Ooooh, happy Saturday! Spring has arrived! A freshness in the air. Tender leaves unfolding.  Bees a buzzing.  Spring veggies are springing forth. Oh joy 🙂 – let the cooking begin!!

First up – leeks! Most of us use leeks in a recipe as a supporting cast member; rarely as THE. STAR. of the dish. And, go ahead, admit it. You usually turn a blind eye when you see that stack of leeks in the market.  

Continue reading Leeks Parmesan! A Spring #(not)recipe at Our Italian Table.

I know, I know – we are all sick of hearing about kale.  We all know how good the leafy, obnoxiously healthy green is for us. And you are probably reaching for the delete button right about now – but wait, hear me out.  Last night, I desperately needed a quiet mellow evening – a night to catch up on, well, er – blogging along with a chance to start sketching out the big Thanksgiving Day menu.  

Continue reading Yup, Another Kale Recipe: Sautéed Kale and Cannellini Beans with Shaved Parmigiano at Our Italian Table.

While my brother Joey and Mark toodle around Puglia for two weeks, I am stateside thinking up creative ways to use my still plentiful bounty of eggplant.  I read a line in a New York Times article (‘The Misunderstood Eggplant’, 2008) that said ‘My favorite line about eggplant is from ‘How to Pick a Peach,” an appreciation of seasonal produce by Russ Parsons. “Let’s get one things straight: most eggplants are not bitter (even though they have every right to be after everything that has been said about them).”  🙂 Very cute and true.  

Continue reading Roasted Eggplant Parmesan – The eggplant harvest continues at Our Italian Table.

Bresaola is air-dried, salted beef that has been aged two or three months until it becomes hard and turns a dark red, almost purple color. It is made from top round cut of beef, and is lean and tender, with a sweet, musty smell.

It originated in the Alps of northern Italy’s Lombardy region. And unlike prosciutto which is made of pork, bresaola is almost completely lean, with very little fat running thru it.

Continue reading Bresaola, Rughetta e Parmigiano (Bresaola with Arugula and Parmesan Cheese) at Our Italian Table.

Fall has arrived here in the east. Although I always hate to see the summer end, I have to admit that I am ready for the wonders of fall…the change of colors, the freshness in the air, a fire in the fire pit. I spent the day switching out my summer flowers for mums and turning over the garden.  I needed something simple for dinner. This marinated flank steak recipe is a staple in my kitchen – a dish I have had many times all over Italy and especially in Tuscany.

Continue reading Marinated Flank Steak over Arugula and Parmesan Salad at Our Italian Table.