The world of Italian Cooking can be as simple or as complicated as you make it! For those who are just beginning their culinary voyage, I recommend starting as simply as possible by learning to make the foods that are familiar to you, and ones that bring you joy. When you have a passion for a dish, you will work diligently to master the finished product. I learned from my mother, who learned from hers and so on. As I set up my kitchen I took the lessons I had mastered in my youth and experimented, developing my skills as […]
Fine Dining Blog
Tips for Eating Healthy While Dining Out
As a working mom I must admit that going out with the family to eat is one of my most sinful indulgences. Some nights I am just too tired to face a kitchen. Having someone else prepare a meal, serve it and clear away the dishes brings me so much joy and not a lick of guilt! But, as a mom, I also want to make sure that my family is eating healthy when we dine out. If you have younger children, there are many healthy substitutions that can be made for fries and chicken nuggets. (Don’t get me wrong, […]
Top 5 Italian Food Trends 2014
My maternal grandfather owned a fruit and vegetable store in the Bronx during the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s. I can vividly remember the baskets that overflowed with the freshest, highest quality produce available in the city. There was the most amazing broccoli, carrots, potatoes, celery, brussel sprouts, asparagus; too many to mention. In all of my 56 years I have found very few places that could compete with the selection of ripe and luscious fruits on display. Pop-Pop was very careful to sell only the freshest of seasonal selections. As a result, I am a produce snob, and proud of […]
Top 5 Tips for Healthy Italian Cooking
If you were asked to think back to your favorite food memory of an Italian dish, the chances are that you are thinking of one that consists of a large plate of pasta slathered in some type of tomato sauce and laden with cheeses. It may surprise you to know that the traditional, everyday Italian diet does not consist of such fare. Here are 5 simple tips for preparing authentic, healthy Italian cuisine: Use high quality olive oil instead of vegetable or canola oil. It is much healthier for you that using butter or margarine, and virgin and extra virgin […]
A Few Things Italian Cooks NEVER Do
I am a proud third generation Italian cook. The recipes I use have been passed down and around my family and friends. I can emphatically state that there are some things that NEVER happen in my kitchen. They never happened in my mothers or grandmothers kitchen. That is the proud tradition of Italian family cooking and I am happy to share them with you. I NEVER throw pasta at a wall to see if it sticks. Nor do I put oil in the water to keep pasta from clumping together. What I do is adequately salt the water and gently […]
