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 […]

(photo:Italian durum wheat pasta made by Carlo) When it comes to reviewing Italian products we’re pretty blunt and we’ve, unfortunately, offended a few Italian product manufacturers with not so positive feedback.  In fact, when companies approach us to review already prepared products we often turn them away for fear of writing yet another negative review.  In turn, many of our favorite […]

Over the last few years there’s been renewed interest on the topic of what makes people happy (or happiness studies).  “Renewed” is probably the wrong word since humans have been chasing fulfillment and happiness since we picked up traits such as language, consciousness, and the need to write things down and keep records.  The interest in happiness I’m talking about […]

(photo: simply pork cutlet with cremini mushrooms, white wine, butter, and rosemary) Cutlets, or costolette in Italian, can be found in many food traditions around the planet, including French, Indian, Japanese, and, of course, Italian cuisines.  Cutlets can be made with veal/beef, chicken, pork, and even mutton.  Cutlets are usually prepared with a thin cut of meat and generally fried […]

  (photo: linguine fine with zucchini and red onion) It’s only fitting that after posting about cucina povera that our part of northern New Jersey is hit with yet another apocalyptic event; namely, a freakish snow storm in October causing hundreds of tree limbs to crumble under the weight of several inches of heavy precipitation.  Our small New Jersey town saw roofs collapsing, cars […]

Chestnuts are revered in Europe with the Mediterranean cultures particularly adamant about including the treasured nut in their diet. Chestnut eating in Italy has been glorified since ancient times and both Homer and Virgil mention chestnut trees and their cultivation near Rome beginning around 37 B.C. Today, Italian chestnuts, with their characteristic flattened side, come in many varieties but the […]

(photo: oven roasted broccoli with baked flounder with breadcrumb topping)   Like our recent orecchiette recipe this Italian style flounder recipe with roasted, spicy, brocolli can be prepared in under 30 minutes.  Moreover, the toppings used for both the fish and vegetable are nearly identical making this meal very easy to prepare.  A breadcrumb topping is a universal flavor enhancer that can […]

(photo: Orecchiette with broccoli rabe) Orecchiette is literally translated as “little ear” and the pasta is created by using the thumb to press down on the pasta dough to create a concave shape or disc.  Orecchiette originate from the southern Italian province of Puglia located on the “heel” of the boot.   I like orecchiette because the shape holds the condiment or sauce […]

  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 […]

After posting the above photo of Pasta with Cauliflower, Garlic, & Anchovy Sauce  my Calabrian born mother prepared on our Facebook fan page, we were overwhelmed with requests for the recipe.  So, without further qualification here’s a simple recipe for one of the easiest pasta dishes on the planet made with a staple vegetable in southern Italy: linguine (and/or capelli […]