Sunday At the Giacomettis

I love it when my friends get all excited over traditional recipes.  This recipe is usually made in the Fall, when Porcini Mushrooms are in Season and readily available.   I had some sliced baby Bella's out of California as well as some dried Porcini to use up and you all know how how frugal I am.    No better way to cool off this hot Summer day than a dish of this hearty pasta, even if it's out of season.   I have been told it was also called "Lover's Pasta" in some Regions.  I am sure it was because when one was out foraging Mushrooms all day, you really missed them when they got back.  No better way to end the meal with a little dessert, right? Well, at least it's what I have been told.   Forget the BBQ, this is all you will need.  Enjoy!   Buon Appetito! Ingredients:  Serves 6 people One pound of Penne or Rigatoni (Any Tubular pasta will do nicely) 4 ounces of sliced (unsmoked) pancetta or salt pork cut into small ...

I love finding surprises in my garden.   Eggplants have always been one of my favorites.   I have had my fill of eggplant Parmigiana and eggplant tapenade  this Summer.  Now that we are nearing the end of the Summer season, I found two eggplants hiding behind one of my overgrown tomato plants.   This is the perfect dish.  I never get tired of Pasta, do you? Ingredients: 4 servings 2 medium  eggplants, sliced, salted and drained.  Wipe clean with paper towels and set aside.  Begin this process approx. 2 hour ahead, so eggplants have a chance to extract their liquid. 3-4 cloves of garlic diced 2 sliced fresh tomatoes (I used compari, as they break down easily even with their skins on). 3 tablespoons of olive oil 1 tablespoon vegetable oil salt (several teaspoons to taste) Pepper (about 2 teaspoons) One large skillet About 8 ounces of fresh mozzarella torn or sliced into pieces One pasta pot 12 ounces of Rigatoni ...

The following is the only way to prepare classic Pasta Carbonara.   There is no other way,  I promise.  It's orgins are questionable.   There are several theories about how this dish came about.   I tend to lean toward the explanation of it dating back to Ancient Roman times.  Doesn't everything?    "Cacio e uva" or eggs and cheese was served to coal miners. The black pepper was added to intensify the flavor.  The black pepper resembles coal.    The second theory has to do with two Americans throwing together their food rations, namely cheese and bacon over some pasta and pasta alla Carbonara was born.  Whichever you believe, it's all good to me.  Forget the cooking shows, fancy magazines and  several interesting cookbooks. Classics should be enjoyed and remembered not covered up and forgotten. Since you never know when company will arrive at my house, it's always good to have a plan B.  Pasta is a...

  Nonna's make everything better.  I am not sure why my Nonna Maria added tomatoes to everything.  My guess would be she had them left over from opening a larger can of peeled tomatoes.  Italians do not like waste, especially Italian Nonna's. It all makes perfect sense to me now.  While the chicken cooked, she could get so much done at home, including setting the table and pour some wine for herself and Nonno.   The wonderful flavor of  roasted tomatoes, onions, potatoes merging with bland chicken, turns that chicken into something wonderful.  Nonna's are always right, aren't they? I had a whole bunch of grape tomatoes from my garden, I needed to use up.  My grandmother worked when she came to this country, helping my Mother take care of us and sew up blouses and mens ties  for what we now know as the Ladies Garment Union.   They worked, side by side, in our home in The Bronx.  I was so jealous.  One day in 1968...

I love it when my food causes a big "Stir" on Facebook.  Especially when some of the ingredients are right under our noses, in our kitchen.  Plenty of Fresh tomatoes coming out of the garden, we can't keep up with.  Looking for new way to use them up, can be quite a challenge.  For this dish, I looked in my pantry for some assistance.  Having a well stocked pantry is the key to ones existence (especially when you live 10 miles from the nearest grocery).   Although it was Friday, I really didn't feel like fish.   I always have plenty of black olives and capers on hand just in case.   The dish varies regionally in Italy, with the addition of breadcrumbs in some areas inn the Southern Region.   The dish, with fresh tomatoes is ready in a hurry .   Pick your favorite pasta and enjoy.   Buon Appetito!  Servings:  4 ample Pasta bowls Ingredients:  4 tablespoon of good quality Olive oil ...

  Sometimes being furious has it's advantages.   Life is filled with disappointments  and it seemed to be a day filled with them. Mother told me a long time ago, that letting things roll off your back, is the key to your success.  She is still always right.   I had even forgotten to go by the grocery store for some supplies.   Boxes and boxes still stacked high form the recent move.  Kitchen renovation in Limbo for now, as the cabinet shop is backlogged.  The only remedy? Some classic Italian cooking.   This Pasta Arrabbiata, or "Angry" pasta sauce, truly fits my mood.  I have blogged about  this pasta sauce before.   The Neapolitan version, consists of the addition of black olives and capers, another delicious dish.  Here, its even simpler.  Just a few ingredients had me feeling better in no time.   Traditionally served with Penne pasta, any pasta with an opening will do.  After a quick mix, the...