Italian food, travel & lifestyle
Chicken Vegetable Soup, a hearty soup yes but actually more like a stufato or stew of sorts. This is one of those dishes that you prepare on the weekend to reheat during the week; and who doesn’t want to come home after a long day and not think about dinner? Chicken Vegetable Soup is a chunky assortment of garden goodness with gratifying pieces of chicken, the kind of meal that really satisfies.
…
So, what do you do when you are snowbound in New York City for the weekend – make a dinner reservation of course! There are definitely benefits to being held hostage in the city during a blizzard; since the streets are empty those hard to get tables at you favorite spots are very much available. Our stomping grounds these days center around the East and West Villages with too many exciting choices to begin to count. Mio Marito immediately got to work and before you knew it we were dining at Babbo. Thoughts of Gina De Palma, the late pastry chef are ever present, so it felt comforting to be there. The meal was sublime of course bringing back memories of Babbo’s iconic dishes. When the waiter presented Ceci Bruschetta as a little nibble, I suddenly realized that I had buried this recipe deep in the culinary resources of my mind. Ceci Bruschetta was my go to appetizer with a cocktail for ages. A simple to prepare combination of ceci or garbanzo beans, braced against the strong flavors of black olive spread, rosemary and red pepper flakes.
…
Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching and the Italians surely know how to celebrate the day romantically. La Festa di San Valentino is reserved solely for couples in Italy, a day to show that special someone in your life how much you love them. If you are like me going to a restaurant on Valentine’s day is out of the question, but that’s a topic for another post; I much prefer a quiet dinner at home with Mio Marito. A special meal is always planned along with something sparkling (no assumptions please as to who will be wearing the apron). What is the iconic dolce associated with San Valentino, well something chocolate of course. Bittersweet Chocolate Zabaglione is the perfect dessert for two and trust me it requires no special culinary skills. With only a few basic ingredients and a little patience, Bittersweet Chocolate Zabaglione will surely impress your loved one.
…
Winter salads need to be contemplated quite differently; it’s dark, cold and thoughts of a light green salad to stave off the summer heat are long gone. We need something substantial to bite into with vibrancy, texture and crunch. Radicchio, Celery & Apple Salad with Parmigiano is the ultimate winter salad. Easy to prepare, forgiving, versatile and satisfying – just right as either a side dish or main course.
The ingredient list for Radicchio, Celery, & Apple Salad with Parmigiano is merely a guide to be scaled up or down, easily allowing for ingredient adjustments. I often interchange treviso (a variety of radicchio) for radicchio, or Pink Lady apples for Granny Smith, that’s the beauty of this salad. The important thing to consider is that the produce should be market fresh and thinly sliced to have just the right mouth feel.
…
