La Buona Tavola

I’ve been on an eggplant kick lately. It’s summertime and eggplant are everywhere in the farmer’s markets and grocery stores. People seem to be terrified of eggplant, probably because they don’t know how to cook it. The beautiful thing about …

Sardinia is Italy’s second largest island, and like so many islands, its culture has developed in relative isolation from the surrounding land masses.  In the case of Sardinia this holds especially true for its cuisine.  Along with a multitude of …

I remember paddling a dinghy off the beaches of my mother’s native Sardinia when I was a girl, looking for sea urchins in the transparent blue-lavender of the Bay of Cagliari. Aside from diving equipment, the only things my cousins …

Having just returned from a tour of Puglia, my thoughts linger on that region’s table in this week’s “Buona Tavola.” I will soon be on the road again traveling from Abruzzo to Lazio, Tuscany, Umbria, and back to Puglia. Beginning …

This is one your Sicilian nonna used to make.  Also known as maccaruna di casa, busiate are made of durum wheat and water, and are perhaps Sicily’s most famous pasta lunga.  The deft hands of the Sicilian women can turn …

The weather is starting to warm up, so why not think about refreshing drinks that double as digestivi and dessert?  The Negroni, first made by Florentine barman Fosco Scarselli, is the quintessential aperitivo – one part gin, one part Italian …

Rossella invites Nonna Romana Sciddurlo, originally from Mola di Bari (Puglia), to prepare a classic recipe: Frittelle – Panzerotti.

Limoncello Panna Cotta, an easy and delicious dessert for all seasons.    6 Servings 1 1/2 Cups Heavy cream, 1 1/4 Cups whole milk, 1/2 Cup Limoncello Liqueur, 1/4 Cup Sugar, 2 1/2 Tsp Powdered gelatin, 1/2 Tsp Lemon extract, 1/4 Tsp Vanilla extract   Directions/Steps …

Tuscan cuisine is known for its simplicity typically using only four to eight ingredients. “La cucina povera”, or peasant cooking is the origin of all Tuscan recipes. In Tuscany, the elaborate preparation of dishes is not popular. Instead, Tuscans take …

Even if the ancient fishing culture of the Venetian lagoon, like most of Italy’s maritime regions, has been forced to give way to importing some of its supply from elsewhere, Venice and seafood are inseparable. How could it be otherwise …