This is a simple recipe that my mother makes frequently.  It requires only a few ingredients, but it’s surprisingly tasty.  It is best served with crusty Italian bread.  Easy Chickpea Soup Difficulty Rating: EasyMakes 4 servings. Ingredients: 1 pound dried chickpeas (garbanzo) beans½ teaspoon baking soda3 stalks of celery, chopped1 small onion, diced2 bay leaves1 […]

Most of us tend to overindulge ourselves over the holidays – myself being no exception.  Overeating at Christmas parties, New Year’s parties, and lavish dinners with friends and family.  In our house, we have the traditional Christmas eve seafood dinner (seven dishes to be exact); on Christmas day, we have rib roast; and then we […]

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 […]

Sicilians seem especially adept at making a tasty meal out of practically nothing. Okay, that may be stretching it a bit, but how about four to five main ingredients max.  Without doubt, this creativity flourished during hard times when there was little food to be had.  This simple soup recipe couldn’t be easier to prepare […]

This is my mother Maria’s signature dish.  I couldn’t post this recipe without mentioning her.  My kids loved this soup and couldn’t wait for her to visit so that she could make it. My dad was an avid saltwater fisherman and at times she would make this dish using Sea Robins (Gunard), considered a trash fish […]

The Sicilian word affucato, or affogato in Italian, means to drown.  Which is what these eggs are – drowned in a savory broth enriched with asparagus and potatoes. My mother Maria can do wonderful things with eggs.  This is my favorite of all of her egg dishes.  It’s a really unique recipe – unusual as far […]

What could be better than a warm hearty bowl of lentil soup with some crusty French bread on a cold and rainy day?  Lentil soup is so easy to make and satisfying.  This is my mother’s basic recipe, sans the pancetta, which is my addition.  I have a debate going with one of my aunts […]

I called my mom the other day to ask her what her plans are for Thanksgiving.  Unfortunately, she lives in New York and doesn’t like to travel, and I’m currently in California.  Somehow we got on the subject of turkey, or how we Sicilians prepare turkey, that is.  She tells me that when a couple […]