This Apulian caponata is a version of this one of Sicily’s essential dishes. It is a vegetarian eggplant stew–more like a relish, really–made of eggplant, onions, bell pepper, celery and tomatoes with briny olives and capers. There are variations of this tasty eggplant dish. Most of caponatas are spiked with vinegar or raisins. This version was…
Green beans are an excellent fresh vegetable, but there are not many variations for their preparation. They are usually boiled and eaten accompanied by simple olive oil. But Italian creativity enriched a dull preparation with a touch of herbs and the beloved tomato, inventing a unique and tasty side dish, a symbol of summer and…
Cauliflower is normally not a very exciting dish, but you can give it some pizazz thanks to this recipe: a crispy and flavourful gratin turns a conventional vegetable into a real treat. This recipe uses the same ingredients as a Mornay sauce, but is a bit lighter because there is no cream added. If you…
This side dish was created in Emilia, and it is the perfect complement to a vast variety of roasted meats, such as beef braised in Barolo wine. It is a unique side dish, rich in fibre without the boring stigma associated with “healthy” foods. In order to peel the onions, I found an American recipe…
This sformato (pudding ) is an extremely simple but elegant way to create a main course which is quite unusual and tasty. In the Italian tradition, there is a rich collection of this kind of dish, made with vegetables and cheeses, or rice and pasta and complemented sauces. Spinach pudding is an excellent escamotage to make…
This recipe of stuffed eggplant was generously given me by Carmela, a very sweet woman from Puglia. In Calabria they boil the eggplant whole and then scoop out the flesh. Of course there are many variations: stuffed with stockfish, with or without tomato, with meat…And of course each family claims its own version is the…