Latke (pronounced LOT-keh, LOT-kah or LOT-kee) is Yiddish for “pancake.” On Chanukah, it is traditional to serve latkes (most often potato) fried in oil to celebrate the Chanukah miracle, which involved the oil of the Temple menorah lasting for eight days instead of just one. Jews eat foods that reflect the significance of a holiday — such as matzah on …
This recipe came to me from culinary Maestra, Jo-Ann Gaidosz of Active Gourmet Holidays. I adored her stuffed clams recipe which clearly enhances any Thanksgiving meal. It’s even more fun when your pack of friends and family congregate at the beach, and dig together for the rewards of the mouthwatering crustacean holiday harvest.
Long before there was Paris Hilton, there was her aunt, Zsa Zsa Gabor, and the face and body that launched a thousand marriages (well eight). In 1986 She married Prince Frederic von Anhalt, who was with her until her death in 2016. She became a princess, by virtue of this marriage, but some would say she has always been a royal pain in the ….rear.
I grew up eating meatballs – but this was not due to having a grandmother hailing from Italy. On the contrary, it was the result of having a Danish/Swedish grandmother on my mother’s side of the family. My Grandmother Stave had a knack for making anything taste good.
El Charro Cafe has existed in Tucson since its founding in 1922. Photo courtesy of Deb Roskamp. Owner Marques Flores marched around our table pointing out historic dishes on El Charro Café’s menu. “Order these three items and it will be like eating at my own home.” Who was I to disagree for authentic is what I desired, and the …
A crostata is an Italian baked tart or pie, also known as coppi in Naples and sfogliate in Lombardy. The earliest known use of crostata in its modern sense can be traced to the cookbooks Libro de Arte Coquinaria (Book of the Art of Cooking) by Martino da Como, (circa 1465).
I think I would be remiss if I did not tell our readers about an Italian restaurant my bride Elaine and I visited when we were in Cape Town, South Africa. The name of the restaurant is The Cousins Trattoria and it was actually started by three cousins – Luca, Simone and Andrea Biondi – who came from Italy and somehow ended up in Cape Town.
Early Americans were absolutely oyster crazy. When the first English settlers arrived at Plymouth Rock, oysters were a reliable and tasty source of nutrition. Coastal American Indian Nations had already been harvesting them for at least 3,000 years. As the young colony’s population grew and spread to cover much of the East Coast, folks along the shores devoured oysters. In stuffings, chowders, …
For 85 days, between March and June of this year, my wife, Orna O’Reilly, aka Chef Double O, and I hunkered down inside Villa Allegra, our little bright-white house with Santorini-blue shutters tucked inside the Valle d’Itria just outside of Ostuni, as Italy imposed a nationwide lockdown of biblical proportions to combat the Covid-19 pandemic.
Yes, autumn is in the air. And a good way to keep in touch with different cultures and traditions – without traveling – is to bring new flavors in your own kitchen. My friends at Switzerland Tourism just sent me this delicious and easy to make recipe. In Switzerland it’s called Spätzli or Chnöpfli, and this noodle dish is even better in autumn when you add fresh pumpkin.
