Wild Food I remember walking through the Calabrian countryside with my grandfather as a boy when he suddenly feel to his knees and plucked a few pieces of what I thought was simple green grass from the ground. I, of course, thought he was just being his usual pazzo (crazy) nonno,but what he found were dandelion greens, prized for their earthy, minerally, and […]

(photo: completed pesto sauce in a bowl made from the famous ceramic factories in Bagnara Calabra) Chitarra is similar to spaghetti, but with squared edges. It was once cut on guitar strings, hence its unique name.  Here’s a great link to a “guitar pasta maker“ (photo: Chitarra with pesto and a glass of Pinot Noir from Chile <light years ahead […]

Fresh Basil Pesto Sauce Recipe Growing up in New Jersey I was surrounded by people from all over the world; on my block alone I remember families from Italy, Egypt, Lebanon, England, Spain, etc.; needless to say, the aroma of food hovered on our small block like haze hovers over Los Angles. One of my favorite food smells came from my […]