briciole

roasted tromboncino squash with tomatoes / zucchetta al forno con pomodori

jump to Recipe fresh ingredients, simply prepared make my ideal meal (placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO) The current Cook the Books Club selection is A Cook's Tour, Global Adventures in Extreme Cuisines by the late Anthony Bourdain. Some editions of the book carry the subtitle In Search of the Perfect Meal, which feels more appropriate as it is a theme that recurs in the memoir. At times, Bourdain writes with deep sensitivity and shares insights in what he saw and experienced, like his observations of Vietnamese people or his homage to the many Mexican immigrants who work in restaurants in... Read more →

strawberry, fava bean, fennel and radish salad / insalata di fragole, fave, finocchio e ravanello

jump to Recipe Farm-fresh iceberg lettuce inspired this serving option (placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO) Our current Cook the Books Club selection is the memoir Taste by actor Stanley Tucci1. The book included a couple of interesting sections, one pertaining the history of the highly enjoyable movie Big Night (1996),2 in which Tucci played the younger brother, Secondo. I didn't know that he had written the screenplay. If you haven't seen it, I recommend it. The other section I enjoyed was where Felicity (now Tucci's wife) prepared roasted potatoes in a way that first surprised then alarmed the author, but... Read more →

red beet, carrot, apple and egg salad / insalata di barbabietole rosse, carote, mela e uovo sodo

jump to Recipe Colorful salad: the view from above (placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO) Our current Cook the Books Club selection is the spy novel Red Sparrow by Jason Matthews1. I chose this book for our Club in early June 2021. I had no idea that by the time I started reading it, it would feel like current events. It was hard to believe the book was published in 20132. While I am an avid reader of mystery novels, this was my first experience reading a spy novel. I was attracted to it because each chapter ends with a short... Read more →

honeynut squash and red beet soup / zuppa di zucca e barbabietola rossa

jump to Recipe festive colors and bright flavor Our current Cook the Books Club selection is Midnight Chicken by Ellen Risbridger1, a cookbook with stories. The most exciting thing for me related to this book is that I was able to get the electronic version from the library (biblioteca). I am still not sure how I got the various pieces to work, but one day, I clicked on a link in an email and pretty soon I could open the book in my e-reader. I don't think this is the best solution for cookbooks (seeing as the kitchen is not the... Read more →

red Napa cabbage and winter squash with applesauce / cavolo napa rosso e zucca con salsa di mele

jump to Recipe a personal take on the cabbage and apple pairing The current Cook the Books Club selection is Cinnamon and Gunpowder by Eli Brown: The year is 1819, and the renowned chef Owen Wedgwood has been kidnapped by the ruthless pirate Mad Hannah Mabbot. He will be spared, she tells him, as long as he puts exquisite food in front of her every Sunday without fail.1 There's the pirate ship's colorful cast of characters — Mr. Apples, the knitting thug; mysterious twins Feng and Bai; and Joshua, who can neither hear nor speak and becomes a sort of adopted... Read more →

pear tart / crostata di pere

jump to Recipe the simple elegance of a crostata always wins at the table (placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO) The current Cook the Books Club selection is Midnight at the Blackbird Café by Heather Webber.1 On her website, the author explains: The inspiration for this novel came years ago in a song. After hearing the Beatles' "Blackbird" for the first time, it haunted me... I was captivated with the concept of broken wings and how emotional wounds can keep many from being able to metaphorically fly... Blackbird research led me quickly to the Song of Sixpence with its “four and... Read more →

roasted vegetables with za'atar / verdure arrosto con za'atar

jump to Recipe [versione in italiano] the oven and za'atar turn summer vegetables into a flavorful side dish (placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO) Also called wild thyme, za’atar is an herb typical of the Middle East. Chef Yotam Ottolenghi has this to say about it: [Za’atar] has a distinctive, pungent, savoury aroma. Its scientific name, Origanum syriacum, hints at a connection to oregano, marjoram and the like, but, for me, its flavour evokes cumin, lemon, sage and mint.1 Za’atar is also used to indicate a mix composed of the dried herb, sumac (obtained by grinding the berries of the shrub... Read more →

roasted eggplant and tomatoes with cheese / melanzane e pomodori arrosto con formaggio

jump to Recipe I wish I could also share the smell (placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO) The current Cook the Books Club selection is 97 Orchard: An Edible History of Five Immigrant Families in One New York Tenement by Jane Ziegelman. While a couple of articles about the book had made me curious, the reading turned out to be totally engrossing. Using five immigrant families as points of departure, Ziegelman paints a rich historical and social picture of New York City: They are German, Italian, Irish, and Jewish (both Orthodox and Reform) from Russia and Germany—they are new Americans, and... Read more →

kohlrabi slaw with fresh fruit / insalata di cavolo rapa, carota e frutta fresca

jump to Recipe [versione in italiano] fresh fruit turns kohlrabi slaw sweet Pale green or purple, kohlrabi is a stunning vegetable, with its bulbous enlarged stem and its crown of leaves. The name kohlrabi comes, via German, from the Italian cavolo rapa and literally means 'turnip cabbage'. However, kohlrabi is not a turnip, but a cultivar of Brassica oleracea, a species that includes broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale. Kohlrabi is a versatile vegetable: you can eat it raw, add it to soups and stews, shred it to make fritters or slice and grill it, or cube and roast it. Regardless of the... Read more →

Novel Food #42: the finale (readings and recipes)

The 42nd edition of Novel Food is ending with the customary roundup. I have been hosting the event for over 14 years and it's been a constant pleasure. This time we'll have a small party still rich in reading suggestions. Each post describes a work of written words and the dish that the reading inspired. Join me on a literary/culinary tour. For each contribution, I offer a small bite to whet your appetite: follow the link to read the details of the literary work and the dish. We hope you'll be inspired in your reading and in your kitchen. a light,... Read more →