Insalatone
My challenge this week was to build an Insalatone. In Marcella’s own words this is a ‘magnificent cooked salad’. It can be served at room temperature or still warm, with a light toss of good olive oil and rich red … Continue reading →
Category Archives: Vegetables
Italian Potato Salad
It’s just potatoes, salt, olive oil, and vinegar. But the ability to make such a deceptively simple dish with these ingredients isn’t falling-off-the-log simple. There’s picking the perfect potatoes. Then there’s cooking them to just the correct point of doneness. … Continue reading →
Green Bean Salad
So simple. So delicious. So Marcella. All you do is find some nice fresh green beans, snap them and soak them in water for about 10 minutes. Boil them in salted water until tender but not crunchy. Toss them with … Continue reading →
Charcoal-Grilled Vegetables
I grill vegetables all the time so it was particularly interesting to me to closely follow Marcella’s instructions and notice the differences. She asks for zucchini, onion, bell peppers, eggplant, tomatoes and Belgian Endive (which I had never grilled before). … Continue reading →
Mixed Baked Vegetable Platter
Wow, this is my last post in the vegetable chapter. This chapter went by fast. The recipe today is Mixed Baked Vegetable Platter. This is a very simple side dish. Potatoes are washed and cut into wedges, peppers are cut … Continue reading →
Hollowed Zucchini Stuffed with Beef, Ham, and Parmesan Cheese
We made a complete meal of this zucchini dish. A delicious meal. If you are a stuffed pepper fan, I suggest you try stuffing zucchini instead. The ingredients are many, but the prep is not time consuming, nor is it … Continue reading →
Baked Zucchini Stuffed wtih Ham and Cheese
Zucchini with Tomato and Basil
As we are continuing the zucchini portion of this chapter, this recipe is somewhat similar to the last post. It starts with onion and garlic sautéed in olive oil in an oven safe dish. Once they are golden brown, parsley … Continue reading →
Zucchini Gratin with Tomato and Marjoram
Originally I made this recipe last August when I first conquered my fear of whole fish and made pan-roasted porgies with lemon and marjoram. Given that the zucchini season was in full bloom and people were begging anyone to take … Continue reading →
Zucchini with Oregano
The weather here in Alabama has been awesome. We’ve had warm sunny days and cool clear nights. Spring-time is here! When I saw that my recipe for this week was Zucchini with oregano… I rushed off to buy my herbs. … Continue reading →
Sauteed Zucchini Rounds with Onions
I love zucchini. Every year I try to grow it in my garden with no success. I’m not sure why. Last year I got blooms, but they just developed into tiny zucchini and that was it. I would love to … Continue reading →
Fried Zucchini with Flour and Water Batter
The extra bonus for being the first of the Pomodori to work with, and report on, a new ingredient, is the opportunity to discuss the most important aspect of Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking – the professorial lecture that will … Continue reading →
Oven-Browned Tomatoes
This is the one recipe I was able to prepare ahead last summer. I knew that I would never be able to find good quality tomatoes in February, so I made this in August at the peak of tomato season. … Continue reading →
Spinach Sauteed with Olive Oil and Garlic
I love spinach in almost any preparation, and this classic dish is an old standby! Use fresh spinach, snapping off the ends of the stems. Soak and rinse the spinach leaves several times, then cook until tender, in a covered … Continue reading →
Baked Radicchio
Radicchio is such a beautiful vegetable. I love looking at it through the camera lens. However, I neglected to taste it before I cooked it and at $8.99/ pound, this felt like a total flop. In general, I like bitter … Continue reading →