Tiramisu is the all-time most classic dessert recipe in the Italian lectionary. You will find it on 75% of the menus in Italian restaurants. There is a good reason for all of this – it is really good and actually… Read More ›
Classic Italian Dishes
Sexy Italian Salads
Sometimes everything comes together and it all becomes clear. For, example, most people think of salads and can’t get excited. Well, that has all changed for me. Let me tell you how I got to this new place.
Linguine with Clam Sauce
This is one of the all-time favorite pasta dishes. You will find it on well over 50% of the menus in Italian restaurants. In Italy, Venice is probably most famous for this dish. I have this vision sitting in a… Read More ›
Spaghetti and Veal Meatballs
Spaghetti and meatballs is certainly the most well-known Italian dish, at least in the U.S., but most of us have not even tried to make the dish. And yet, it is always a real hit with the fans, especially this… Read More ›
Grilled Pizza
Well, the end of summer is upon us. Look around at all of the things you didn’t fix or get done. Then, grab a cold beer, take a big drink and forget about it. There are more important issues, like,… Read More ›
Pesto Pasta – A Primer
Get ready; it’s time for one of summer’s taste treats. Although good quality basil is available in the Southern states for most of the year, those of us in the North have to wait until this time of year to… Read More ›
Classic Chicken Cacciatore – Umbrian Style
Those of you who have read the posts from our trip to Italy and especially Umbria might remember that our cooking instructor showed us how to make classic chicken cacciatore (see Cooking Lessons in Umbria). I gave a brief description… Read More ›
Tortellini al Tartufo – A Last Fling from Umbria –
This is my final post from Italy. You can see my friend and Bravado chef, Stewart, enjoying a glass of wine with me outside the villa. Note the beautiful hills in the background. Rural Umbria is a real kick. I… Read More ›
Veal Saltimboca and More – Our Big Night in Umbria
On our last night in the mountains of Umbria at the Palazzo Mazzuricci in Macerino (look it up on Google maps), we did our own version of “The Big Night” (I assume everyone has seen that movie – if not,… Read More ›
Caprese Salad – The Best Way to Start the Summer
Sometimes I look at people on the street and think that each one has a story – someone loves them and they love somebody – some have had great happiness or great sadness. I find myself wanting to know their… Read More ›
Make Your Own Pizza – Thin Crust Beauties
If you want a great event for kids or grandkids, or, if you want an innovative dinner party idea, this is it – Make Your Own Pizza (The Thincrust Version).
Bolognese – The Queen of Sauces
I spent much of my life traveling in the developing world working on education projects, visiting many of the most remote countries on the planet. Yet, on checking into a hotel in La Paz or Sana’a or Port au Prince,… Read More ›
Pasta with Sausage and Cream
Earlier this year, we had dinner with a friend, Ann. She was going to make a recipe that her daughter had found in “some cookbook”. It was pasta with sausage and cream and the cookbook was Marcella Hazan’s “Essentials of… Read More ›
An Italian Classic – Eggplant Parmesan
Eggplant has been around for a long, long time. It originated in India maybe 3,000 years ago. The three largest producers are China, India and Egypt, who produce twenty times more than anyone else. Few of you have heard of… Read More ›
Garlic Tomato Salad by Marcella
Tomato plants are strange. Nothing happens for a couple of months and then they go crazy. They suddenly ripen with a frantic, almost feverish, flurry that gives you more product than you can use just as prices at the… Read More ›
Bravado Cooking 