Stanley Tucci’s 6-part series for CNN is an Italophile’s dream. For one hour a week, its viewers are immersed in the food of a single region of Italy.  For lovers of the Italian language, there’s a surprising amount of it spoken here. Subtitles are provided…

This bowl of cold-weather comfort revealed quite a secret. This hearty Tuscan bean soup is a perfect combination of smooth, silky soup topped with crispy, crunchy croutons.  It also fulfills our promise to put more plant-based meals together this year. And we’re not alone.  Americans…

What’s in a name?  Plenty! Drunken Pork Stew Proves it. I have to admit, it was its picture in Fine Cooking–and not its name– that made me want to cook this extraordinarily easy-to-make stew.  Tony Rosenfeld, who wrote “Savory Pork Stews”, says it’s “a quick…

This Lamb Ragu is a colorful and flavorful introduction to Fall. Chef Micheal Mina’s recipe for Lamb Ragu is a keeper. It starts with a bouquet garni of fennel and cumin seeds, Aleppo pepper, and whole black peppercorns.  This gives the dish a hint of…

Two countries create a dinner dish worthy of at least two stars. I love a great meatball which is really what Kofte are.  I am always on the lookout for new flavors to try.  This recipe is from two different sources: A Turkish recipe from…

When Andrew and I were in Portugal last month, we went on a wonderful picnic.  It was part of an optional shore excursion offered by Viking on our 10-day Douro River Cruise.  We left the ship and traveled high up into the hills to the…

Chicken Cacciatore, that Italian classic Chicken Stew, seems an odd choice for a summer meal. However, not too long ago, I was craving it and having just loaded up on Chicken thighs and with 8 people coming to dinner, I went with my craving and…

Ah, Ribollita…the Tuscan soup that’s a perfect antidote to winter.  Hearty and robust, it’s packed with vegetables and day-old bread making it far more a stew than a soup.  Its origins are precise.  Its roots are in the peasant foods of Tuscany particularly in the…

Yotan Ottolenghi is arguably one of the most influential chefs in the world.  His latest cookbook “Ottolenghi Simple” (Ten Speed Press 2108) was just released in this country last week. Chef Ottolenghi has been a frequent presence on these pages and links to his other…

I am mad for Lasagna.  Those layers and layers of pasta and cheese and luscious fillings with hints of rich tomato sauce are some of my favorite things to eat.  That explains why there are  no less than four recipes on the subject, links which…

I won’t go into the dreary details of two nights spent in Frankfurt Airport where a freak storm stranded over 7000 passengers except to say that if a contest were held First Prize would be one night in Frankfurt Airport and Second Prize would be…

In the Northeast, it has been below the freezing mark since Christmas Day. Literally dozens of records have been broken on an almost daily basis. Any thought of Spring is about as far away as April.   So I was taken aback when I saw a…

         For all its popularity, ordinary supermarkets carry surprisingly few pasta shapes.  Granted, they do have a good representation of the types of pasta the home cook needs. But they never come close to the staggering number of varieties you’ll find at a pasta emporium…

        Before making this dish, I checked on the status of one of my most favorite of all seafoods, Swordfish. By 1999,  the North Atlantic swordfish was on its way to oblivion.  Years of overfishing had led to dire predictions.  Undaunted by high mercury levels,…