Thursday, September 30, 2004
Cacio e Pepe, the restaurant
So I suppose I should write about my restaurant experiences here, something I did not do when I was on the radio everyday. [more]
Monday, September 27, 2004
More Italy, and Risotto alla Salernitana
I left you in Naples. Bob Harned and I then took the train to Paestum, where, on Cecilia Baratta’s farms, I conduct my cooking classes. We had a quick lunch with Cecilia in her gazebo -- spaghetti with tomato sauce and zucchini parmigiana in bianco. That is, in other words, flour and egg-dipped fried zucchini layered with bits of mozzarella and grated Parmigiana-Reggiano, then bound into a delicious casserole by pouring beaten egg over the whole thing and baking it. No tomato sauce: hence, in bianco. With it we had a green salad; for dessert, the sweetest imaginable watermelon. [more]
Thursday, September 23, 2004
Back from Italy
I’m back from Italy and what a gratifying welcome I got at the airport. First, a stern-faced female customs officer questioned me about the purpose of my trip – it was all a pleasure for me -- then asked me what I did for a living. It was the first time someone had asked me that question since I resigned from WOR on August 24th. [more]
Friday, September 3, 2004
Off To Italy, and Shish Taouk
As planned a long time ago, I am off to Italy today. I have a week to scout new things to do and eat on future culinary trips, then I have group coming to Cook At Seliano. I’ll be in Rome for only a day, where I will visit with Iris Carulli, my friend and former assistant, and check out a couple of restaurants that New York friends have raved about. Then I go to Naples for three days, where I will visit with friends, eat in restaurants where I may be able to take groups in the future, and do some culture stuff – like visit the cave of the Cybil, a mythic character, and check out a Caravaggio and church or two that have eluded me. Then I go down to Paestum, where I will drop my bags at Cecilia’s farm before we go to Matera and visit some towns in Puglia to scout outings for next year. The famous semolina bread of Altamura. The burata (cheese) of Corato. The butcher-shop restaurants of Lecce. After that, we have 13 people coming to Seliano, so it’s a full house. [more]
Wednesday, September 1, 2004
News and goulash
I promised you a Hungarian goulash recipe and it follows. [more]
