La Buona Tavola

Pappardelle with Lamb Ragu` with Whipped Ricotta…. a special dish not only for all holidays but also for very special days!   Ingredients: 3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 1 Carrot finely chopped, 1 Celery stalk finely chopped, 1 Large …

The popular ‘tramezzino’ sandwich has celebrated its 90th birthday in Italy o  Friday and it is now a more popular lunchtime meal than pasta or pizza.   The origins of the tramezzino, which is usually made with two pieces of …

Why haven’t I made this before??? Every time I’ve been to Italy, I’ve enjoyed a crostata filled with jam as part of a classic Italian breakfast. Crostata is served right alongside delicious meats, cheeses and a cafe latte in the …

The culinary traditions of Abruzzo’s pastoral land reach back through the ages. Perhaps Abruzzo’s most famous contribution to Italy’s pantheon of pasta is maccheroni alla chitarra, but another of Italy’s culinary traditions is a favorite here too, ravioli. This is …

It’s Winter.  What better way to warm up than with the tender cheese filled crespelle floating in clear chicken broth?  Crespelle in brodo, known in Abruzzo as Scriplle ‘mbusse, is a satisfying yet delicate soup that will warm you from …

Cookie exchanges. Four course meals. Seven (ok, make that nine) fishes. Prosecco parties.  The list goes on.  The glorious excesses of the holidays.  And now as the new year unfolds and finally the air begins to chill, I am most …

Olive oil lovers are glad to put the old year behind them. Between drought and disease, the 2014 olive harvest was catastrophic for Italy—the worst in twenty years, according to the International Olive Oil Council. Everywhere I traveled throughout the …

The Feast of the Seven Fishes is a big deal in our family. Although the origins of this feast are somewhat mired in controversy, it is a holiday that my Italian-American family celebrated each and every year with absolute gusto. …

Jo Bettoja’s cookbook—all about southern Italian cooking—was a revelation to me when it was given to me as a birthday present in 1992. Back then, most southern Italian cooking was quite a mystery in America. My sister and I had …

It’s time to enjoy one of the glories of the cold weather table, winter citrus. Huge orbs of Ruby Red grapefruit, bright orange Cara Cara navel oranges, and smooth skinned Meyer lemons with their peppery tartness are winter’s seasonal jewels. …