These glorious meatballs are one of the most successful dishes you can make when you have to cook for many and you would like to have something that you can prepare in advance and just wam up before serving. I like using them as a “cicchetto” as well, just a couple on a small plate to…
This delicious raw sauce comes from western Sicily. It might be far less famous than its brother from Genova but I often prefer it to it because of its freshness. Normally it goes with a pasta called “busiate trapanesi”, a kind of twisted spaghetti, but you can surely use regular or “alla chitarra” spaghetti. I learnt this recipe…
Pellegrino Artusi is the legendary author of the classic Tuscan cookbook “The Science of Cooking and the Art of Fine dining”, appeared in 1891. This book has aged so well that most of its recipes still work wonders; I use it very often and these biscuits are something I make regularly, they are simple and…
When in Tuscany in the summer, weather you have a kitchen or not, this is one of the best meals to have: figs, ham and bread. You can certainly reproduce this somewhere else but you know that when a meal is so simple, the quality of the ingredients is essential, and there’s only one place…
This is a traditional first dish from Sicily that uses some of the best flavours of this land together with sardines, a fish that I love very much because it is very good, cheap, healthy and ethical. It also uses wild fennel, a plant that grows spontaneously in the Mediterranean lands. If you can’t find…
Pesto alla genovese is the sauce that made Genova and Liguria famous around the world. It is one of those things that almost everyone buys at the supermarket but it is really so easy and fast to make at home and the taste is incomparable. You can use a mortar (the real thing) or a hand blender/food processor…
Polpettone is the classic Italian meatloaf of the Tuscan tradition. There are many versions of it — baked in the oven, in the pot or boiled. This version comes from my mum, who perfected the recipe in the years. It is very important that you let it cool down with a weigh on it to avoid…
Pane carasau is a thin, crispy bread from Sardegna. It used to be the bread of fishermen because it stays good for a long time. They would take it on their boats and soak it in sea water before eating it. You can it as a bread, with a sauce or a dip, or you…