From the category archives:

Italian

Fava Bean Puree and Spaghetti

May 18, 2010
Thumbnail image for Fava Bean Puree and Spaghetti

Fava beans are a lot like life: it takes a lot of work to get to the really good parts.

First there’s a pod to deal with. Peel back the zipper-string that keeps the pod sealed tight, open up…

For the full story →

Delicata Squash with Browned Butter and Sage Recipe

December 21, 2009
Thumbnail image for Delicata Squash with Browned Butter and Sage Recipe

One of the best things about being a gastronome and a restaurant professional at an award winning restaurant is that my work environment is a constant source of inspiration. Some of the dishes we serve at the Osteria are…

For the full story →

Thick as a brick chicken

August 21, 2009
Thumbnail image for Thick as a brick chicken

There are little stories we tell ourselves to make it past the little things we do that might not be so noble. The guilt associated with a late night ice cream run is easily assuaged by the internal voice…

For the full story →

A Beet Recipe for My Mother

March 28, 2009
Thumbnail image for A Beet Recipe for My Mother

I became mortal last week. One phone call and one letter took away that lingering innocence of youth and reminded me that no one, not even myself, can live forever. Here, in the center of my being,…

For the full story →

(Italian) Restaurant week in Boston

March 3, 2009

With plane ticket fares through the roof it’s impossible to hop a plane to Italy every time you get a craving for pizza or homemade pasta. And thanks to lean times, even eating a slice or a…

For the full story →

Eggs al Forno Revisited

January 29, 2009
Thumbnail image for Eggs al Forno Revisited

Open most refrigerators in America and you’re likely to find an egg.

As food groups go, the egg is one of our most versatile ingredients. Prepare it simply, dress it up with common or elegant ingredients, manipulate it with good…

For the full story →

Butternut Squash Gratin, 2009 Revisited

January 7, 2009
Thumbnail image for Butternut Squash Gratin, 2009 Revisited

If a face can launch a thousand ships, what power could a butternut squash have? Turns out one baked butternut squash from Tuscany topped with melted sheep’s milk cheese had the power to change my life.

Flash back to…

For the full story →

Penne tre colori: Something wonderful from almost nothing

October 30, 2008

.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; }

Penne tre colori, originally uploaded by Foodwoolf.

Desperation inspires an act of innovation

Whenever my refrigerator…

For the full story →

Say Cheese

June 3, 2008

For some people, cheese is just a food. For others, it’s an addictive substance.

Cheese lovers hover at cheese counters and unconsciously paw at the glass that keeps them from aromatic wedges of Parmesan, stinky rounds of French triple…

For the full story →

Don’t fear the egg

May 15, 2008

The beauty of an egg is its simplicity–simplicity embodied in its elegant shape and intelligent design. Inside the egg, there is a delicate liquid dance of light and dark—a golden orb of yolk suspended in a viscous,…

For the full story →