briciole

Novel Food #3: the Finale (one serving)

Spring has sprung, or fall has brought cooler temperatures, depending on your hemisphere of residence. In any case, another season is at the door, bringing its special gifts. Novel Food, the literary/culinary event Lisa of Champaign Taste and I started last year, strives to provide nourishment for the body and for the mind in the guise of literary works that inspired the preparation of dishes. Each contribution is a short trip into a literary world that is made more pleasant by edible morsels. Lisa and I had fun receiving the submissions, reading intriguing stories and delicious recipes. Now we are sharing... Read more →

Novel Food #3: biscotti

Biscotto is a word of Latin origin that means twice-baked: the dough is baked, then cut into slices and baked again. From describing a cooking procedure, the word biscotto came to indicate a baked product, crunchy and rather dry in texture. Nowadays, biscotti are not necessarily twice-baked 1. In Italy, you can find shelves full of biscotti in grocery stores: frollini, novelllini, petit, oswego (or osvego), plus a host of brand-specific names. What do we do with them? He opened the refrigerator and pulled out a liter of milk, splashed some into a pan, and set it on the flame to... Read more →

pasta al burro e parmigiano / pasta with butter and parmigiano

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano] I grew up eating pasta for lunch almost every day. As a child, I looked forward to departures from the routine (which, in the case of pasta seasoning, was tomato and meat sauce): I looked forward to having pasta al burro e parmigiano. Arriving home after school, I would ask my mother: Cosa c'è per pranzo? (what's for lunch?) and the 'right' answer would bring a big smile on my face. My preferred shape for pasta al burro e parmigiano is spaghetti, but any shape can be used. Pasta al burro e... Read more →

spaghetti all'amatriciana

Not long ago I made spaghetti alla carbonara and in that post I mentioned an article in the New York Times on guanciale. The article starts by mentioning pasta all'amatriciana: when I read it, I did not know that I would be soon making it. The inspiration came from finding Niman Ranch guanciale at The Pasta Shop in Oakland. I bought some and decided that I would use it to make spaghetti all'amatriciana. I remember eating bucatini all'amatriciana, but I am not a fan of bucatini and prefer spaghetti. As mentioned in the NYT article, some people consider spaghetti closer to... Read more →

mela / apple

I am not a breakfast person: when I get up, the first thing I crave is something hot and liquid, which translates into a cup of black tea, followed by another cup of black tea, followed, an hour or so later, by a cup of coffee made using my stovetop coffee maker. It is not until mid-morning that I turn my attention to something solid and that something has been, for more years than I can remember, una mela (an apple). Una mela al giorno leva il medico di torno (an apple a day keeps the doctor away), you may remind... Read more →

a volte basta un nonnulla / sometimes the slightest thing is enough

This Italian expression is not related to food, but it is the title of an image contest that Italian blogger Baol of vorrei essere un baol (I'd like to be a baol) launched a little while ago, and to which I am participating. The idea was to submit an original image (photo or drawing) inspired by the expression: a volte basta un nonnulla. Since this is a context, there will be a winner, and also a second and third place. I am inviting you to visit the page where the entries are displayed, here, and to vote by expressing your preferences... Read more →