What better munchie than a few Mexican Taquitos? For an East Coast girl of Italian heritage I’m awfully fond of Mexican cuisine and seek out the real deal when I’m in a part of the country where it’s truly authentic, in other words not along the East Coast.  This is how I ended up at the El Indio Restaurant in San Diego which has been in business for over 80 years.  I was visiting family there and heard they offered the real deal.  That scuttlebutt was totally accurate – they do indeed offer masterful Mexican food.   So when I read “Food Americana” by David Page and ..read more

These chive and rosemary muffins are just bite-sized for popping into the mouth As most of my regular readers know I often write about family food traditions and long-time family food favorites.  This is very fulfilling and I enjoy sharing these with the broader world in hopes of preserving these foods and enticing others to try the dishes. Every once in a while though I’m inspired to try something totally new which offers a creative challenge and is fulfilling in its own way.  Which is why in reading Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus, the current reading choice of the Cook th ..read more

As winter draws to a close in the MidAtlantic there’s still time to savor a hearty Italian winter stew – chicken cacciatore, or in English, hunter’s stew.  It’s named because in its origins the dish was prepared in the wild using ingredients the hunters could forage while on an expedition improvised based on what was in season.   It’s traditionally made with naturally lean game meat like rabbit with a savory mix of fresh mushrooms and onions and herbs.  The stew is earthy and sumptuous, with deep flavor and herbal brightness. In the book we are reading in the Cook the Boo ..read more

Italian Pizzelles make for a tasty holiday treat In my Italian-American family, holiday baking centers around traditional Abruzzo favorites.  Rarely someone squeeze in a totally new recipe unearthed via a newspaper clipping but not me.  For myself I like to focus the little time I have for baking on the tried and true.  And easy to make I might add.  My Dad who had a great deal more patience than I would slog through preparing Cajinettes or Giammelli which while delicious were very time consuming to make.  Since he passed away I haven’t had the nerve to try making ei ..read more

They say "when in Rome...." but here in the Mid-Atlantic at the height of apple season, it should be "when in autumn, bake apple desserts".  And that's what I've chosen to do after reading the current selection of the Cook the Books group, "Cooking with Fernet Branca" by James Hamilton-Patterson.  The quirky narrative chronicling the adventures of a lost soul living in Tuscany highlights the Italian bitters made with 27 herbs and roots whose aggressive flavor mimics bitter black licorice.  It's referenced throughout the book including dishes made with it, but only one or two ..read more

Fresh garden produce in the height of season makes this baked dish special Audrey Hepburn once said “to plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.”  I didn’t realize that she shared my own belief about gardens but it’s so true that cultivating plants, whether vegetables or flowers, yields so much satisfaction. Here in Delaware, we’ve arrived at the apex of growing season, replete with stunning colors, tasty produce and bountiful harvests, not to mention of course the neighbors gifting their tomatoes, zucchini, peppers, herbs and fruit, plus roadside farm stands offering corn just picke ..read more

So enticing for a refreshing summer dinner, here's a twist on traditional Crab Imperial With the Summer Solstice just passed and the US July Fourth holiday screaming down on us, it's high time to think about serving fresh, light dishes.  Here in the Mid-Atlantic, that usually involves crabs steamed in their shells, cracked at the table and devoured with a cold beer.  And, our regional recipe books abound with cooked preparations too, some complex, yet many so simple as befitting a summer get-together.  But despite the lure of crabs, other shellfish dishes can be equally tasty ..read more

Nothing beats fresh blueberries for a great Fathers Day dessert My father wasn’t particularly fond of sweets but he adored fresh fruit and grew many types in his enormous home garden including strawberries, raspberries, peaches and pears, but his absolute favorite was blueberries which we made sure to include as part of his Fathers Day or July birthday celebrations.  He relished treats we prepared with them, which were a summer tradition for him until he passed away. These became a family tradition because, in our growing up years, our home in Northeast Ohio was near an overgrown blueb ..read more

Iconic Pasta alla Chitarra with Lamb Ragu makes for delicious Sunday family suppers Lamb Ragu is the standard among pasta sauces in Italy’s Abruzzo, paired with the region’s iconic Pasta alla Chitarra which is made by pressing sheets of pasta dough through what resembles strings on a device that looks much like a country guitar.  In fact, the word chitarra in Italian means “guitar”.  My grandmother, who immigrated to the US from Abruzzo, made this dish nearly every Sunday and the entire family devoured more than our share of it.  Made as it is, the pasta noodles make for an ex ..read more

Light and airy Zeppole made with ricotta cheese are the highlight of foods celebrating Italy's Father's Day, the Festa di San Giuseppi (Photo courtesy of Little Italy San Diego) In Italy, Father’s Day is celebrated March 19 on the Festa di San Giuseppi which honors Saint Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus.  Street processions are held with marchers dressed in red, special church services are conducted, elaborate displays laden with traditional foods are assembled and community spirit fills the air. Key to the feast is food, particularly the tradition called St Joseph’s Table and its ac ..read more