Browsing Tag

gluten-free

Pesto Abruzzese

October 31, 2017
Pesto Abruzzese

Welcome to the October installment of Cucina Conversations! This month, we are talking about one of my favorite topics: preserving. I am still very much a canning and preserving newbie and have not yet ventured far into the endeavor, but the little I’ve done had me hooked from the start. The very first canning recipe I made was this beautiful and delicious Tropea onion jam from Domeinca Marchetti’s most recent cookbook, Preserving Italy. I returned straight back to Domenica’s lovely cookbook to make my contribution for this month’s recipe, pesto abruzzese. Preserving gets the spotlight mostly during the spring and summer months, […]

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Arugula Salad with Roast Beef and Parmigiano

October 5, 2017
arugula roast beef salad

Yesterday morning while enjoying my morning coffee, I opened Instagram to start scrolling through my feed. One of my favorite Instagram feeds belongs to Elizabeth Minchilli who lives in Rome. She frequently records Instagram stories about her daily life, always making sure to tag the establishments where she dines and shops. This, of course, makes sense since Elizabeth makes a living conducting tours, writing travel apps, and authoring books about where to eat and what to see in Italy. In short, she is an excellent resource if you are planning a trip to Italy, particularly Rome. Yesterday, in Elizabeth’s Instagram stories, […]

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Roasted Red Potatoes

May 12, 2017
roasted red potatoes

Hi friends! I know it’s been quiet around here for a while. Apart from the fact that I’ve always posted at a (very) slow pace, I also had to take a break from blogging to work on an exciting project that needed my full attention. Next month, I’ll be teaching a series of three hands-on Italian cooking classes at the Italian Cultural and Community Center here in Houston, where I am a member and volunteer. The radio silence here lately is due to the fact that I’ve been immersed in creating the menu for each class and now, I’m about […]

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Frittelle di Zucchine

March 24, 2017
frittelle di zucchine

A few weekends ago, we had our good friends Susie and David over for dinner. To accompany a few glasses of refreshing Aperol spritz’s, I made these frittelle di zucchine (zucchini fritters) for our appetizer. They are on heavy rotation in my kitchen for a variety of reasons: I can always find beautiful zucchine at the grocery store, and they are delicious left over and make a great snack or light lunch. The recipe for these frittelle comes from Lidia Bastianich’s newest cookbook, Lidia’s Mastering the Art of Italian Cuisine. You can never go wrong with any of Lidia’s recipes. Frittelle are part of Italy’s fritto misto (mixed fry) in which […]

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Rice-Stuffed Tomatoes

August 23, 2016
rice stuffed tomatoes

The last time Peter and I were in Rome, we rented an apartment on Via Caulonia just off of Piazza Zama in the IX Appio Latino neighborhood, a few blocks up the street from my zia Franca, who lived in an apartment on Via Centuripe. She has since moved into her late sister’s apartment in another neighborhood to be closer to her nieces and nephews, but her former neighborhood will always be one of my favorite areas of Rome. It’s home to the Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano and the catacombs of San Callisto, but it’s mainly a residential neighborhood with one apartment building after another […]

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