La Buona Tavola

It’s wintertime, and around my house that means long, slow meat braises. It’s my pleasure to share with you my family’s favorite cold weather meal, Brasato al Barolo. Fork-tender chuck roast braised in a full bottle of Barolo wine will …

What’s the difference between a pizza made by a pizzaiolo and a frozen one? According to Coldiretti, if all the ingredients are made in Italy, the pizza is going to be as authentic as any other. Indeed, giant Italpizza and a …

It’s fall, time to plan for Thanksgiving.  Get a jump on your family’s feast by making these delightful cappellacci, pasta hats. Start with sheets of Emilia-Romagna’s famous pasta sfoglia, egg dough rolled so thinly you can see through it.  The …

When the editor of this newspaper invited me to contribute articles about food, I was pleased to accept. Here, I can feel liberated to write about my passions and prejudices knowing that I am among kin. My audience will, I …

The heart of the holiday season has passed, but there is still some celebrating to be done and special meals to be enjoyed.  By now we are all looking for lighter desserts, something out of the ordinary.  Try a wine …

The old adage is true, and truer still when brown butter is involved. Known as burro nocciola, after the hazelnuts it so resembles, this kitchen miracle will imbue your food with sweet, nutty flavor.   Burro nocciola is butter that …

Liguria is a verdant strip of Italy that stretches along the Italian Riviera. Green herbs, fruit and nut trees, garlic, and vegetables grow in profusion, kissed by the briny air and protected from the bitter northern winds by the mountains …

Cold weather stalwarts, farro, aromatic vegetables, cannellini beans, and butternut squash come together to make zuppa di farro (farro soup), a soup so rich and thick it could well be called a stew.  The backbone of this dish is farro …

Treat your holiday guests to ripe pears cloaked in sweet pastry set atop a pool of rich caramel sauce.  Add an Italian accent with a scoop of vanilla gelato and an elegant flourish of Italian gold leaf.   Indeed, Italians’ …

Once upon a time you had to go to Italy for biscotti. Thankfully, those days are long gone, and today these iconic cookies can be found in neighborhood coffee shops and restaurants everywhere. But who wouldn’t agree that homemade is …