Puff pastry is great to have on hand as a quick time-saver.  It works in a pinch when I don’t have time to make the dough for those stuffed bread recipes Italians are so fond of.  You can use just about any filling you would use for a calzone, pizza, or rotolo.  This recipe uses […]

Sicilian pesto typically has basil, garlic, olive oil, and uncooked (crudo) tomatoes in it.  The main difference between the traditional pesto and Pesto Trapanese is that it contains almonds.  Sometimes mint, pine nuts, and anchovy are also added.  Pesto Trapanese originated in the province of Trapani, an ancient seaport where sailors from Genoa purportedly introduced […]

Mandarin orange marmalade is one of the staples I try to have on hand in my pantry.  Not only do I love slathering it on my toast in the morning but I also use it to make Italian desserts.  Mandarin orange marmalade goes into the fig filling for making Sicilian cuccidati cookies, marmalade crostatas, filled […]