pasta

Spaghetti and Crabs

A hard-to-get reservation is prized among serious restaurant-goers, but a table limited to members only seems to be the Philadelphia diner’s Holy Grail. Palizzi Social Club is 100 years old this year in South Philly, but it was after chef Joey Baldino took over from his late uncle Ernie that business really started to boom.

Palizzi has mastered the balance of old-school Italian kitsch and super-high-quality food and cocktails. Once a gathering place for the Abruzzi-American community, Palizzi Social Club is a current hot spot: members can take up to three guests, and if the light is on outside, they’re open. In 2017, Palizzi was named Bon Appetit‘s #4 Best New Restaurant, Esquire‘s honourable mention best new restaurant, and Eater Philly’s #1 restaurant of the year.

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Pasta with Olives

Pasta with Olives, Simple, Elegant Pasta Dinners, Photography by Nikki Marie

Nikki Marie, blogger behind Chasing the Seasons, transforms everyone’s go-to pantry staple by using heirloom Italian methods to create complex flavours at home.

These 75 easy but elevated dishes will show readers how versatile pasta can be, and how simple it is to layer complex flavours for impressive, satisfying meals. Nikki Marie introduces simple techniques and unexpected twists inspired by her Italian family ties. Each dish is a perfectly composed meal, using a wide range of flavourful produce, tender meats and fresh seafood. Nikki’s creative dried pasta recipes quickly transform a pantry staple into a luxurious dinner—perfect for busy weeknights.

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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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Cookbook Review: Tuscany

Tuscany by Katie and Giancarlo Caldesi

At the heart of every Tuscan, there is a pride for their region and an incredible sense of responsibility and love for their surroundings. From the minute they look out of their windows in the morning to the last nightcap at the bar, Tuscans, like most Italians, are immersed in food.

In Tuscany, Katie and Giancarlo Caldesi take readers on a culinary journey through a Tuscan day. The rhythm of life pace that Tuscans cook is slow and calm. Breakfasts are considered, lunch often eaten at home with family, and weekend dinners a feast.

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Book Review: Pasta by Hand

It never occurred to me that I could make pasta the old-fashioned way—by hand. I mean, who does that? I always thought that task was relegated to old-world Nonna’s. And let’s be honest, Italian cooking is intimidating. For me, it’s fraught with peril. My fear of bungling a centuries-old cuisine is very real.

Along comes Pasta by Hand: A collection of Italy’s regional and hand shaped pasta. The fact that no special equipment or ingredients are needed to form pasta shapes chips away at my list of excuses. The book contains more than 65 recipes for homemade pasta dough and easy instructions on how to shape it into small orbs, cups, twists, shells, noodles, and dumplings.

Ms. Louis has spent what seems like infinite hours of research and travel schooling herself on the humble dumpling, or what Italians call gnocchi. The book begins with a section on ‘The Basics.’ Exactly what I need. The pages outline the specific ingredients, tools, and techniques that will help craft dumplings, as well as a list of 12 tips for making great gnocchi. For example, ‘Tip #4’ instructs us to pay special attention to the mixing and cooking directions for each recipe. The mixing method for each dumpling dough will be different, to achieve the correct texture. Not all dumplings are meant to be tender and light.

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