Here’s a simple chicken dish that I learned from my childhood next door neighbor Amelia who was originally from Genoa, Italy.  My mother prepared this dish at least once a weak during the winter months (my sister and I would jump with joy when we saw this dish at the dinner table).  Amelia had her own rosemary bush in her […]

Let’s do a straight recipe today – Italian Broccoli Bean Soup: Recipe: Italian Broccoli Bean Soup   Print Prep time 10 mins Cook time 1 hour 30 mins Total time 1 hour 40 mins   Cook: Vince from Scordo Recipe type: Soup Serves: 6-8 Ingredients 2 cloves garlic 1 medium onion Extra Virgin Olive Oil Broccoli (including peeled stems) Cranberry […]

I like to refer to Lasagna as the “secret weapon” pasta; that is to say, it’s easy to prepare, freezes well, and seems to be a perennial favorite (thus you can make and consume it often!).  And as Wisegeek.com suggests, the history of the name lasagna is also very interesting.  The word lasagna is derived from the Greek lasanon, which […]

(photo: the final dish including clams, parsley, garlic, olive oil, and red pepper flake) The following linguine with clam sauce recipe is basically pasta alio e olio (garlic and olive oil) with the addition of minced clams (I like the brand “Snows”).  Note: you can use fresh clams but I recommend steaming the clams and shucking them, as opposed to […]

(photo: closeup of tortellini, broth, and chicken) Tortellini in Brodo represents everything Italian food ought to be; that is to say, simple, satisfying, and elegant. (photo: closeup of pasta and chicken) Here, then, is my recipe made with, mostly, chicken brodo and spinach tortellini.  Tortellini is also a pasta so this counts towards the Scordo Pasta Challenge – shape #145) (photo: […]

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 […]

Recently, we’ve developed quite the craving for hearty greens such as Swiss chard, red chard, bitter dandelions, kale, and escarole.  Maybe it’s a function of aging or my body telling me to eat less salumi and rice balls (arancini) and more naturally occurring, and unmanipulated, food types. Whatever the rationale, my craving has our home fridge stocked with fresh escarole.  […]

Back in August, we published a slightly unorthodox eggplant parmigiana recipe where I first roasted, mini or baby eggplant, (these are usually smaller versions of the generic eggplant found in most US supermarkets) and thereafter covered with tomato sauce, grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, and baked.  The result was outstanding but not as cheesy and decadent as the more classic, Italian American, version […]

In honor of National Sandwich Day here are two of my favorite egg sandwiches as well as a guide to Italian cured meats and how to make your own roasted peppers.  Enjoy the day and make a sandwich for dinner tonight! Fried Egg Sandwich with Provola: Next to salumi, the fried egg (with a runny warm, runny, yoke) makes the […]

We covered lots of food here on Scordo, including some not so healthy, everyday type of, dishes or recipes (salami, cheese, fried rice balls, etc.).  In turn, I’ve searched the archives of the site and found 9 Healthy, Italian Inspired, Recipes that you can make every week and feel both satisfied and good about what you’re putting into your body (and […]