Porchetta Sandwich with Salsa Verde and Verdicchio

Porchetta, the real deal, served off the back of trucks and at food festivals, is one of the great food delights of Italy. Traditional porchetta originated in the Lazio region of Italy but is now available all over Italy and made with unique local recipes and ingredients.

The basic idea is to take a whole pig that’s been dressed and deboned, fill it with spices and ground meats, roll it up into a spiral, and spit roast it for hours until the skin is crispy.

Continue reading Pork Belly “Porchetta” at Our Italian Table.

How can it be that summer is but a memory?? My fave season went by in a flash.  Zoom-gone.  The evenings are already beginning to chill. Fall is right.around.the.corner. 🙁

I am having flashbacks of my mother sitting at our kitchen table, wishing aloud that summer could linger.  As an adult, I still wonder how that was remotely possible given the torture we inflicted throughout the summer. We never sat still.  

Continue reading Elevate your Grapes! Toss Them in the Oven…. at Our Italian Table.

It’s springtime in Los Angeles. The rain seems to be over; the days are getting warmer and longer; plants are growing and flowers blooming all over the place. My vegetable garden is filled with kale, Swiss chard, lettuces and FAVA BEANS!

Fava beans are eaten all over Western Europe and the Middle East and grow well in Southern California’s climate. But fava beans are a lot of work to prepare. First you must free them from their pods.

Continue reading Fava bean and mint “torta rustica” at Our Italian Table.

I know it has been a few weeks since my last post but I have a good excuse – really. I started a new job (LOVING IT!!!) and it has been heads down for a few weeks. But now things are starting to get to steady state and I can get back to what I love most – cooking!  But first, I have a confession (ok, maybe a few …) I have been making (and eating) entire pans of eggplant fries over the past few weeks.

Continue reading My Eggplant Fries Obsession! #ouritaliantable #basuperfoodies at Our Italian Table.

The Tuscan kitchen is based on the concept of ‘cucina povera’ which literally translates to ‘poor kitchen’.  This way of cooking, or should I say philosophy, takes whatever humble ingredients you may have on hand and transforms them into a feast fit for a king. It is about using available simple seasonal ingredients and creating something magical – a melding of flavors from food grown, raised or foraged from the land itself. 

Continue reading ‘Cucina Povera’: Chestnut Crepes with Fresh Ricotta and Honey at Our Italian Table.

It has been a beautiful few days here and spring has finally arrived.  My wisteria just bloomed yesterday, sending wafts of beautiful spring freshness into the air.  It is almost time to put the tomatoes in the garden – all very exciting.  A few nights ago, I made a simple lemony risotto for dinner and coincidentally had an email from a reader asking if I had a favorite recipe for arancini, a treat found throughout Sicily.  

Continue reading Snacking Sicilian Style: Limone Arancini con Ricotta e Spinaci (Lemon Arancini with Ricotta and Spinach) at Our Italian Table.

Back in February, I blogged about trying to overcome my aversion to chickpeas. Growing up , we ate them in, on top or under everything possible. I never knew if it was my mother’s love for the little morsels or an attempt to stretch their hard earned dollars but whatever the reason, I have had more than enough ‘cecis’ to fill a lifetime.   However, recently I decided it was time to reconcile with my little healthful pals and give them another culinary chance.  

Continue reading My Chickpea Love Continues: Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas at Our Italian Table.