Strawberry season is here, and big plump local berries were piled high at our market this past week 🍓.  A sight for weary eyes indeed. For the last few weeks, we have been completely consumed with a new renovation project here at our little old home. The old carport was in a state of disrepair when we purchased the property and after years of legal hoops and approvals, we finally got the green light to replace it with a new garage.

Continue reading A Strawberry Crostata to Celebrate the Season! ❤️ at Our Italian Table.

Growing up, everyone we knew was of Italian descent. Our town was full of Italian immigrant families and our Roman Catholic church was full of Italian families (with a sprinkling of Polish and Irish immigrants) following many of the same traditions they had in Italy. No one was boastful about being Italian, it was simply all we knew. When you asked someone where they were from, the answer was never “Italy”—that was a given! The question was asking which region of Italy the person was from, and the answer would almost always be Sicily, Naples (Campania), Abruzzo or, the case of my grandfather, Le Marche.

Continue reading Josie’s Famous Molasses Crumb Cake at Our Italian Table.

Summer is in full swing here in the Eastern US with heat wave after heat wave rolling on through, punctuated by gusty thunderstorms – a summer made in heaven by my standards! I adore the heat (truth be told, living on a river helps when it gets crazy hot) and adore a good ‘ole thunderstorm. However, when company comes to call, throwing them in the river to keep them cool isn’t always the best option – so I love keeping a frosty semifreddo at the ready to help guests cool off.

Continue reading Summer Chillin: Blueberry Semifreddo at Our Italian Table.

Wow, it is cold here on the East Coast!  Winter has finally arrived in these parts with temperatures that have not been seen in a century (although it is supposed to be 30 degrees warmer in a few days…amen sister!).  The local news is warning everyone to stay inside but I have never been one to listen. I start to go rather stir crazy if I don’t get out of the house so….what better to do then hit the local markets all bundled up in cozy down and (faux) fur?? 

These January days always feel so brown and beige however my kitchen affords me one way to add a pop of color to my world.

Continue reading Brighten up, Baby: Pomegranate Panna Cotta at Our Italian Table.

Way back in 2009, one of my first food posts was for an apple crostata. I just ran into a friend at church this weekend who told me she has been using that recipe for all kinds of crostatas for years. I thought it was about time to dust off this recipe and make sure it was fresh. My biggest surprise was what a terrible picture I took of this wonderfully simple dessert. I’ve never been much of a food photographer (that’s my sister Michele’s speciality), but I could certainly do better.

Continue reading The crostata revisited at Our Italian Table.

Ciao tutti!

 ‘La festa degli innamorati’ is right around the corner and if you are like me, your preference is a quiet candlelit dinner at home, preferably near a toasty little fire with a nice bottle of bubbly prosecco to kick things off. By chance, I saw an adorable heart mold online and two days later, it was at my doorstep. (Grazie, magical Amazon Prime!)

So – big question….what to put in those adorable little hearts??

Continue reading Heart-shaped Vanilla Panna Cotta to Charm Your Valentine at Our Italian Table.

The explosion of vegetables and fruits in summer never ceases to amaze me. I feel like a little kid unwrapping a present each and every time I walk into my garden or into our farm markets, stocked full of fresh brightly colored produce. I am so fortunate to live in a place where the biggest decision on a weekend is which farm-to-table dinner to attend. Tough life out here in the country.

Continue reading Vibrantly Tasty: Beet and Mascarpone Sorbetto at Our Italian Table.

In my imaginary (yet-maybe-someday) life, I live on a little Italian hillside – nestled between the dreamy blue-tinged sea and vibrant fragrant hills of grapevine. Golden hues of sun filter across my gardens, overflowing with the scents and tastes of the season.  Oodles of strawberries tumble across stonewall waiting patiently for me to pick them in the light morning breeze.  I wander happily filling my little basket with these sun-ripened treats (which of course is also filled with a bouquet of freshly picked wildflowers). 

Continue reading The Stuff of Dreams: Rustic Strawberry Crostata at Our Italian Table.

Panna Cotta is an Italian classic.  This very simple versatile dessert is my go-to dessert when I need to both keep it simple but add a little bit of vavoom to my dolci.  Panna cotta (‘cooked cream‘ in Italian) literally takes 10 minutes to pull together – that is it! It then rests comfortably for a few hours to thicken. You can even make it a day or two in advance, at the ready as a creamy backdrop for a whole host of toppings.

Continue reading Easy Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Salted Caramel at Our Italian Table.

Mama mia – fa caldo qui! (Man, is it hot here!!)  Summer is in full swing here in the eastern US.  And with the heat, lighter meals are in order. Thankfully,  the treasures of the summer garden have arrived. The local markets have piles of beautiful eggplant, onions, corn, tomatoes and the omnipresent zucchini.  My own garden makes the weeknight meal a breeze.  Just a short trip out beyond the garden gate and dinner is practically at the ready. 

Continue reading Mama mia – It’s hot! Grilled Apricots with Ricotta Cream at Our Italian Table.