If anything was going to bring me back to writing, it was going to be a baked peach. Ever since the days of reading Jane Grigson in the greengrocers at my Saturday job, bundled up in knitwear and watching the clock on the wall tick laboriously by, I’ve dreamt of baked peaches. In the summer,Continue reading “Baked peaches”
Category Archives: Italian
Beef shank with borlotti beans
Ah a recipe! And a distinctly un-springlike one at that. I hope you’ll forgive me. This is something that we cooked during our last couple of weeks in Venice: slow-cooked beef shin with borlotti beans. I don’t think I’ve talked much about our Venetian kitchen, and when I think of it now it doesn’t seemContinue reading “Beef shank with borlotti beans”
Baked branzino
I come to you this evening with possibly the simplest fish recipe in the world. In fact, it’s barely a recipe – more a gentle reminder of something we all know: that lemon, parsley and fresh fish are three things that almost always come together to create something wonderful. And I’m talking about really fresh fish here.Continue reading “Baked branzino”
Sarde in Saor
Sarde in Saor is a hard dish to sell. Made, as it is, of marinated sardines, vinegar, onions and sultanas – all served cold alongside polenta. If there was a marmite of the fish dish world, this would be it. It’s the type of food made for eating in a dark Venetian restaurant, mist risingContinue reading “Sarde in Saor”
Ravioli di Zucca e Amaretti
A few weeks ago, in our old village church, my twin sister got married. It was wonderful, and I was floating atop a fluffy wedding cloud for days afterwards. Not just because it was such a gloriously happy day, but because it objectively was the best kind of wedding. You know, the sort that sees you chauffeured to the receptionContinue reading “Ravioli di Zucca e Amaretti”
Lemon and asparagus risotto
As a teenager I spent a few years working in a greengrocers. On the whole, I hated it. There was no heating so I’d spend those dreaded Saturday mornings wrapped in scarves with a hot water bottle stuffed inside my coat. When I wasn’t fending off the advances of the butcher boy opposite, I wasContinue reading “Lemon and asparagus risotto”
Polenta: A History
Every cuisine is built on a staple food – a starchy backdrop to the main event. It might be potatoes, rice, bread, or, if you’re from the north of Italy, polenta. Cheap, rib-sticking, and innately comforting, it is – as tradition dictates – the perfect starchy staple. Yet, ever since Elizabeth David introduced the UKContinue reading “Polenta: A History”
Risotto alla Milanese
Today I’m bringing you one of my absolute favourite recipes – risotto alla milanese. I wrote this recipe for a guest post on Bistropop a while back, but it’s so perfect for a crisp late November evening that I want to share it with you all now. My usual ramblings about Verona will return later thisContinue reading “Risotto alla Milanese”
Italian sausages and beans (and Verona)
I was planning to write about sausages and beans, but then I remembered that I haven’t properly told you about Verona. About the way the crisp morning air nips at my fingers as I cycle to my Italian class (late, of course), or how the narrow streets ripple with life, and music, and spritz-drinking revellersContinue reading “Italian sausages and beans (and Verona)”
Risotto al radicchio di Verona
Autumn eating in Italy is a bitter-sweet affair, and no more so than in Veneto where bitter red bulbs of radicchio di Verona stands alongside hunks of sweet pumpkin at the market – both destined for risotto, ravioli or soup. Rich, sweet lunches are bookended by an Aperol spritz as an aperitivo and a shot of bitter darkContinue reading “Risotto al radicchio di Verona”
To The Table 