Parmigiana di Melanzane from Campania… no, Apulia… no, Sicily! Nobody is quite sure where this dish comes from and its origins are hotly disputed between the above regions. Some people mistakenly assume that it comes from Parma in Emilio-Romagna because of the name, but that is not the case. In fact, I lean towards the…
The world’s easiest cake
Torta allo yogurt The Italian boy went to the supermarket for me on Sunday because I hadn’t been feeling well and had no food in the house. Naturally, I gave him a shopping list. Equally naturally he… embellished it. Chocolate biscuits for example, were added. This didn’t surprise me, but I was surprised to see…
Cuttlefish stuffed with broccoli
Seppie ripiene con broccoli e gamberetti from Campania I’ll be honest, this isn’t so much a traditional recipe as a twist on something I tried in a restaurant and liked. It is a winter version of something of a summer classic, as cuttlefish, although available all year round in Southern Italy, is mainly eaten, lightly…
Mandarinetto liqueur
Mandarinetto from Campania Most people have heard of limoncello, that sweet, tangy oh-so-mediterranean liqueur from the Amalfi Coast which just screams of summer, sun and after dinner drinks on a balcony surrounded by the scent of the sea. Yes, limoncello is deservedly famous. And easy to make… but that’s for another post. How many of…
Roasted vegetable soup
Vellutata di verdure al forno from Liguria You all know that I like soup in the winter. Really like it. It is absolutely the best thing, with some lovely crusty bread, to warm up the cold winter nights or to provide a healthy, satisfying lunch on a freezing, grey, dismal day. I also adore roasted…
Wholewheat pasta with courgettes
Mafalde integrali con zucchine from Lazio Wholewheat pasta gets a bad rap. That probably has something to do with the horrible gluey types that first came onto the market – you know, the ones that never quite cooked right and became a sludgey outside and kind of chewey inside. Well, wholegrain pasta has come a…
Polish – Italian fusion
As I have friends from all over the place, I don’t always eat and cook Italian. In fact one of my very best friends in Italy is Isabel, from near Kracow, and I often go to her house for dinner. Her speciality is a very Italian Spaghetti alla bolognese, but sometimes she goes back to…
Pasta with Chickpeas
Pasta e ceci alla romana from Lazio This is definitely a dish that is eaten regularly in Italy in winter, and it is from what is known as la cucina povera (poor cuisine) because the ingredients are so cheap and readily available. The homely roots of this pasta dish don’t make it any less tasty than…
Baked Mediterranean Swordfish
Pesce Spada alla Livornese from Tuscany I remember the first time I tried swordfish, on holiday in Spain with my parents. I was very young, and the idea of a fish with a “sword” attached to its face was fascinating to me, and I spent the rest of the holiday trying to catch a glimpse…
Christmas abandonment
Sorry sorry sorry, I abandoned this blog over Christmas as my parents have no wireless and their computer is a pain to upload photos to! Anyway, I’m back and will now be posting regularly again, but in the meantime here is some photographic evidence of how fat I have been over the holidays (no kidding,…
Pork rolls with provola and salame
Involtini di maiale con provola e salame from Campania There’s something about cheese which just makes it more decadent when it’s melted. Especially when it’s wrapped in something and it ooozes out as you cut into it…. You can make this recipe with other lean meats too, but I used pork medallions because I think…
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