This year I would like to share with you a traditional dessert that is prepared in Palermo, Sicily for Christmas – Buccellato. Think of the Buccellato as a super-sized fig cookie. The smaller size of this pastry is called Cucciddati or Buccellatini. I think it is more impressive (and easier) for the Christmas table to prepare one Buccellato than a dozen small cookies.
Read MoreThis is the first recipe that I am sharing with you from my new cookbook “Southern Italian Desserts”. It has become one of my favorite cookies and it couldn’t be more simple to make. Can you think of any other cookie that has only three ingredients? It is so good that anybody that has one wants more and more.
Read MoreBack in April I shared five photographs from my new cookbook "Southern Italian Desserts" in a post and asked you to guess the name of the following desserts and the region they come from. Everyone that named at least one dessert correctly (name of dessert and region) was entered into a drawing for a free autographed copy of "Southern Italian Desserts".
Read MoreI can't believe it! I just picked up an advance copy of my dessert book from the Ten Speed Press office and I am so excited the way it turned out that I have to share it with you now. Here it is sitting on my kitchen table!
Read MoreIn this post I have included photographs of some of my favorite desserts from my new cookbook “Southern Italian Desserts.” I can only share five pictures with you. All the photographs were taken by the talented Sara Remington who also did the photography for my first cookbook, My Calabria. The recipes in the book range from simple home desserts to the cutting-edge creations of Southern Italy’s finest pastry chefs. I’ve included desserts already well-known and loved in America, such as gelato and cannoli, as well as regional specialties virtually unknown in this country, and rarely, if ever, found in books, magazines, or online.
Read MoreI have decided to share with youthe recipes that did not make it into my first cookbook "My Calabria". I had tested and submitted too many recipes and at the end many had to be cut so the book didn't go over 400 pages. Here is the first recipe that I would like to share with you, Spaghetti with Fresh Artichokes. This is a simple recipe that I prepare during this time of the yearwhen you can find the small artichokes that are used in this dish. This sauce works well with long or short pasta and especially well with homemade pasta.
Read MoreI feel like I've been keeping a secret for way too long, but it's finally time to share with you the work that I've been doing for the past year and a half. I can’t believe it, after all the testing and retesting, and driving all over Southern Italy to discover and perfect dessert recipes, the hard work is coming to fruition -- I'm proud to announce that my second cookbook is done!
Read MoreIt is the season when I make my candied orange peels to last for the entire year. I use them on top of cannoli, chopped in various desserts, and in my ricotta gelato; we even coat the ends with dark chocolate to eat as candy.
Read MoreTuna preserved in olive oil is the pride of the Calabrian pantry. Most Calabrians that live near the Tyrrhenian coast preserve their own. My parents did not, since they lived inland, but were fortunate to be able to buy good tuna. At the end of every summer vacation we would spend in Calabria my son would have me pack as many jars as would fit in my suitcase.
Read MoreThank goodness things have calmed down from the book tour. Now I can continue sharing recipes and telling you about the garden. But I would also like to hear from you about what you'd like for me to include in the blog: any particular kinds of recipes? More garden tips? More stories about Calabria? Let me know, and I'll get right on it. Here is a video that was shown last Tuesday on Eye on the Bay, a local tv show on the Bay Area channel, KPIX. The show featured my book, my dad’s garden and my mom cooking along with me in my kitchen.
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