Well here we are… the beginning of May… locked down and staying safe. But thankfully we have cooking to keep us sane. Fortunately, I also have the garden to keep me occupied. What started off in January as my annual ritual to plant fava bean seeds has morphed into my “victory garden.” With all that is is going on around us, it’s satisfying to feel the rhythm of the seasons continuing around us.

The first fava bean harvest for 2020

Fava beans are one of those you- love-them-or-you-hate-them things.

Continue reading Fava Bean and Young Pecorino Torta at Our Italian Table.

Every Spring in a 2-foot by 10-foot space in our garden, I plant fava beans. This year I planted dried beans that I saved from last year’s harvest. Fava beans are one of those plant-it-and-forget-it plants that will come up and surprise you with a wonderful Springtime present.

Raw fava beans and Pecorino cheese

Once you harvest them, it’s a bit of work to shuck, blanch, shock and peel them, but the payoff is a true bite of Springtime.

Continue reading Fresh Pasta with Fava Beans and Pecorino Cheese at Our Italian Table.

Montalcino may be best known for its splendid Brunello but it has some lesser known gems as well. Amongst its rolling hills fly amazing honeybees, silently working their magic amongst the vines. Each visit to my home there has me shipping cases of the nectar back to America.  And once my treasured package arrives, it is play time!  My most recent shipment contained deep dark chestnut (castagne) honey, gentle sunflower (girasole) honey, herb infused rosemary (rosemarino) honey – each flavor so different and exquisitely reminiscent of the plants and flowers that cover the land.

Continue reading Risotto with Sausage, Green Apple, Pecorino and Honey too! at Our Italian Table.

Marche is an underrated region of Italy; not as famous as Tuscany or Umbria, but just as beautiful, historic, and fascinating as anyplace in this beautiful, historic and fascinating country. Comprised of four very different provinces, Marche includes forested, mountainous geography inland that transitions to a more arid, gently rolling landscape of golden hills and valleys toward the Adriatic. My fraternal grandfather was born and grew up in Marche, near the Adriatic in a tiny hill town called Scapezzano, and the home where he grew up is still owned and occupied by our Becci cousins, his brother’s descendants.

Continue reading Arrosto d’Urbino at Our Italian Table.

It’s the dead of winter, when one’s tastes go to deep earthy root vegetables such as beets and lentils. Never mind that it’s 70 degrees in Los Angeles! That makes exploring urban farmers’ markets for candy cane beets and other colorful vegetables all the more fun.

Beets and lentils do make a great combo, but deep purple beets and dark lentils make for pretty muddy colors. Enter the golden beet and the candy cane beet!

Continue reading Lentil and golden beet salad with hazelnut gremolata at Our Italian Table.

Cacio e Pepe is probably the most famous, most simple, and most controversial dish of Rome’s cuisine. I’ve seen numerous recipes claiming to be the official, authentic version. Perhaps the simplest and most tasty version uses nothing more than high-quality pasta, ground pepper and authentic Pecornio Romano D.O.P. Cheese. Other versions add butter or olive oil (or both) but that, I think, clouds the beauty of the dish.

Pecorino Romano D.O.P. (Protected Designations of Origin) is made in a very specific way and produced in a specific geographic region including areas of Lazio (the Italian region that includes Rome).

Continue reading Cacio e pepe – The controversy continues! at Our Italian Table.

A chill is in the air! Although I always resist the end of summer, there is something comforting about those first beautiful fall days when the crisp air blows through the windows; the shadows grow longer; and the colors of the produce at the market begin to reflect the earthiness of the season. Yesterday was one of those days….ooh baby – magical. The local market did not let me down – produce from the waning days of summer mixed happily with produce from the early days of fall.  

Continue reading A Taste of Fall: Kale, Brussel Sprout, Peach and Pecorino Salad at Our Italian Table.

Firstly, a quick update on my virtual treadmill walk to the summit of Mount Etna! Great progress this week – I logged 30.52 km or 18.97 miles on the treadmill this week! 30.87 km to go. Tracing my route, I think I am somewhere on the A18 between Taormina and Giarre, my next turn…a bit of a dusty highway but passing by some fun towns at the sea like Giardini Naxos. I will post a few fav Sicilian recipes from this great region over the next few weeks.

Continue reading Eat Your 3 Peas: Peas, Pancetta and Pecorino Salad at Our Italian Table.

It is steamy, hot and humid here on the East Coast today. With my recent visit to Italy fresh in my mind, I knew from the moment my eyes opened this morning what I was having for lunch – Stefano’s refreshing pear, pecorino and arugula salad (see previous post on Stefano’s great restaurant in Tuscany).  This delightful salad is so easy to make yet so incredibly delicious. The bite of the arugula and pecorino balanced against the sweetness of the pear is just heavenly.  

Continue reading Stefano’s Pear, Pecorino and Arugula Salad at Our Italian Table.

The recipe is from Mario Batali and updated by me. This dish is a bit labor intensive but can be made ahead and grilled right before serving. Make up to two days in advance and arrange on a cookie sheet, cover with foil and refrigerate until ready to grill.

Grilled pork stuffed with ingredients to keep it moist is a very tasty summer treat. Serve with orange wedges to complement the taste of the pork.

Continue reading Pork Braciole (Grilled Pork Rolls) at Our Italian Table.