The following is a guest post from our friend and loyal fan, Dr. K.  Click here for all of Dr. K.’s guest posts. You don’t have to be an Italian or of Italian descent to recognize the heralded position that the tomato holds in the pantheon of Italian cuisine.  But without some careful planning, it is not possible for most […]

(photo: lovely friends are rare in life, lovely friends who give you heirloom tomatoes are the equivalent of Saints; thank you Dr. K.)  One of the loveliest times of the year for individuals enamored with food here in the northeastern section of the United States is late August because, amongst other fruits and vegetables, the tomato crop is in full swing.  Here in New […]

One of the interesting culinary tidbits in Calabria is that most home cooks do not use their oven during the summer months given the intense weather.  The logic makes sense, however what does the dedicated cook do when s/he has a desire to make a baked dish?  Well, how about using your stovetop? Zia Giovanna used her stovetop to prepare a […]

(photo: fried potatoes with flat romano beans, garlic, and tomato paste) You may think that there’s not much of a connection between McDonald’s and rural Italian cuisine but the two modes of eating, however far apart, are connected by the fried potato.  While McDonald’s fried potatoes (or french fries) are comprised of: potatoes, vegetable oil (canola oil, hydrogenated soybean oil, natural beef […]

(photo: basil, parsley, and Japanese eggplant from our Italian garden in New Jersey) Back in August of last year we posted some photos of our Italian American garden and we thought we’d share an updated series of photos from our current garden.  We recently harvested Japanese eggplant, flat green beans, basil, parsley, arugula, and chili peppers.     With the basil […]

(photo: close up of a few Villa Cappelli sun dried tomatoes in olive oil) One of the most important aspects of a product claiming to, in fact, be “sun dried tomatoes” is that the tomatoes are indeed dried by the sun.  We’re so adamant about proper sun dried tomatoes because we produce our own variety cured in extra virgin olive […]

(photo: red and yellow peppers fried along side red onion and potatoes, including plenty of hot peppers) The region of Calabria, and the birthplace of my parents, is widely known for its variety of peppers, including the hot and sweet variety such as peperoni di Senise red peppers and corno di toro yellow peppers.  Calabria also boasts a reputation for […]

Spinach risotto is an ideal representation of what finely cooked Arborio or Carnaroli rice is all about, namely, creamy and buttery texture.  The spinach in the recipe below adds another layer of silky consistency and the green color emitted from the spinach makes this a beautiful dish, as well. You can serve spinach risotto as a starter or as a side to […]

One of the most popular side dishes in Calabria is String Beans Stewed in Tomato Sauce or Fagiolini in umido.  The key to this very simple recipe is a good basic tomato sauce and fresh green beans (broad beans work as well).  This dish is a variation of our fried potato and broad bean recipe.  String beans in tomato sauce […]

Eating Well Equals Eating Simply It’s easy to assume that folks who love food eat wonderfully rich, complex, and exotic foods all the time.  After all, even your Facebook friends post pics of the fanciful foods they’re currently eating and the likes of Anthony Bourdain, Mike Colameco, and Guy Fieri eat luscious plates of roasted meats, glistening noodles, and fried delicacies like […]