As I mentioned in my 5 Ways to Be a Better Cook post on the Blended Blog, although I am Italian and grew up in Italy, I did not spend time in the kitchen with my mom learning how to cook. I was much too busy for THAT! It wasn’t until I moved from Italy to Florida… Read More
If you base your knowledge of Italian cuisine on what American restaurants offer, you’ll have a very narrow view of Italian cooking. Slightly smaller than California, Italy consists of nineteen major regions which break down even further into various provinces and counties. The cuisine includes some general attributes which divide along Northern, Central and Southern lines. However,… Read More
If you shop the pasta aisle in the US, you might see 4 to 5 different brands, each carrying 5 to 10 different pasta shapes. In Italy there is an entire aisle, both sides, with multiple pasta brands offering dozens of pasta shapes. Barilla boasts to be the best-loved brand of pasta in Italy and… Read More
When I was a little girl and we would eat out at restaurants in Italy, my favorite dish was spaghetti al pomodoro or spaghetti with tomato sauce (what Americans call ‘marinara’ *See note at the very end of this post). Since I was not an adventurous eater, I knew this dish would be safe. But… Read More
A simple variation on yesterday’s recipe is Linguine alla Puttanesca. This recipe can also go by alla Provenzale, alla Martinique, or alla Bonne Femme. I think it’s time for a little Italian language lesson. The kind everyone wants to know first. Let’s break down what “alla Puttanesca” means. “Alla” is not reffering to the Islamic deity.… Read More