Leave the beautiful region of Calabria and travel north to the much beloved Tuscany or Toscana and you’ll find biroldo or sanguinaccio – a traditional blood-based salumi.  Biroldo is a pork blood sausage and you’ll often find it infused with raisins, pine nuts and cinnamon or flavored with fennel (blood sausage is also referred to sanguinaccio in many part of […]

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 […]

Let’s face it, without the many ethnic groups now a permanent part of the US fabric we’d all be living in a pretty bland and sterile environment.   Specifically, immigrants are at the heart of American life and they are what make our country so special.  If not, for example, the culinary traditions of recent immigrants to the United States we’d […]

(photo: diced up and waiting for the pan!) UPDATE: 4/2/10 Annelle Williams is the winner!  Contest is now closed! I’ve written on virtues of salumi, but to my surprise I haven’t waxed philosophically on sausage – that other ideal representation of the almighty pig. Italian Sausage, as it’s referenced in the States, is often grilled, used in stuffings, soups and […]