It is no joke when I say that Spaghetti alla Puttanesca has a history almost as rich as the dish itself. Supposedly crafted in Southern Italy mid-20th century, the dish’s scandalous name has been credited to “women of the... Read More »
Peperoni with one "P" equals a pepper in Italy, but I know for a fact that when many Americans read this that they think of Pepperoni with two "P"s. Pepperoni is a dried salami (a dry sausage), an Italian-American treat,... Read More »
Capesante means "scallop" in Italian, but the word itself seems to have come from the Old French word escalope meaning "shell." Scallops were first mentioned in print in 1280, when Marco Polo wrote about scallops being one of... Read More »
Onions, although a pungent taste on their own they truly “hold their own” in adding significant flavor to many, many recipes. For Italians it is a basic. In Italy, they make food simple with quality; sometimes in America... Read More »
Wow, I had no idea upon looking up polenta’s past that it had such a long and rich history! Let’s start what polenta is---it is a thick porridge, best known for its preparation from cornmeal, though other grains (or... Read More »
This leafy green veggie that we call broccoli rabe in America is simply called rapini in Italy. It has a history of being long cultivated in the Mediterranean region and traditionally been popular in Italian cuisine. This... Read More »
Timpano. Somehow I believe this became popular in America via the 1996 movie “Big Night.” In Italy, they usually call timpano “timballo” but like all things in Italy the name, contents and “look” of the baked pasta... Read More »
Cavatelli is popular pasta in the Avellino province of Italy. It is a pasta with a rolled edge or you could say they look like small ridged dumplings. In America you can usually find them in an Italian specialty store... Read More »
One of Italy’s favorite primo dishes is risotto; and with good cause, as Italy has become Europe’s leading rice producer. As early back as 4000 BC rice was grown in India, and though it’s not known for sure how rice made... Read More »
Pasta al forno or oven baked pasta has a history all to its own. Meaning that although Italian cuisine usually brings with it many traditions and techniques that have been used for hundreds to thousands of years, with pasta al... Read More »
