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Genuine Deruta Dinnerware - "Old World" Tuscan Majolica-- can I get some ideas, where to look, what to watch for, any thoughts, or helping ideas? Want some nice dinnerware to use for entertaining ?

I've oft read that there is good reason to save and reuse water you've cooked pasta in. All kinds of uses suggested, from use in bread dough to watering plants. Do you do this, and is so in what ways?

I've been making a lot of fresh pasta recently and a lot of my recipes involve using pasta cooking water in the sauce. In restaurants, the same batch of water is used to make multiple batches of pasta, leading to full bodied pasta cooking water and superior sauces. I've taken to trying to replicate this effect at home by reusing pasta cooking water. I keep a half gallon tupperware container of pasta cooking water in my fridge. When it comes time to cook pasta, I'll add the water + another half gallon of fresh water to a large pot on the stove and bring it to the boil for at least a minute and use it to cook about a lb of fresh pasta. Instead of draining in a colander, I use a spider to scoop out the pasta and dump it directly in the sauce (bringing some cooking water along with it). I leave the water on the stove until it's cooled down to room temperature, then strain half a gallon of it back into the container, discarding the rest. I then add enough salt such that, when re-diluted, it'll be at the appropriate salinity to cook pasta next time. So far, I've been using the water at least once a week so I'm not too concerned about the food safety issues but I figure the excess salt buys some protection as well. Every time I've used it, I taste it beforehand and it's fresh and clean tasting but I assume if you're cooking pasta less than once a month, there may be issues with this approach. Also, now that I have it around, it's been occasionally useful as an all-purpose light thickener when I want to add just a bit of body to a dish. Because it's so heavily salted, it needs to go in before the final seasoning adjustment but I've found it's actually really great in soups where it adds just that hint of thickness that gives it the mouthfeel of a stock based soup (at the expense of cloudiness). Does anyone else regularly do this? What's been your experience?

Hey all! I have been doing a little research trying to find cooking courses in Italy. I am at the tail end of a year abroad and figured that would be a nice way to finish the year. My problem is that it seems that most cooking schools/courses advertised online (at least the ones over shorter periods of time) are aimed at "couples on holiday" and people looking to say they "know how to cook Italian food." So what I would like to know is if any one here know of any interesting options for a more experienced cook to learn somemore about the food he loves in a serious but fun program. Thanks in advance!

I'm planning on making a dish that will include chestnut-flavored fresh tagliatelle, but I'm unsure of the best way to make my tagliatelle taste of chestnuts. Being autumn here I can easily get both fresh chestnuts and fresh (i.e., not rancid) chestnut flour. My ideas were to make a purée from the fresh chestnuts and mix this into my regular pasta dough, or, to make a pasta dough substituting some chestnut flour for plain flour. Which would be the best way to get that chestnut flavor into my pasta, such that it still comes through after it has been cooked?

I guess the title says it all. Does anybody have a good recipe that uses a bottled variety?

I'm only asking because I haven't done it before and I'd like to avoid wasting a bunch of time, eggwhites and butter if it's a bad idea. I have a cupcake job coming up. 1/3 will be covered with Italian Meringue and left, 1/3 Italian Meringue and torched, 1/3 IMBC. Is there any reason I can't just make up a big bowl of IM, take out what I need to use plain and add butter to the remainder? It makes sense to me but I may have overlooked something.

I keep finding that I need candied melon for Italian pastry recipes. Is there anyway to recreate this with US produce?

Recently I read that pasta cooked al dente, or slightly underdone, has less of an effect on blood sugar levels than pasta that is fully cooked, or cooked to be soft. The reason given for this is that it takes longer to digest the al dente pasta and break it down, therefore the sugars are released more slowly into the blood stream. I can't find the citation now - anybody know if this is true, or have any comments on the subject? scb

I visited the Venice fish market in August and posted some pictures and impressions in my panathinaeos weblog. I do not think there is any other market that gives me this sense of freshness and immediacy. The only other one I can think of is in Syracuse, Sicily, on the little island of Ortygia.

Probably like many people, I assumed (apparently incorrectly) that insalata caprese originated on Capri, or at least nearby in Campania, since the ingredients- tomatoes, mozzarella di bufala and basilico are so good there. In the latest issue of Gambero Rosso magazine, there is a little piece about the origins of the salad whereby a native of Capri, Constantino Moffa, who worked as a maitre d' in a Swiss hotel had it for himself so often, and people took to it asking for what the person from Capri had. It made itself to the menu, and the rest is history. Interesting story. Anyone ever hear this bit of food lore before? Always interesting how certain dishes, especially Italian ones, get their names.

i have yet to find an Italian restaurant that makes me want to return to, looking for any suggestions for my next trip, fresh pasta is one of my favorites.local places can be included . help

This is a weird one. Does anyone know what edible wild root vegetable, or wild plant, would be picked at snowline in the late spring/early summer. It must be an alpine/mountain plant, since we saw people picking it in late May in teh western Alps at altitude. It seemed they were digging right at the edge, where the snow had melted in recent days. This was on the Colle di Fauniera, west of Cuneo in Piemonte, but the plant certainly could grow elsewhere. Sorry, I can't remember even what it looked like. We tried to talk to the people (an older couple -- rough and tough folks!) but they were speaking some kind of dialect and I had no idea what they were telling me. Any ideas? I've always wanted to know, and we're going back in early June. Thanks.

On a recent visit to Toronto I had for the first time Italian bread and it was the best bread I have ever tasted. I would love the recipe for this bread or does it use ingredients only obtained commercially? Any information on this would be very gratefully received. Thanks norm

Do you always torch Italian meringue or can you use it much like a 7-minute frosting? I made some great cupcakes this past weekend, vanilla filled with PH's lemon cream and chocolate filled with one of PH's ganaches, and I topped them with Italian meringue which turned out to be a good compliment to both. I torched them all because I thought, "that's just what you do". When I do them again it would be nice to have them look different so I'd like to leave the chocolate ones not torched. Will they hold up as well?

Hello All, We will shortly be visiting Germany and Italy and of course will be looking for interesting bottles to add to our bar. We'd love to hear any recommendations for things we can't get in America. (Maybe we'll have to get a bottle of the Cocchi Americano now that our government is holding that up.) We hear the Ziegler eaux-de-vie are really good--if anyone has a specific rec from their line that'd be great. Thanks in advance for your suggestions!

Would some one in the forum know of any classes(in Europe) ,where the secrets of making traditional panettone are taught. having searched the net,I could not come up with any professional classes . Many thanks in advance for answering this query. This has eluded me for long,and I wish to devote this year learning it from masters

Yesterday I had a chance to visit a new hot dog restaurant. Dino's Italian Hot Dogs opened about 2 weeks ago on Rt 46W in the Franklin Plaza in Rockaway. http://dinositalianhotdogs.com/index.htm I called last week to ask a few questions about the place and it's product before deciding on whether to take the ride there. I wanted to know if they made what I consider an authentic "Newark Style" Italian Hot Dog. Meaning that it is made the traditional way with pizza bread rather than a sub or hoagie roll, beef hot dogs (preferably Best's) fried in oil (rather than grilled or boiled) along with potatoes, peppers, and onions. Yes on all counts. Not only that, but one of the owners I spoke with had experience working for years at a popular Italian Hot Dog restaurant. She knows the business and the history of the Italian Hot Dog. I figured it would be worth the somewhat long ride and I was right. The place looks like a small pizzeria on the inside. I didn't ask what it was previously, but it's located in a small strip mall. The store is clean and cozy. The owner I spoke with on the phone wasn't there yesterday, but I got to speak with the 2 guys who were working. One guy was named Danny, and for a young guy, he knew a lot about Italian Hot Dogs, including their history and the places in Jersey that serve them. The people here definitely know the business and how to prepare a first rate Italian Hot Dog. Though only open 2 weeks, there have been a lot of customers who have heard about Dino's and came to check it out and to see how it compares to the Italian Hot Dog they are used to eating. One thing I've noticed before and that Danny mentioned is that people are partial to what they grew up with. The new customers, most of which are hard core Italian Hot Dog fans, were not shy about declaring their loyalties and describing how Dino's compared to their favorite place. Although a traditional Italian Hot Dog is made with basically the same ingredients and prepared the same way, there are some differences from place to place. Some sandwiches have more oils in them. Think Jimmy Buffs in Scotch Plains. Those customers might consider Dino's sandwich to be dry in comparison. Those who frequent the East Hanover or West Orange Buffs like the drier sandwich at Dino's. Another big difference is how the potatoes are cut. Some are in chunks, like Dickie Dees. Some are sliced thinner. Tommy's is sliced real thin. There really is no right way. People have different tastes when it comes to the potatoes, the amount of oils in the sandwich, and the softness or crunchiness of the peppers. As I mentioned, Danny said (and I agree) that most of the time, people grew up with a certain style and prefer that. He's had customers so far who are regulars at Jimmy Buffs, Tommy's, Charlies, and Dickie Dees. Two other factors that makes a difference apart from the variations in potatoes, oils, etc. is the freshness and quality of the ingredients and consistency. For example, Charlies in Kenilworth for a long time made a great Italian Hot Dog. The last couple of years they have been inconsistent. Sometimes the bread they use is stale from being frozen, other times the potatoes are over or under cooked and don't seem fresh. What makes a great Italian Hot Dog is a combination of good fresh ingredients prepared consistenly well by people who care. Dino's fits the bill. As for comparison, I'd say that their take on an Italian Hot Dog is closest to Jimmy Buff's in East Hanover, which is high praise indeed. They use fresh pizza bread from JC's bakery in Parsippany. This is good, sturdy bread. The same was used at Attilio's Kitchen which is now gone. The dogs are 8 to a pound Best's which is ideal. The onions and peppers are prepared together. I hate onions, but I was told that they would separate them upon request. The green peppers were plentiful, tasty, and soft like I prefer. The potatoes are sliced fairly thin rather than in chunks. Similar in shape to Buffs. Dino's has a tilted steel pan specially made (no one place sells them) where everything is fried in soybean oil. The potatoes are fried in a deep fryer and put in the oil as needed. Danny mentioned that the bread is never frozen and that the ingredients are always fresh. Peppers, onions, and potatoes are cut every day , sometimes every few hours. Nothing is kept overnight. Stuff that's been sitting around awhile is discarded. The result is an excellent, authentic, Newark Style Italian Hot Dog. Everything blended together well. The sandwich was tasty and fresh. All of the ingredients were very good. I would describe it as dry rather than oily. Despite being new Dino's has their act together. The product is excellent, as is the service. The people working there are experienced, having worked at Italian Hot Dog restaurants before, and extremley knowledgeable about the sandwich, it's history, and the places that serve them. I would definitely put Dino's in the top tier of Italian Hot Dog restaurants along with Jimmy Buff's and Tommy's. It's that good. My wife had a cheesesteak served Italian style which she proclaimed excellent. I didn't sample it because of the onions. I wish Dino's success. They are located in an area where people for the most part aren't familiar with Italian Hot Dogs. But according to Danny, there are a lot of transplants from Essex and Union Counties as well as Italian Hot Dog lovers who are willing to travel for an exceptional one.

Fried baby calamari is my first choice (Italian style beach food), but kitchen facilities won't accommodate it (fridge, bbq, microwave, induction burner) and squid supply stock could be iffy at best. Casual outdoor Italian themed dinner party. Creative input is greatly appreciated.

I'm on parole for four days in Rome. I'll try to cadge restaurant names off the boards and rely on pluck for the rest. I am looking for exceptional food locations in the area-I even have two days entirely to myself. Whether it be bread, charcuterie, supplies, etc., I'd love to have some addresses that inspire. Thank you.

Last fall, on a trip to Italy we bought this Italian condiment. It turned out to be highly addictive and useful in many dishes. It has hot peppers, mushrooms, eggplant, olives and is great on pasta and crusty bread. We have been looking for it ever since. This is what it looks like. (I have come to understand that there are a few companies that make it.) We have searched Manhattan high and low for this item without success.We will be back again on Saturday. If anyone has seen it in Manhattan, please speak up. We would love to hear about it!! Many Thanks, HC edited: I noticed that I misspelled condiment in the subject line, but am unable to correct it. Oh, well.

A friend told me that clams are never served with cheese in traditional Italian cuisine. Is this true?

If you noticed the trend on my posts, you can see that my family is kinda partial to carbs. Really, we don't eat that many carbs....really.... I went back home for a weekend one day and as I was trying to decide what to make for dinner for the entire family, my cousin insisted on fried noodles instead. Apparently, the other dishes I was calling out to make wasn’t very appealing to her. So we decided on fried noodles. And since I didn’t feel like going to Chinatown (even though it’s like a 5 min drive) to get fresh noodles, we decided on Italian thin spaghetti. (I just got back from a 3 hr drive!! Okay, fine, so I'm lazy.) Now, this isn’t the first time we’ve done this and quite frankly, I find using Italian pasta easier to move around the wok than the fresh ones I get in Chinatown. Plus it gives more of a chew and bite. *Please don’t hate me* After adding a whole bunch of ingredients, that includes Chinese sausage, egg, carrots, celery, cabbage, spam (yes, I said SPAM, the other white meat), etc. I quickly fried everything together with great wok hei. The results were very tasty and cousins approved. Even my Dad said “Hey! Your noodles are better than your Mom’s!” Funny he should take the opportunity to say that when the woman is thousands of miles away in China. Here’s my finished product: Here’s her close up: Now, here’s my question. What do YOU do with your Italian pasta? Any other ideas? I have another plan for Italian pasta that I will be trying out soon, so I will keep you guys posted.

Saveur's recent issue - fresh pasta and bolognese - great issue - and love the bolognese - but a question - how do I freeze the freshly made pasta -- or can I? Lots of flour - partially drying - help?

Hi everyone - I am doing research for an upcoming television show, one episode of which will be focusing on Sardinia. I do not know much about Sardinia other than the basics I have come across in my internet research, so I was hoping people here might be able to help... I'm looking for interesting/unusual Sardinian foods/restaurants/food customs, off-beat local growers/farmers, tiny towns/villages that specialize in something. I'd also welcome non food-related suggestions as well - things to do/see that are NOT a typical tourist destination, best scenic places, 'off the beaten path' activities, etc. All of your suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!