Have you ever heard of soffritto?  The word means slow fried, or under fried and indicates the cooking method for the first ingredients of a delicious red sauce.  Ingredients to this can vary a bit, but typically in Italy the soffritto consists of three vegetables: onion, carrot, and celery.

Today we are sharing with you a Venetian tradition, as easy to create for your guests at home as it is to enjoy in La Serenissima herself. Cicchetti. Pronounced, chee-ket-tee. They are local snacks, traditionally served with an “ombra”, a small glass of local wine.

With a proud smile on her face, Sabrina went to speak with the man behind the counter.  She came back saying, “OK, he is preparing for us some specialties from the area.”  We had no idea what was in store.  The waiter arrived with a plate of baked Radicchio di Treviso, the most gorgeous looking food I’ve ever seen, with polenta, a cheese from the mountains, and a local meat.  Every bite was special.

As kids and kids at heart here in America choose costumes, jack-o-lanterns, and look forward to Halloween, we find pumpkins all over our grocery stores and decorating our homes.  This time of year is a perfect opportunity to have some fun in the kitchen while the pumpkins are in season and create some delicious meals to share with family and friends!  While Halloween as we know it is only starting to catch on in Italy, they have some fabulous pumpkin dishes that will make any Fall lover’s mouth water!   Read on to discover recipes for pasta, risotto, soup, and...

With the weather cooling, Fall is a great time to get outside and grill out with family and friends.  Whatever your main meal of choice, vegetables can be a perfect side dish to add some color and flavor to your meal.  In Italy, a grilled vegetable “contorno”, or side dish, is a delicious, not to mention healthy, complement to any meal.  It is among the most common side dishes you will find in homes and restaurants.   To make it yourself, choose the vegetables you’d like to use. I love the yellow squash, zucchini, and eggplant combination, but you can also...