So, I was all set to fry up a batch of chicken cutlets (which our family was going to consume with a crispy and acidic salad) when, lo and behold, I discovered we had no breadcrumbs in our pantry!  While I panicked my wife suggested I do something with the can of artichoke hearts sitting next to our empty container of breadcrumbs. […]

We’re going to cover the Top Italian Delis, Markets, and Specialty Shops in New Jersey with an emphasis in North Jersey, for a list of the best shops in New York City, see Gourmet’s excellent article. When folks find out we publish articles on authentic Italian recipes and food and live in the New York metropolitan area the inevitable question follows: can […]

Barley risotto is prepared in the same fashion as risotto made with arborio rice or any one of the numerous short grain rices found in Italy (e.g., carnaroli).  Barley is slightly more crunchy than arborio or carnaroli short grain rice (yet just as creamy though more nutty in flavor) and requires a longer cooking time.  Barley is a whole grain and […]

I like to think of Sea Bass as the chicken breast of the sea.  That is to say, sea bass has a mild and clean flavor and is suitable for many dishes and preparations.   Sea Bass differs from Mediterranean sea bass (branzino), black sea bass, and stripped sea bass in that it’s actually mislabeled; sea bass is  “drum” fish as Chilean sea bass […]

Onions are near and dear to my heart mostly because one of the most famous variety on the planet (Tropea red onions) are grown near my parents home province of Calabria.  Tropea red onions are sweater than other red onions grown in Calabria because of the sandy soil and mild, beach, climate near the shoreline in Eastern Calabria.  One of […]

One of our favorite ways to enjoy a perfectly, pan fried, chicken cutlet is with a great salad.  In fact, we often place our salad right on top of our chicken cutlet and let our homemade vinaigrette penetrate into the crust of the cutlet – leading to a great combination of crunchy bread coating, steamy and moist chicken, and acidic/extra virgin olive oil flavors […]

If you travel to any panificio or bakery in Italy (and even some State side establishments) you’re bound to run across pizzette or bite-sized little pizzas with a variety of simple toppings.  Pizzette are made with a simple tomato sauce and high quality extra virgin olive oil including the same toppings you’ll find on most pizzas.   Most Italian bakeries make […]

How I Learned to Cook Italian Food and Creative Cooking Like most Italians I learned to cook by watching my mother and grandmother prepare food in their home kitchens. And both woman cooked dishes that were driven by what their mothers cooked at home (and, if I had to guess, this tradition of learning how to cook at home goes […]

Growing up in a southern Italian household in the United States, polenta wasn’t standard dinner or lunch fare; in fact, corn hardly made an appearance at our kitchen table.   Fast forward about 20 years and we can’t wait for the Fall season to come around so we can prepare a bit pot of steamy polenta flavored with wild mushrooms […]

We’re big fans of the classic eggplant pasta dish pasta alla norma but when we have a big appetite and are craving a pasta dish that is slightly more substantive we turn to our Eggplant Bolognese recipe prepared with large rigatoni. Eggplant Bolognese is a meal in and of itself and combines delicate pieces of fried eggplant with satisfying ground beef and tomato […]