Making Peanut Brittle, Take #1
We made peanut brittle from a Food Network recipe. The idea was for Ditalini to bring some to work, and to make small gift packages of what’s left. We’re not totally happy with the results of the recipe, though, so…
Moroccan Meatball Soup
A friend posted a photo of this soup on Facebook. It looked good, so I asked her to post the recipe and last night cooked up a pot for Ditalini and me. It didn’t take long to make, maybe half…
deMenthe Thanksgiving 2013
We were all here for Thanksgiving: Crouton & Ditalini, our son Baguette, daughter-in-law Truffle, and grandson Pesce, along with our daughter Escargot and her boyfriend. Underfoot, of course, were Mortadella & Ubriaco, along with Baguette’s dog. Our poor old cat…
Ditalini’s Easy Jambalaya
Ditalini makes this jambalaya from time to time, and it’s always good. It’s adapted from a Rachel Ray recipe; we call it “easy jambalaya.” The list of ingredients is long, but the dish itself is easy to prepare.
Appetizer Ideas
We went to a dinner at Poulet en Crote’s last night. Poulet prepared the main course while guests brought side dishes. Ditalini was responsible for bringing appetizers, and here they are: There are hundreds of ways to make deviled eggs,…
Mexican & Tex-Mex Added to Index
Ditalini made another batch of chiles rellenos last night. I couldn’t remember if her recipe was on the blog, so I looked for it and couldn’t find it. No problem, my camera was handy and I started snapping photos, intending…
Ditalini’s Family Gnocchi Recipe
Ditalini’s Aunt Joyce, a first-generation Italian-American and today the matriarch of the della Fagiolis, taught us this authentic gnocchi recipe, brought to the USA from Vittorio Veneto when the family emigrated.
Polenta
I learned about polenta when I married Ditalini. It was what you ate when you were poor, or when you were tired of pasta and wanted something different. Sometime during the 1980s polenta became trendy and today you can find…
Ditalini’s Family Meat Sauce Recipe
This is the real stuff, a family meat sauce recipe from the Veneto region of Italy, handed down to my wife Ditalini from her family, the della Fagiolis. I’m sure the recipe changed as it adapted to life in the…
Ditalini’s Pasta alla Carbonara
We love pasta carbonara, but it’s so rich we have it only once or twice a year. Ditalini bases her recipe on one from Mario Batali. Notes: Pancetta gives the dish a crispier, saltier flavor. Bacon gives it a smoky, less…