few exotic Maserati’s and Ferrari’s in the “stable?” I have to admit I’ve had a few of these Italophile inspired dreams, but I’m quite happy living the Italian life in the US. There is one particular Italian Count [...]
(photo: our favorite Birra Moretti – the traditional lager) Just the other day I was having one of those peaceful moments informed only by the serene; including an unusually warm and sunny weather, a wonderful match featuring Juventas and Udinese, and a cold beer or birra. I was consuming Birra Moretti, the iconic Italian brew with the old man with [...]
(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 [...]
(photo: The lovely Taggiasca olive from Liguria in northwestern Italy) We often talk about the importance of the Italian pantry and how critical it is to have certain staple ingredients in your kitchen at all times. Keeping a well stocked pantry means you’ll never starve, order out, and be relegated to a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for dinner. Among the universal items we keep [...]
(photo: the highly prized white truffle – courtesy of Alma Gourmet) Truffle Primer One of my favorite aspects of visiting Italy in the Summer and Fall months is the abundance of festivals scattered throughout the country. In Calabria alone, for example, the summer months include food festivals focused on bread, salt cod, wild boar, eggplant, red chiles, potato, etc. [...]
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. Don’t get me wrong I’m not heading to the market every other day (like Nonna and Mamma did/do) but I usually reserve a mid week shopping trip to supplement my usually Saturday shopping [...]
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