Narrations, anecdotes, talks about food, and short stories of a lesser known Italy by SeveDB
Unusual but Delicious I like to try unusual combinations when I cook. Like the Winter Roses for Salad, or the Special Day Risotto; Strawberries Fields Forever Spring is almost upon us, at the market there are the first strawberries looking quite inviting. Cooking For Friends Having friends over I decided to serve ”strawberries and grilled […]
The Best For Last The last stop on this one-day tour of the oriental part of Italy that borders Slovenia was a stop at the Castle of Spessa. A place I truly loved, where I’d love to spend a long weekend as spring settles in. The origins of this castle dates back to the 1200s, […]
The latest trend in pasta is the legume-based pasta. Made from red, green or yellow lentils, peas, chickpeas, beans, and even soybeans. It is appearing on the shelves of shops dedicated to natural food and peeping out even in neighborhood supermarkets. How it is made (and why) The pasta is obtained, in all its shapes, […]
How to eat winter vegetables that are so-so, and that frankly I don’t really care for… kind-of-thing. I recall years ago when Bush Senior (RIP), was President he once jokingly said that he never liked broccoli and now that he is the POTUS he is NOT going to eat broccoli. The day after gregarious California […]
The galaxy of Italian stuffed pasta is dotted with all kind of names and sizes: cappelletti, cappellaci, agnolotti, anolini, tortelli, tortellini, tortelloni, ravioli, and so on and so forth. To make it even more confusing and complex, as if this were not enough, there are different regional names and even “internal struggles” related to the motherhood […]
Spätzle (pronunciation: [‘ʃpɛt͡slə] – the term in German dialect means small sparrows), are irregularly shaped dumplings made from soft wheat flour, eggs and water (sometimes beer or milk is used instead of water), originating in southern Germany, also very common in Tyrol, Alsace and Switzerland, Trentino-Alto Adige. They were always popular in my family because […]
Radicchio Time It is radicchio time, and Treviso red chicory risotto is a great way to savor a delicious variety. Characterized by elongated leaves of a beautiful carmine red with white veins, the radicchio is particularly suitable to revive the salads (see Winter Roses for Salad), thanks to its bitter taste and crunchiness. Red Risotto […]
Do Not Start your Diet as Yet… The “Crostoli” are typical “Carnevale only Cookies”, they appear on pasticcerie at the beginning of February until Carnevale, and then that’s it until next year. These crunchy and delicate cookies are called with different names depending on the regions of origin: Chiacchiere and Lattughe (lettuce) in Lombardy, Cenci […]
My mother always announced like that each time she decided to make gnocchi, and the day was special at the prospect of having gnocchi for lunch. Homemade gnocchi need a lot of TLC, but they are not at all difficult to do. At the end they make a simple day into a special one. How […]
I wrote about Pasta, and Olive Oil (EVO), what about Balsamic Vinegar? Not an Ordinary Vinegar Balsamic Vinegar is not an ordinary vinegar, it is another niche product Made in Italy that gained lots of fame abroad. Balsamic vinegar is a condiment that is suitable for many preparations. It goes well with every course from appetizer to […]
Fifty Shades of Red Starting January there are a lot of varieties of red-colored salads. They are called Radicchio (pronounced: RadiKKjo), Radicchio a variety of the leafy chicory) Cichorium intybus var. foliosum) is a perennial plant commonly used in Italian cuisine. It is grown as a leaf vegetable and usually has white-veined red leaves. Radicchio has a bitter and spicy taste, which mellows if […]
This is a simple, fool-proof little cake to make on an winter Sunday afternoon to beat the blues along with a cup of tea, maybe while waiting for a favorite TV show. It was a recipe passed over in my family, ones of those found written in the back of the envelope! 😊 I recall […]
