Boarded a brand new plane @ JFK on Alitalia saturday evening. Arrived yesterday morning in Rome with no hitches, on time. The weather is gorgeous. 20 C, nice breeze, plenty of sun. The scotch broom is in full bloom as are the roses. I forgot how beautiful life is here. My neighbors have watched over [...]
Author Archives: Gerri
Pizza Rustica
April 17, 2011 – 8:03 am
PIZZA RUSTICA YIELDS: 9 INCH SPRINGFORM PIE Everything about this deep-dish cake-like pie is rustic. There are as many versions for this food as there are Italians, however, the common thread is a two-crusted torta –pie filled with basket or ricotta cheese, various dried salumi, cured ham (prosciutto), bound with eggs and baked. It can [...]
IRISH RECIPES WITH AN ITALIAN ACCENT
March 9, 2011 – 6:03 pm
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, Italian Style Is it any wonder that Cucina della Terra would choose some deliciously fresh shellfish to create an Irish recipe with an Italian accent? Una faccia, una razza,.” Or, “one face, one race,” which couldn’t be closer to the truth, when you’re considering the striking similarities between Ireland and Italy. The [...]
WINTER SOUP FOR AN ITALIAN PANTRY
February 13, 2011 – 7:50 pm
Kale & White Bean Soup Makes 6 servings Ingredients 1 tablespoon diced pancetta 1 cup ¼ inch diced onion, peeled 1 cup ¼ inch diced celery, peeled 1 cup ¼ inch diced carrot, peeled Pinch salt & pepper 1 can (450 grams) canned cannellini beans 4 cups chopped lacinato (a variety) kale 1 qt chicken stock [...]
SALAD SPINNERS
January 17, 2011 – 7:41 am
Salad Spinners Walking along Madison Square Park I noticed IGUZZINI blazoned on the windows of 40 Madison. I’ve loved Guzzini products since the ‘80’s when I used some of their stylish line of clear lucite in my business catering to fashion designers and corporate entities. Today, I love the Guzzini salad spinners. I use them [...]
EASY HOLIDAY COOKING
December 15, 2010 – 7:45 pm
Are you prepared for the meals & entertaining blitz that’s around the corner? My sister Patricia is great as a stylist, but when it comes to the kitchen, I have to put her on kitchen clean-up duty. Here are some great tips to help you avoid that frazzled feeling that makes you want to head to [...]
Italian White Wines ?
November 19, 2010 – 10:42 pm
There’s more to Italian wine than Tuscan reds and Pinot Grigio. A few weeks ago I was out to dinner at Oevo, a comfortable Italian restaurant in Great Neck, New York serving some delicious Italian food that is both honest and tasty. As I was looking over the wine list, I noticed a familiar wine [...]
At the “Mercato” in Castiglione del Lago
June 15, 2010 – 6:18 am
Every Wednesday morning, I climb up a stone stairway. At the top, trucks line outside the walls of Castiglione del Lago snaking up into the centro storico along Via Vittorio Emanuele, the main drag. Everything from the best local & regional fruits, vegetables, and plants to inexpensive cotton towels, cheap socks, tee shirts, shoes and [...]
Italian Cooking Class, Pasta
March 15, 2010 – 4:50 pm
For those who think homemade pasta is a burden, take a look at this. It’s monday night. I just came home from work. There are four things in my kitchen that will make a meal tonight with very little work. They are: malfatti, which means badly cut pasta but in fact are leftover cuttings from [...]
Italian Cooking Class, Pasta
March 7, 2010 – 8:00 pm
I love making fresh pasta and I love eating it. My freezer is kept stocked with my favorite homemade sauces: bolognese, duck ragu, wild boar ragu, and tomato sauce. At any time, I can whip up a batch of pasta either by hand or with a Kitchen Aid. I roll it out immediately on the [...]