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Macaroni and cheese has a sensuous Italian doppelganger that shows up on menus in every Italian restaurant around the world. Introducing cacio e pepe, a creamy cheese and pasta dish that leaves dinner guests swooning. “Cacio” is what Italians in southern and central Italy call cheese. In other parts of Italy, cheese is also called formaggio.Such basic ingredients—pasta, pecorino cheese, pepper and water. But the magic lies in the subtle alchemy. Don’t underestimate the power of the pasta water. A cup of this starchy elixir will make all the difference in blending your pasta and cheese into this classic dish. And don’t be afraid to be generousRead More →

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Uova alla Fiorentina is a favorite of Tuscans and cucina-italian-loving cooks everywhere. The dish consists of a flowing cream sauce over gently poached eggs nestled on a bed of spinach. The flavor of Parmesan cheese cream sauce and the tart greens blend with soft-cooked eggs. Think fondue in a ramekin. Served with delicate toast points or hearty country bread makes it a light meal.Uova alla Fiorentina has three components— besciamella or cream sauce, cooked spinach, and poached egg. To simplify the process of serving the dish, make the cream sauce and prepare the spinach ahead. Then reheat them just before serving.  The cream sauce keeps for up to 48 hoursRead More →

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Rich, creamy risotto ranks among the finest of Tuscan dishes, one we crave especially in cooler weather. This soothing bowl of poultry and vegetable-specked risotto, makes a lovely primo piatto or first course.We adapted the recipe from La Cucina Toscana della Chuisa: Dania’s Favorite Recipes, by Dania Lucherini, one of the beloved members of our Tuscan Women Cooks family. A word about the ingredients in this dish. If you visit Tuscany in the fall, you’re likely to see cacciatore (“hunters”) parked along the roadside carrying a brace of birds, rabbits or even a cinghiale (“wild boar”). Tuscan cooking relies on local produce of all kinds including wild game meat and fowl such as piccione (“pigeon”Read More →

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Few cocktails can be traced to their birth. The negroni is a rare exception. Culinary historians report that the negroni was created in 1919 by Fosco Scarselli, the bartender at the Casino bar in Florence. One of his regular customers, Count Camillo Negroni ordered an Americano with a “kick.” At the time, the Americano was the most popular cocktail at Casoni’s (dating back to the 1860s), a drink Fosco was so familiar with, he could make it with his eyes closed. The ingredients were always close at hand— Campari, red vermouth, a sparkling fizz of club soda garnished with a slice of lemon. Fosco met the count’s challenge by replacing the club soda withRead More →

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When the temperature soars, Italians drink espresso. Hot, iced or in the delectable affogato, gelato drowned in coffee. Two ingredients—a shot of intense espresso and vanilla gelato— is all that’s required. Place two or three scoops into a coffee cup. Pour a shot of espresso over and enjoy. But like panzanella, affogato calls for enhancements. Drizzle chocolate sauce into your cup before adding the gelato. Swap chocolate, coffee or hazelnut gelato for the vanilla. Scoop a mound of amaretto flavored whipped cream on top before serving. To transform your affogato into a caffeinated parfait, spoon the gelato into a tall, narrow glass. Scatter it with bits of diced candied orange rind, toastedRead More →