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Category Archives: ItalianFava Bean and Green Peas MafaldaI was recently thinking about how certain foods did not become part of my repertoire (eating or cooking) until much later in my life. Avocados and hummus, both of which we eat regularly now, are examples of this. Another food I have added recently to my pantry is fava beans. Fava beans, long used Eggplant CaponataWe were having a family dinner in an Italian restaurant the other day when my husband declared that our appetizer tasted just like his grandmother’s recipe. Among the many things that make this odd (and interesting at the same time) is that my husband’s grandmother lived in India all Croxetti with fresh herbs and spring vegetablesEvery summer we like to have at least one memorable family trip at the end of August, right before school starts. Last summer, it was a quick trip to Chicago. The agenda was very clear from the beginning. For my husband, it was a nostalgic trip. He wanted to visit his college and reminisce about Minestrone in the MorningThis simple minestrone soup was the breakfast of choice this morning. It actually won versus an option of freshly made Belgian waffles. In many parts of the world, breakfast is often leftovers from dinner the night before, or a substantial meal with many different flavors. Feel free to think My Mom’s Homemade Tomato SauceIn the recently released movie, “The Hundred-Foot Journey,” an Indian family moves to France and opens a restaurant- “Maison Bombay.” They make great Indian food, but soon start experimenting with “Indo-French” cookery (ie- adding Indian spices to classic White Bean BruschettaGrowing up, I used to always wonder at how the great cooks in my family would never use a recipe. It was always “a little bit of this, and a little bit of that.” Pinning down a recipe with exact measurements was pretty difficult. Now I realize that sometimes, it just does not matter. Pizza MargheritaMaking the perfect homemade pizza has been a 25 year obsession work in progress for me. I have been constantly fine tuning my method based on the tastes of those I make it for, as well as on some pretty amazing pizzas I have eaten in the US and Italy. You know you are obsessed with pizza A Small Batch of Italian Almond & Honey CookiesWhen I first saw this recipe, what attracted me was the tiny quantities of ingredients required- everything in teaspoons and tablespoons, instead of cups. The method of preparing the batter, in a small saucepan on the stovetop, is also different. No need to bring out the Kitchen Aid or any fancy Pasta e ceciPasta e ceci is a very simple, tasty Italian dish that happens to be vegan. Ceci, or chickpeas, give this pasta robustness. The garlic and rosemary, sautéed in olive oil, add amazing flavor and fragrance. An interesting story on the role chickpeas played in an event in Italian history: Sicily was Orecchiette with Broccoli RabeA few weeks ago I tried Broccoli Rabe for the first time at a local restaurant and was pleasantly surprised by its slightly bitter taste. It was very simply cooked but quite addictive. Cooking geek that I am, I came home and immediately googled it. I figured it would be healthy as most |