Oddly, one of the more unanticipated benefits of this adventure chez Doug, is the focus it provides when planting my herb & vegetable gardens – e.g. gotta make sure I harvest the zucchini blossoms for a “crisp-fried” recipe scheduled for … Continue reading →
The first time I remember seeing a frittata on the menu in an Italian restaurant was many years ago. It was listed as an appetizer – Frittata Gamberetti. I asked the waiter what a frittata was. He said, “Oh it’s … Continue reading →
This recipe has four ingredients: Béchamel Sauce, Polenta, Bolognese Meat Sauce and parmesan cheese. Once the three main components are made the dish comes together in no time. It is layered in a fashion similar to lasagna. However, instead of … Continue reading →
Well, I drew the easy recipe this week. When I read about Palma’s valiant stirring efforts I was comforted that I just had to stir my polenta for a couple of minutes, not the marathon 45 minutes that she had … Continue reading →
I love polenta, and we have it often. I love it as a side dish, or grilled or baked. I typically make mine in the oven with gruyere and fried sage, but I was excited to make it the authentic … Continue reading →
This was an enjoyable process. I love making crepes and crespelle—pouring in the batter and twirling the pan. They cook very quickly so making 8 or 9, as the recipe calls for, takes no time at all. I stacked them … Continue reading →
Don’t you think that after making so many recipes out of Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking I’d find one I don’t like? Well, I don’t think it’s happened yet. It sure didn’t happen with this recipe. Yum, it was so … Continue reading →
Crespelle? Never heard of it/them (pretty sure the word is the same singular or plural), but it’s got it’s own chapter in the book, albeit a small one with only 4 recipes in total. This is the kind of recipe … Continue reading →
My assignment is to make a simple batch of crespelle. Crespelle are very thin pancakes made from a batter. Italians use them like pasta wrappers, and in Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking Marcella offers three recipes as examples of their … Continue reading →
I was excited to try this dish because I love gnocchi. I’m not sure why. There isn’t much to them but they make me very happy. This recipe is for gnocchi in a very different way than I am a … Continue reading →
This recipe is a variation on the Gnocchi that Jerry made yesterday. It is basically the same recipe but finished off after boiling with melted butter and grated parmesan cheese. This is then baked until the cheese melts and then … Continue reading →
Marcella writes that ‘the word gnocco in Italian means a little lump’ and frankly many gnocchi that I have tried in the past were little more than lumps; not particularly appetizing. Lumps of glue-like dough that invariably weigh rather heavily … Continue reading →
I knew I needed help for my challenge with Pomodori e Vino this week. We are making Gnocchi! ~So I called my chef-to-be son in for support. We are starting into a new chapter with several kinds of gnocchi… who … Continue reading →
Today is the last recipe in the Risotto chapter of Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking. This recipe is a rice recipe, not a risotto. But what a great way to end the chapter. If you like gooey cheese and rice, … Continue reading →
Chicken Liver Sauce? Yuck! Don’t think I’ll like this. Now, I actually like liver, but calf’s liver is more my style. I know there are at least a couple of excellent calf’s liver recipes on tap in a few months. … Continue reading →
