Recipes

Risotto with Fresh Figs and Taleggio

Serves 4

Fresh Fig, Prosciutto and Parmigiano Reggiano Salad

A perfect easy summer salad using fresh figs at their peak of ripeness to add a sweet juicy flavor to a simple salad.

Serves 4

Crostini with Arugula, Gorgonzola and Walnuts

Serves 6

Roasted Piquillo Peppers with Goat Cheese Spread

Roasted peppers lightly dressed as they are in this recipe are great to make any time you are making grilled meats.  Or they can be paired with goat cheese for a wonderful antipasto.

Fresh Figs with Blue Cheese and Honey

Serves 4

Linguine with Greens, Tomatoes, Basil, and Fresh Cream

I don’t think you can find this recipe anywhere else. It’s an invention of a friend of mine, a chef from Umbria with whom I worked in Berlin. He told me it was born of necessity: he had to prepare a pasta dish for a large table of guests who had arrived just before the restaurant was about to close for the night. Very apologetic and kind, the guests asked if their favorite chef could prepare something special for them. As often in the cucina, the unavoidable need of using leftovers—in this case, bieta (chard) and tomato sauce—created a wonderful and unexpected dish.

This is probably one of simplest and tastiest examples of Italian-style grilled lamb on skewers (spiedini). Also called “rustelle” locally, they are a traditional dish in many parts of Abruzzo—and becoming more and more popular in other regions of Italy. A special long and narrow grill called a “fumacella” is often used there, a local invention that can be found only in Abruzzo. Each spiedino (singular form) is inserted in a little tube and simply turned to be grilled on all sides—but you can make these spiedini on a regular charcoal grill without any special equipment at all! They are often accompanied with grilled slices of country bread soaked with olive oil—and “rivers of red wine” (“fiumi di vino” as we say in Italy), such as Montepulciano or Terre di Chieti.

Serves 4

Grilled Spiedini -Spiedini di carne mista alla griglia

This is a great example of how easy and versatile spiedini can be. You can vary the types of meat to suit your taste—substituting turkey breast, pork filet or lamb, for instance. For extra color and flavor, feel free to add a small champignon, a cherry tomato and/or a slice of zucchini to each skewer.

Serves 4

Crema Gelato

Crema flavor is the most popular flavors in Italian gelateries. It is as simple as gelato can get....milk, eggs, and sugar. It has a rich yellow color from the deep hue of the egg yolks.  Try to find the freshest eggs available to you. With a recipe with as few ingredients as this one, you need to use the fresh and best ingredients you can find.

Serves 4-6