My maternal grandfather owned a fruit and vegetable store in the Bronx during the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s. I can vividly remember the baskets that overflowed with the freshest, highest quality produce available in the city. There was the most amazing broccoli, carrots, potatoes, celery, brussel sprouts, asparagus; too many to mention. In all of my 56 years I have found very few places that could compete with the selection of ripe and luscious fruits on display. Pop-Pop was very careful to sell only the freshest of seasonal selections. As a result, I am a produce snob, and proud of […]
Fine Dining Blog
Top 5 Tips for Healthy Italian Cooking
If you were asked to think back to your favorite food memory of an Italian dish, the chances are that you are thinking of one that consists of a large plate of pasta slathered in some type of tomato sauce and laden with cheeses. It may surprise you to know that the traditional, everyday Italian diet does not consist of such fare. Here are 5 simple tips for preparing authentic, healthy Italian cuisine: Use high quality olive oil instead of vegetable or canola oil. It is much healthier for you that using butter or margarine, and virgin and extra virgin […]
A Few Things Italian Cooks NEVER Do
I am a proud third generation Italian cook. The recipes I use have been passed down and around my family and friends. I can emphatically state that there are some things that NEVER happen in my kitchen. They never happened in my mothers or grandmothers kitchen. That is the proud tradition of Italian family cooking and I am happy to share them with you. I NEVER throw pasta at a wall to see if it sticks. Nor do I put oil in the water to keep pasta from clumping together. What I do is adequately salt the water and gently […]
Teaching Your Children Italian Cooking
One of my earliest kitchen memories is of being 5 years old, sitting on a stool and being allowed to sprinkle the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese over the layers of lasagna noodles. It was a good feeling to be helping my mother, and I was learning all about how to make one of my favorite meals. I loved being in the kitchen with both of my parents. My dad was a great cook in his own right, and between the two of them, I developed the skills necessary to be successful in the kitchen. We shared many wonderful family memories […]
Herbs & Italian Cooking
I remember coming home from school, walking up to our house and immediately knowing what we were having for dinner by the delicious aromas wafting out from the front door. Mom was making gravy (what you may know as spaghetti sauce), and the enticing smell of basil and oregano lured me right into the kitchen. As a treat, Mom would slice a piece of crusty bread and spoon the gravy over it…just a little sample of the fabulous meal that was to come! Herbs and Italian cooking are synonymous in my book. Without fresh basil, oregano, parsley, sage, and rosemary, […]