italian food

Strichetti with Prosciutto, Arugula and Tomatoes

Strichetti with Prosciutto, Arugula and Tomatoes, American Sfoglino cookbook, Photography by Eric Wolfinger.

In this debut cookbook from Evan Funke, he shares classic techniques from his Emilia Romagna training and provides accessible instructions for making his award winning sfoglia (sheet pasta) at home. With little more than flour, eggs, and a rolling pin, you too can be a sfoglino (a pasta maker) and create traditional Italian noodles that are perfectly paired with the right sauces.

Beginning with four foundational doughs, American Sfoglino takes readers step by step through recipes for a variety of generous dishes, from essential sauces and broths, like Passata di Pomodoro (Tomato Sauce) and Brodo di Carne (Meat Broth) to luscious Tagliatelle in Bianco con Prosciutto (Tagliatelle with Bacon and Butter) and Lasagna Verde alla Bolognese (Green Bolognese Lasagna).

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Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Meatballs in Tomato Sauce, Gregg’s Italian Family Cookbook, Gregg and Anna Wallace, Photography by James Murphy

Gregg Wallace has fallen in love with Italian cuisine. Along with his wife Anna, and a little help from her Italian parents, he has created a simple Italian cookbook so we can all enjoy traditional Italian cuisine at home.

For Italians, food is not just about recipes, it’s a way of life. It’s about making time for each other, forgetting work and worries, and enjoying tasty, satisfying meals. Gregg and Anna share the dishes they have explored, laughed and argued about with their family, from vitello tonnato to orecchiette and crespelle to veal chops, bagna cauda and bowls of vongole. Brought to life through stunning photography in the Tuscan countryside and buzzing food markets, you’ll discover traditional recipes, cooked the authentic Italian way.

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Six-Foot Sub Baguettes

Photography by Linda Pugliese

The Executive Editor of SAVEUR magazine, author Stacy Adimando draws from her Italian heritage and her love of Italy’s traditional abundant antipasti spreads to create 75 recipes for easy, generous plates and platters meant for grazing and sharing.

Organized by season and ranging in size from bites—such as Stuffed Mussels with Bacon and Garlic Breadcrumbs, Baby Root Vegetables with Vinaigrette, and Prosciutto and Pecorino Biscuits—to larger platters, like Baked Squash with Chile Oil and Crispy Seeds, Thinly Sliced Tuscan Pork Loin, and White Clam Pizzas with Scallion and Bacon, these are generous dishes to serve to family and friends for gatherings of any kind. (more…)

Cookbook Review: Rao’s Classics

Rao’s is the legendary, tiny corner restaurant in East Harlem where it’s impossible to book a table: each of the red-checked, cloth-covered four-, six-, and two-tops is reserved for a titan of New York industry, a celebrity, or a major politician. Permanently. Now Frank Pellegrino, the third generation of his family to operate the impossible-to-get-into Rao’s restaurant in East Harlem and founder of Rao’s food products line, goes deep into the history of his family, the restaurant, and America’s love affair with Southern Italian cooking to create Rao’s Classics cookbook.
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"Birthday Month" – Italians do it better!

Basil. Roasted tomato. Garlic. Walk into Parma Ravioli and the smells of Italia assault your senses. There’s a flurry of activity in the open kitchen. Cooking, chopping, baking. Rolling dough, stuffing pasta, simmering sauces. Man this place is cool!

I was psyched when my friend brought me to Parma for lunch on account of my bday. Nice! One of the sweet features of Parma is their express lunch counter. I indulged in a chicken parm sandwich. Pretty much the best I’ve ever had.

I work near Parma. I’ve been there a million times and will be back a million more. Their pastas are awe-inspiring, probably cause they’re made right on site. Need some assistance with dinner? Take away their fresh pastas and sauces or try their ready made dishes. Asparagus and Mascarpone and Goat Cheese and Butternut Squash are two of my favourite pastas. Apparently they do catering. If anyone is listening, maybe for next year, how awesome would it be to have a Parma catered CFD birthday lunch? Way awesome.

Although I intended this post to be more about my bday outing I couldn’t help but give a shout-out to a very deserving establishment. Thanks friend for springing for lunch and for remembering my birthday. And thanks Parma for another great meal. I’ll see you again soon.