We’ve officially fallen in love with the aperitivo ritual this summer, that is to say, enjoying a light cocktail before dinner on the weekdays and lunch on the weekend.  And while our go to aperitivo has been the Americano (and when we’d like something with a bit more alcohol content the Negroni), with any good food and drink you eventually […]

Cook to Blog or Cook to Live and Enjoy Life? When we cook and have friends and family over the last thing we want to do is document the process (and take photos).   This may sound sacrilegious coming from a food blogger, but it’s the truth.  For us, preparing and consuming food is not about pictures and words but rather about eating […]

Our classic Fried Peppers, Potatoes, and Onions recipe would feel right at home in either Leonia, NJ (United States) or Bagnara Calabra, Calabria (Italy); that is to say, it’s neither Italian American or American Italian, rather an Italian dish that can be made anywhere. Fried Peppers, Potatoes, and Onions pair well with a grilled pork chop, pan sauteed swordfish or chicken […]

Recently we’ve been swept up by the best sport competitions on the planet, including the ongoing  European Soccer Championship.  We’ve been following the Azzurri (translated as the blue shirts or color of the sky) otherwise known as the Italian national soccer team.  The European Soccer Championship, held every four years, is a qualifying tournament comprised of the best national teams […]

European Soccer Championship, Aperitifs, Italian Beer, Salt, and Homemade Lemon Dish Soap European Soccer Championship 2012 – Every 4 years the very best soccer teams in Europe hold their own tournament to determine the national champion of Europe.  And to many in the soccer community the Euro Soccer Championship eclipses the Word Cup as the most important soccer event on […]

Here’s a very simply string beans with garlic recipe that pairs very well with any meat or fish.  We flavor our string beans with minced garlic but you can also add thinly sliced almonds, tomato, etc. Ingredients: 1 pound of string beans with the ends removed Kosher salt Extra virgin olive oil 3 garlic cloves, minced very well Freshly ground […]

Travel to any home in Southern Italy during the summer months and one dish will stand out as universal; namely, the mighty, yet simple, tomato salad.  During our extended stay in Calabria we consumed tomato salad after tomato salad and never tired of the ripe tomatoes (grown from heirloom seeds), sweet basil, Cipolle di Tropea (famous red onions from Tropea), and […]

Here’s our homemade spinach pasta recipe made with semolina and white flour.  The end product is a terrific fresh spinach fettuccine pasta ideally served with good butter and lots of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Ingredients: 2 cups of semolina flour (we used a very good Pastificio Vicidomini semolina flour from the excellent online shop Olio2go) 1 cup of all purpose flour 1 cup of […]

Hario Slim Mill, Clever Coffee Dripper, and Bodum Bistro Glass Mug: Three Ways to Improve Your Drip Style Coffee Having studied human cognition formally as a student and also worked as a human factors and usability expert some folks have claimed I have an understanding of what makes good product design.  My thinking on the aforementioned: I’m just a picky […]

When one thinks of meatballs there’s an immediate association with big, densely packed, mounds of beef swimming in a thick tomato sauce.  And while meatballs with tomato sauce have their place in both Italian American and Italian cuisine, the following recipe for delicately made and fried meatballs with provola will change your idea of the prototypical meatball. Ingredients: 1/2 pound of ground pork 1/2 […]