Food, Travel, and Cooking!
Some time ago I read how Fettuccine Alfredo was first created, using only butter and cheese. So you can imagine my delight when one day I saw Italian butter at our favourite cheese shop, Les Amis du Fromage! Wow, I could hardly wait to get home and make some Alfredo. Of course, there’s no question but Alfredo […]
My “take” on a Lorenza de’Medici recipe. We think the addition of pancetta and a splash of white wine to the sauce makes it even more delicious. I often make half the recipe for our primo which goes especially well with lamb marinated in my go to marinade for lamb. And I hone in on local leeks, which are so sweet and […]
Years ago I read an article about ramps in Gourmet Magazine. I was really curious, what the heck are they? Turns out they are hunted & gathered in the spring and are also known as wild leeks. A good friend, who is a chef, used her connections & got us some. Still don’t know the secret places they are found though! […]
This is my take on “ramp” pesto as no matter how hard I look, I never seem to be able to find local ramps here in B.C. There was a whisper from a friend that they grow on Vancouver Island…need to follow up on that. Otherwise we have to bring them in from eastern Canada, […]
I was inspired to create this pasta after tasting my husband’s lunch at Trattoria Da Leo in Lucca, Italy. It’s not exactly the same but it’s still damned good. I like to use cauliflower when it’s in season because I think it’s sweeter, but this can be made anytime and will still be a great […]
This is the best version of Cacio e Pepe I have made so far, although in Rome, where the dish originates, we found that they used tonnarelli, a thick spaghetti, instead of regular spaghetti. I would recommend the Spaghetti alla Chitarra pasta made by either GiGi or La Molisana. I use it as a substitute for the tonnarelli which, I […]
For a printer friendly version of this recipe, click here. This is an excellent recipe for pasta dressed with an asparagus sauce from Julia Della Croce’s cookbook, Umbria. I made it this last spring and it was excellent. It’s worth tracking down really fresh, locally grown asparagus, either your own or from your Farmer’s Market […]
For a printer friendly version of this recipe, click here. When we get a craving for Greek food in the fall and winter, there’s only one thing to be done, either Pastitsio (sort of a Greek macaroni and cheese) or moussaka …this is the macaroni and cheese favourite. The sauce can easily be made a […]
I previously posted a recipe for the “official” sauce from Bologna. This version has the same basics but with the addition of beef stock and red wine. Some recipes use beef, pork and veal but I think the pancetta covers the pork part! Marcella Hazan’s recipe uses a little EVOO and butter, all beef, no pancetta, […]
A pasta dish with the Greek flavours of cinnamon, cloves and cayenne. These spices remind me of the first spaghetti dish I absolutely fell in love that got me started down the path to pasta addiction! The pasta is simple to make and mouthwatering to eat! Garlic could be added to the sauce…I sometimes do! […]