| 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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(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.
(photo: simple roasted potatoes <patate al forno> with sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, and plenty of extra virgin olive oil) Italians love their roasted potatoes or patate al forno. In Italy, most home cooks produce a variation of roasted potatoes based on their particular region. My favorite versions include using plenty of herbs (sage, rosemary, fennel seed, etc.) and [...]
Fried Peppers (Peperonata) are an Italian American staple and for good reason; they are tasty, very versatile as a side dish, and straightforward to prepare. Our version can be made with friarelli (at times refereed to as green frying peppers) or standard bell peppers. If you opt for the ladder, red and yellow bell peppers tend to be sweeter in flavor. Moreover, [...]
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: simple roasted potatoes that have been thinly sliced, pre-cooked, and topped with a standard, homemade, Italian breadcrumb) This simple, satisfying, potato side dish compliments fish, chicken, and beef and requires very little preparation. Ingredients: 3 large red skin or Yukon gold potatoes (sliced <roughly> to 3/16th of inch thickness) Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup of extra virgin [...]
Stuffed pasta, of any variety, is adored in Italy and it is served on special occasions and on ordinary Sundays. Stuffed pasta includes ravioli, tortellini, lasagna, cannelloni, manicotti, etc. The Cannelloni with Beef (Cannelloni di Manzo) , and/or minced beef recipe below is a variation on the traditional cannelloni with ricotta / cheese recipe. Cannelloni with Beef (Cannelloni di Manzo) [...]
(photo: courtesy of JS, completed monkfish braciola) One of our favorite TV food personalities is Jacques Pépin. We enjoy and appreciate Jacques’ culinary skills, love for European cuisine, and on-air modesty. In fact, beyond the great cooks in our family, Jacques Pépin is the cook we’ve often tried to emulate (although our cuisine is firmly situated in the Italian tradition).
(photo: baked salmon with parsley, lemon juice, onion, and garlic). This is a very simple recipe and takes advantage of a wonderful species of fish; that is, salmon. If you can find, and afford, wild salmon then use it but well managed, farm raised, salmon has an appealing fatty component that most consumers enjoy over the wild variety. Both farmed [...]
There are hundreds of variations on the popular dish cacciatore or alla cacciatora (or in the style of the hunter, in Italian), including chicken, rabbit, and capretto (baby goat) cacciatore. Most versions of the dish include herbs, onions, tomatoes, mushrooms and a braising liquid such as white or red wine (and/or water). Chicken Cacciatore (Pollo alla Cacciatora) Print Prep time 14 [...]
The sweet potato is a tropical plant and was brought to Italy by Columbus via South America. Today, the plant is grown in our home state of New Jersey as well as Japan, parts of Russia, and, of course South America. I’m a big fan of sweet potatoes and we use them in our (via Dr. K.) homemade ravioli, though [...]
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