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Osteria Francescana
I recently had the opportunity to dine at Osteria Francescana, a three Michelin star restaurant located in the breathtaking Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. Led by acclaimed chef-patron Massimo Bottura, Osteria Francescana holds the spot for the number three restaurant in the world and is renowned worldwide for its artistic flair, creativity, and masterful use of local ingredients. With a combination of impeccable service and dishes that wowed and delighted literally one after the other, my husband and I had a glorious time and cannot wait to go back.
We spent a couple days in Modena, where the restaurant in located, and I thoroughly recommend doing that as well if you are lucky enough to dine at Osteria Francescana. Modena is the home of true balsamic vinegar and also, interestingly, the birthplace of Enzo Ferrari and Luciano Pavarotti. There is a super cool Ferrari museum not too far out of town that is definitely worth a stop.
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Italian-Style Stuffed Peppers
Here is my grandmother’s tried-and-true recipe for the best Italian-style stuffed peppers. Although I have made a few modern variations on stuffed peppers recently (some unsuccessful, I must admit), I wanted to take it back and make the *real* stuffed peppers my family and I have enjoyed for years so I asked my grandmother for her recipe.
The peppers are stuffed with a tasty mixture of ground beef, pork and veal, along with onions, cooked rice, bread, Parmesan cheese, fresh parsley and garlic. It’s full of traditional Italian flavors and almost tastes like a meatball. The cooked rice adds texture and heartiness, and the mixture of meats adds a ton more flavor and richness than if you only used ground beef. We have a special way of cooking it that doesn’t dry out the filling, but still allows the stuffed peppers to retain their shape. These stuffed peppers make for a lovely meal. Enjoy!
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Osso Buco
Last weekend we visited my family in America and I was delighted to help my mom and grandmother cook up a Milanese classic, veal Osso Buco. A traditional Osso Buco consists of thick-cut, bone-in veal shanks that are braised for several hours in a white wine, tomato and herb sauce, and finished with a piquant gremolata topping.
“Osso Buco” translates in Italian to “bone’s hole,” – you can see how this dish got its name once the veal is cooked up to perfection and all of the marrow has seeped from the bones, thus creating a rich, decadent sauce, and, yes, leaving a “bone’s hole” in the center of the shanks. Because the veal is slow-cooked in this sauce, the meat becomes tender and succulent and falls easily off the bone.
This is a timeless and classic
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Chicken Saltimbocca
Chicken Saltimbocca is an old-school Italian dish with a ton of flavor and pizazz. Saltimbocca translates to “jump in the mouth” and it’s easy to understand how this meal got its name once you take your first bite. You may think Chicken Saltimbocca is only something to enjoy at your favorite Italian restaurant, but my at-home recipe is easy and makes for one delicious meal.
The essential elements of Chicken Saltimbocca include prosciutto, fresh sage leaves and a white wine sauce. It can be made using
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Frittata with Bacon & Fresh Ricotta
Frittatas are famous for being quick and easy to make and for that reason I find myself baking them quite often whenever I am in need of a simple, weeknight dinner. In the past I have experimented with many different combinations of ingredients, one of my favorites being asparagus and gruyere. Your creativity as a cook is really allowed to shine because there are essentially no rules in frittata-making and the possibilities are pretty much endless. Another great thing is that it’s just as good at room temperature as it is straight out of the oven, so it can be made in advance if necessary.
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Panarea, Sicily
I just got back from a summer holiday on the tiny Sicilian island of Panarea. Panarea is part of Italy’s Aeolian Island chain, and thanks to the abundance of gourmet restaurants, buzzy euro nightlife, haute shopping, and stunning vistas, it has become a sort of “off the beaten path” celebrity hotspot. W recently published an article that describes the island as the place “the jet set goes to escape the jet set” and I couldn’t find a better way to describe it. The island is so exclusive and chic it makes Capri look like yesterday’s old news.
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Lightened Up Italian Wedding Soup
Here is a recipe I created for a lightened up version of Italian Wedding Soup. Traditional Italian Wedding Soup consists of chicken broth, hearty greens and tasty homemade meatballs. Instead of using the higher-fat meats traditionally used to make meatballs (pork, veal or beef), I used lean ground turkey breast and the results were excellent.
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Dinner at Del Posto
This past weekend we finally made it back to one of the fanciest Italian restaurants in New York, Del Posto. The hotspot, run by celebrity Italian food personalities, Mario Batali, Joe Bastianich and Lidia Bastianich, occupies an opulent space in Chelsea, where live piano fills a bustling, warmly-lit dining room. Del Posto received a four-star rating from New York Times critic Sam Sifton a couple years back, much to the surprise of discerning editors and restaurant-goers alike who doubted it deserved a coveted spot next to the finest dining establishments in the city–Per Se, Daniel, Le Bernardin, Eleven Madison Park and Jean Georges.
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Forcella: Pizza di Napoli on the Bowery
I finally made it to pizza master Giulio Adriani’s new restaurant on the Bowery, Forcella. We went this past Friday, which was the first day the East Village got power back after Hurricane Sandy, so I give them extra points off the bat for hustling open to the delight of hungry SoPo diners like ourselves.
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Mediterranean Bow-Tie Pasta Salad
For a great summer side to accompany anything from a cookout to a gourmet meal, try my Mediterranean Bow-Tie Pasta Salad. Made with only oil and vinegar and no mayonaise, this salad has a lightness to it that tastes fresh and really allows the flavors to come through. It is prepared Mediterranean style with feta and kalamata olives, along with red bell pepper, chickpeas and green peas for extra texture and flavor. Enjoy!
