La Buona Tavola

Christmas is on its way, and it’s time for pizzelle – “little pizzas.”  Italy’s crisp waffle cookies have many regional names, nevole, ciarancelle and catarrette among them.   In Abruzzo, where the cookie is believed to have originated, they are …

What to eat before Midnight mass?  On Christmas Eve that is always the question in our house.  We’ve eaten a big feast just hours before, but by the time 10:00 rolls around, as the rest of the relatives arrive for …

Many holiday foods, sweets in particular, are imbued with symbolic meaning, making anyone preparing them feel a connection to his or her tribe or traditions. Crisp and sweet ribbon-like pastries have a particular significance in the repertoire of Italian confections, …

We are right in the middle of the holiday season and that means we are busy.  But we still want to serve delicious and satisfying food.  What to do about dessert?  The answer is easy, elegant, ethereal and traditional – …

I had heard of Wolf Meadow Farm and Luca Mignogna when I was writing Great Italian American Food in New England. About two hours north of my home on Cape Cod, Luca makes and sells handcrafted, totally authentic, good Italian …

The glorious pomegranate has only recently gained in popularity on our winter tables.  Many are, at a minimum unsure how to peel the cute little fruit; others simply too lazy to make the effort. However, the delectable juicy ruby red …

Panforte is a typical dessert originally from Siena, Toscana region. It’s a type of spiced bread that can be enjoyed all year long, but especially during the Christmas holidays. The ancient origins of this delicious dessert date back to the …

Here in our home, one of our Christmas traditions is making gingerbread cookies and one gingerbread house each year. I often wondered if there is something similar in Italy and in fact, I discovered something very similar to gingerbread in …

The whirl of the holidays means lots of parties and lots of visitors to feed, but when I was a kid my main concern was feeding two very special guests – Santa and La Befana. My sister made the hot …

Growing up, beets out of a can never sold me on this oddly colored vegetable. But today, fresh beets in all colors and sizes are everywhere. You can steam, roast or boil them or just shave them raw. Purple beets, …