Some vegetables just taste better when they are breaded and deep-fried – like eggplant, mushrooms, zucchini, artichokes, and asparagus.  Rarely do I make anything that requires deep-frying because I hate the clean-up afterwards.  This breaded asparagus recipe takes all the fuss out of having to fry.  The oven does the work for you and the […]

Guaranteed, these authentic manicotti are not like the ones you’re used to eating in Italian restaurants.  Manicotti are traditionally ricotta filled crepes, covered in tomato sauce and topped with mozzarella cheese – just like lasagna.  Most manicotti you find on a restaurant menu or in American homes are made with tube-shaped pasta shells, which really […]

Chickpeas or garbanzo beans is an important food source in Italy.  Chickpeas are high in protein and nutrient rich.  Dry-roasted chickpeas, sold by street vendors, are a popular snack food much like roasted peanuts are here in the U.S.  This earthy, flavorful, soup is rich and very filling. CHICKPEA SOUP (Minestra di Ciciri /Zuppa di […]

This recipe is usually made using wild fennel that grows abundantly in Sicily.  I’ve also seen it growing wild along the coast of southern California.  Wild fennel has a more intense flavor than the fennel that is available commercially.  Most grocery stores carry fennel bulb which makes an adequate substitute.  It is sweeter and milder […]