Limoncello is a popular Italian lemon liqueur that is produced primarily in Sorrento but also in parts of Southern Italy. Lemons grow in abundance here in the western part of the country where I live. It is easy to make your own homemade limoncello; however, making limoncello requires patience. Crema di Limoncello has added cream, […]
Chickpea Crepes: Panelle
Panelle are fritters made with chickpea flour, a popular street food in Sicily. The fritters are usually served in a bread roll. The more traditional method of making panelle requires the chickpea flour to be cooked with water into a thick porridge like mixture, which is then is then cooled, cut, and fried in oil. […]
Lemon Semolina Olive Oil Cake
Lemon paste is the key ingredient in making this rich lemony flavored semolina cake. I have included the link on preparing the recipe from a previous blog post. It freezes well and is great to have on hand when making lemon flavored desserts. Don’t have lemon paste on hand, or you would rather have an […]
Serafina’s Porchetta
Porchetta is a succulent Italian roast pork dish that is popular throughout Italy. The humble porchetta is a holiday dish fit for a king. Different cuts of meat are used to make porchetta. Traditionally it is made with suckling pig, or pork belly wrapped around a pork loin, or just a rolled pork belly; however, […]
Pumpkin Tiramisu Torte
You know that fall has arrived when you notice an abundance of pumpkins at the supermarket. My brain goes into cold-weather mode thinking of foods synonymous with fall, like pumpkin and apple pie. Tiramisu is a popular dessert in cafes and restaurants throughout Italy. It has also become a popular dessert here in the US. […]
Lemon Paste Flavoring
Lemons can add magic to desserts. Lemon paste (pasta di limoni) is an intensely aromatic, thick, jam-like mixture used to flavor Italian desserts. You can use it to flavor cream fillings, cookies, pastries, breads, and cakes, etc. Think lemon cheesecake or just about any dessert you want to add lemon flavor to. There is an […]
Primavera Vegetable Casserole
Primavera means spring in Italian. Artichokes, peas, and asparagus are spring vegetables. These popular vegetables are prepared individually and combined in various Italian dishes. My friend Gerry was kind enough to share his Sicilian mother’s spring vegetable casserole recipe with me. The original recipe inspired me to create this Primavera means spring in Italian. Artichokes, […]
Sicilian Rice Timbale
A timballo or timbale as Sicilians call it, is a molded dish made of rice, pasta, or potatoes. The timbale can be a layered concoction with cheese, vegetables, eggs, meat, and or poultry. Sometimes the filling is encased in a layer of pastry crust or thin fried eggplant slices. It can be simple or as […]
Sfinci: Zeppole (Italian Fried Doughnuts)
Sfinci (or sfingi) is the Sicilian word for the Italian fried doughnut called zeppole (plural). Different regions of Italy also refer to it by different names, but we’ll keep it simple here to the two names that are most popular. This is my family’s recipe for this basic fried yeast doughnut. Have you ever been […]
Turkey Meatballs with Pine Nuts and Currants in Tomato Sauce
Turkey meatballs are a great alternative to those made with beef and pork. The secret to making good meatballs is to brown them before adding to the sauce and to use the best quality canned tomatoes and grated cheese. These meatballs are just as delicious pan fried without the sauce. If you elect not to […]
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