Oh my people – do your hear your arteries clenching? Cream, butter, cheese? Oh my! This is Marcella’s version of the classic ‘Roman’ sauce: Alfredo. We’ve all had Alfredo sauce. We’ve all seen it in small plastic containers in the … Continue reading →
I have been home from Italy for four days, and am still in a food coma from my three weeks in Bologna. I have been cooking amazing pasta dishes from Emilia-Romagna to give my husband a taste of what he … Continue reading →
I’m cooking ahead here – because I am in Rome baby! Forgive me while I get a tad excited . . . Anyway. Back on track (for now). A few weeks ago Paul made a recipe by Jamie Oliver that … Continue reading →
You can’t get much easier than butter, fresh garlic and rosemary, right? I read this recipe, and thought, hmm, it sounds like a brown butter and sage sauce (one of my favorites). So simple, yet SOOOOOOO good. This will be … Continue reading →
When I was a child, pasta with butter and ricotta was my comfort food of choice, like many “American” children love Mac & Cheese. If my mom was making an “adult meal” or a pasta with “too many vegetables”, I … Continue reading →
. . . and now we move into the pasta and sauces chapter. Oh wow – there goes the diet. I was so hoping to wedge into some of the Italian clothing I see when I get to Bologna in … Continue reading →
Marcella says, “Italy has enough soups for a lifetime.” This chapter has been wonderful, and I was happy to get the recipe for “Clam Soup”. Though I live out in the California desert, I was able to get fresh clams. … Continue reading →
This is a HUGE recipe – the ingredient list flows down an entire page. One gets intimidated. Yes, one does. Then one looks at the meat stock recipe on p. 15 and truly overwhelmed, one decides to save the soup … Continue reading →
I do believe that the soup section of ‘Essentials’ has surprised me the most so far. When I think of soups and Italian foods two things come to mind – Minestrone and Pasta Fagioli. Who knew that there was such … Continue reading →
I found two BEAUTIFUL large bunches of fresh spinach for this simple soup. I love spinach in salads, slightly sauteed with garlic, or cooked, but have never made a soup where spinach was the main ingredient. This couldn’t be easier. … Continue reading →
I was having a less than enthusiastic attitude about oysters. Though I love ALL other shellfish, I must admit, I have never eaten an oyster. This poem inspired me to embrace the little guys I was preparing: The Oyster (author … Continue reading →
I’m Palma, in Palm Desert, and the last cook to post a recipe. I’ll be sharing Saturdays with my friend Jerry. I am very excited about this cooking challenge, and I know Marcella has wonderful recipes, so there are lots … Continue reading →
Where to begin . . . Hello. This is Jerry and today I join the ranks of the other obsessive cooks making our way through ‘Essentials’. That was poetic. Or not. Some initial thoughts? I LOVE Marcella. I have come … Continue reading →
