When you think of Sicilian food, I’d wager pasta alla Norma, bottles of Mount Etna rosso, gelato-stuffed brioche buns, juicy blood oranges, and deep-fried treasures like arancini and panelle are some of the first things to come to mind. All delightful, no doubt, but it’s the humble bean- and lentil-based soups, stews, and pasta dishes from the region that I anticipate making the most now that I’m home.
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italian
Sicilian Blood Orange, Onion, and Olive Salad
Apologies for going dark here recently, but I promise it has been for a good reason. I’m currently writing from Valledolmo, a small village in central Sicily, about an hour and a half away from Palermo, where I arrived a little over three weeks ago to attend Cook the Farm, a 9-week culinary and horticulture program at the Anna Tasca Lanza cooking school. These past few weeks I’ve been busy settling in, cooking, gardening, eating, and learning all about this wonderfully-crazy island and its culture. Though I took a bit of an (unintentional) break from blogging, I have lots of good things coming your way. In the weeks before I left, I was in my kitchen near-round-the-clock testing, tasting, and photographing recipes to share while I’m gone, and will also be updating my Instagram with my adventures.
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Braised Pearl Onions With Pancetta
With their papery skins and mini-me size, pearl onions are some of the most darling vegetables at the market. That said, I can pretty much guarantee that I’ll never buy them fresh, and wouldn’t suggest you do so either. Why? Because I like you, and because I suspect you have far better things to do with your time than to painstakingly peel a pound plus of these teeny-tiny alliums, when a perfectly good substitute is in the freezer aisle. Thawed and drained, frozen pearl onions work like a charm in this and many other cooked applications.
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Italian Brisket With Tomatoes and Onions
As anyone well-acquainted with their dutch oven or slow-cooker can attest to, braised (or in this case, simmered) meaty things make for ideal weeknight fodder. No, they’re not quick-cooking like skirt steak or chicken thighs; instead, they’re of the make-ahead variety (another practical weeknight dinner strategy). Long-cooked and tender, this particular recipe is even better on day two or three as leftovers and freezes wonderfully, making it a meal preppers dream.
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Arugula, Endive, and Radicchio Salad With Parmesan
Nearly a year after our cross-country move, I’m still loving living in New York. It certainly has it’s trying moments, but at least for the foreseeable future, it’s where I most want to be. That said, there are certain things I miss dearly about San Francisco: primarily my friends and family, but also the incredible farm-fresh produce, and the superb restaurants. One of the spots that I yearn for most might surprise those who aren’t from the Bay Area. While I’m hardly wanting for killer pizza in New York, I often find myself dreaming about San Francisco’s Pizzeria Delfina. Yes, the pizza is on point (I’m particularly fond of the salsciccia and broccoli raab pies), but what I really crave is the insalata tricolore, a lemony chicory salad that (at least for me) is a non-negotiable order.
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Italian Chopped Salad With Salami, Prosciutto, and Fontina
One of Andrew’s all-time-favorite foods is an Italian sub, so when I was flipping through Williams-Sonoma’s newly-rereleased cookbook Salad of the Day: 365 Recipes for Every Day of the Year and saw a recipe for an Italian chopped salad loaded with prosciutto, salami, and fontina, I knew I had to try it out, and the sooner the better. On the first bite, I wasn’t quite sure what to think — there’s a lot going on here — but I soon found myself with an empty bowl and a satisfied smile on my face. (Andrew, predictably, was also a fan.)
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Blood Orange Aperol Granita
With it’s sunny red-orange hue and gently-bittersweet flavor, Aperol might seem an amaro best suited for taking the edge off blazing-hot summer afternoons. (There’s certainly some truth to that thought; when it comes to day drinking, it’s hard to top a fizzy Aperol Spritz.) But I’d argue it’s equally appropriate during these dreary winter months.
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