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okay, it's spelled many ways. that's not the point here.... I'm working on the perfect sauce/cooking liquid/+other things combo for a delectable dish. I don't have problems with the meat - I can get good shanks, browned nicely, they come out tender and tasty. it's the in-pot accompaniments that disappoint. I done multiple versions of 'trinity,' tried tomato based/adds, tried various seasonings. I've served it with rice, pasta, barley, faro as the 'side reinforcement.' there was a little resto in North Henderson / Patrick Lane(?) that did "my ideal" knock-em-dead version, I've never been able to duplicate the taste. anyone have a super-version? am I missing some magic spicing classic to the real Italian deal?

We had a week in Frascati at the end of August. We have been here a few times and stay at Villa Grazioli. It is handy for Rome but it is a different place. I like Frascati. It has plenty of casual places to eat and drink well and for quite little money. I have stayed in Rome a few times but I find the slower pace in Frascati more relaxing not to mention the difference in prices. Trattoria Al 19 is always busy. They do what they do quite well. We ate here a few times. Fritto misto - assorted vegetables and salt cod. Pasta with hare Prousciutto and figs Shoulder of lamb Veal chop The outside dining area at AL 19 Service is efficient and they looked after us quite well. Another place we frequent is Cantina Bucciarelli. This is excellent value for money. Litres of wine are E5 - pastas E7 and other items range in price but I dont think there is anything more that E7 or 8. Antipasti del casa - Pig in various forms, cheese and olives Caprese - simple, fresh and tasty Simple pastas There are about four or five places doing food on this road. They mostly do similar food and share an excellent view over Rome at night. There are a number of places who set up in squares or the road side selling wine and simple food. There are also a number of porchetta vendors not to mention the take out pizza places. I would say it is worth an late afternoon trip from Rome for an evening of drinking and eating. The train takes about 30 minutes and I think the last train back to Rome is at about 22.30 giving plenty of time for a good evening. There are a couple of more 'proper' restaurants like Cacciani or Neff for a more expensive dinner too. We did eat in Cacciani on this trip and on past trips; it has been very good although on this occasion we were not to impressed with our very well done chicken main - the starters and pastas were good though and they had some very interesting wines for quite little money.

I'm trying to find North American sources for ingredients in recipes I'm writing. Found lots of anchovies and capers and other Italian imports, which is great, but now I'm down to the fresh stuff. There are sheep farms making ricotta, but my one experience, a few years ago in the Hudson Valley (NY state), was a bust. It was hard and dry. What we have in Rome is creamy and dreamy and you have to drain it overnight before cooking with it. www.dairysheepfarm.com sells sheep's milk ricotta, but I'd love an objective description if anyone has tried it. Any other ideas on this? Even cow's milk ricotta would do if it was nice and creamy. Many thanks!

My boyfriend and I are catering an event this weekend and we have some questions. We are going with an Italian theme. So---how much ground beef do we need to make meatballs for about 30 people, using a #40 scoop. Also how much pasta?

ITALIAN CREAM CAKE 1/2 c BUTTER (RT) 1/2 c SHORTENING 2 c SUGAR 5 EGGS, SEPARATED 2 c AP FLOUR 1 tsp BS 1 c BUTTERMILK 5-1/2 tsp VANILLA 3-1/2 oz CAN GRATED COCONUT 1 c CHOPPED PECANS Cream Cheese Frosting 1/4 c BUTTER (RT) 8 oz CREAM CHEESE (RT) 2 c SIFTED XXX SUGAR 1 tsp VANILLA 1/2 CHOPPED PECANS 1/2 c GRATED COCONUT Cream butter and shortening. Add sugar, beating til smooth. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour and soda. Add alternately with buttermilk. Stir in vanilla. Add coconut and pecans. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. Bake in 3 greased and flour 9-inch cake pans at 350* for 20 to 25 mins, or until done. Cool and frost with CREAM CHEESE FROSTING. Frosting Cream butter and cream cheese. Add sugar, mixing well. Add vanilla. Spread between layers and on top of cake. Sprinkle with pecans and coconut. Keywords: Dessert, Cake ( RG1053 )

Tomato, Eggplant and Italian Sausage Soup Serves 6 as Soupor 4 as Main Dish. This recipe is from the Cooking with/for Disabilities course in the eCGI. This is a nice garden soup anytime, great for end of the season harvest. It can be prepared in a crock pot or soup kettle. You can choose to make it a vegeterian meal by using the soy Italian sausage, and vegetable broth or stock. 3 links Italian Sausage (soy or meat) 1 T olive oil 1 large sweet yellow onion, coarsely chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced 3 sweet banana peppers, sliced in rings OR 1 red bell pepper julienne 3 c Ichiban eggplant, halved, sliced 1/4 inch 8 oz sliced mushrooms 2 bay leaves 2 c vegetable OR chicken stock 8 medium tomatoes OR 2 lbs canned, diced 2 T each fresh oregano and basil OR 2 tsp dried 1/4 tsp each salt and crushed red pepper or to taste 4 oz red wine 2 c or more water 1/2 c cooked pasta per serving; pick a nice shape Slice peppers and eggplant with pizza cutter, set aside. Slice onion with pizza cutter then lay out slices and roll cutter through again, across the layers, to dice. Set aside. Heat skillet over medium heat for a few minutes; spray with olive oil cooking spray. Brown the sausages in whole links until nicely deep golden. Remove sausages, add minced garlic, sliced peppers, and chopped onion, with more non-stick olive oil spray, or 1 T of olive oil. Stir to coat, then slice sausage. Using pizza cutter again, slice sausages in 1/4 inch rounds, return to skillet with onion mixture, add sliced eggplant and mushrooms. Stir and cook until onions and eggplant are slightly tender, about five minutes. Place all in your soup pot on medium heat. Add 2 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth and 2 cups water. Add tomatoes and 2 bay leaves. Cook just to a beginning boil, lower heat, add oregano and basil. Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Soup can simmer on low for hours, and is a good choice for your crock pot; may need to replace 1 cup or so water. Add crushed red pepper and salt, adjust to your taste. Now add 6-8 ounces red wine. Let soup simmer on low heat, covered, for another 30 minutes or so. Shortly before you want to serve cook some interesting pasta, al dente; pick a shape, the pennes, rotinis, and small "horns" do well with this soup. 1/2 serving pasta per person (1/2 cup, cooked). Ladle the soup generously over pasta in the bowl. (The pasta is prettier, and will not lose its shape and if you keep it separate until serving soup.) Serve with fresh grated parmesan and or romano cheese, and garlic toast. A side salad is always nice. Keywords: Main Dish, Vegetables, Soup, Pasta, Dinner, Healthy Choices, Intermediate, Lunch, eGCI ( RG775 )

Italian Gratin Serves 6 as Main Dish. This is a lazyman's lasagna with more taste but less formality and eggplant. Quick and simple to make a large amount of decent food. This is a Moosewood receipe, I've really only altered some of the ingredient amounts compared to their original. 1 handful fresh basil 3 onions 3 c Tomatoes, or a 28 oz can 4 cloves garlic 3 c spinach leaves 4 c mushrooms 1 tsp salt 1 T olive oil 1 c bread crumbs 1 c dried pasta, some type of small shell 2 c freshly grated parmesan cheese Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. I used a 13" by 9" glass lasagna type dish that my mom left at my place to make this dish. Oil the dish. Mix together the onions, basil, salt, and tomatoes. Heat the oil in a small frypan over medium heat. I might try some butter next time instead of the oil. Throw in the garlic and the bread crumbs and cook for about 3 minutes, until the bread crumbs are lightly browned. Remove from the hot pan and set aside. Spread out half of your tomato mixture in the bottom of the oiled dish. Sprinkle the pasta for the next layer. Then a layer of spinach, then mushrooms, and then half of your cheese. Top it off with the rest of the tomato mixture then the browned bread crumbs. Cover with foil and and bake for about 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes. Serve it up with a green salad following behind. Keywords: Main Dish, Dinner, Vegetarian, Italian ( RG770 )

Anybody else's family make these? We make then on Holy Thursday every year. We roll out the dough into rounds, then stuff with a filling of basket cheese, romano cheese, pepperoni and eggs. Roll the dough into a half moon, brush with egg yolks and bake. We also make varieties with prosciutto instead of pepperoni and ones with crabmeat or shrimp so we can eat those ones on Good Friday.

Welcome to the Italy: Cooking and Baking forum! This forum has a number of great resources for members, whether you're a novice or an expert. One of those resources is our online culinary academy, the eGullet Culinary Institute. Please take some time to look through the topics presented here and feel free to attend the course that interests you. Pasta Around the Mediterranean Course and Q&A Stuffed Pastas Introduction, Course on Pansotti, Tortelloni and and Raviolo, Course on Tortelli, Ravioli & Cappelletti, and Q&A Risotto Course and Q&A

I've been reading in Culinaria Italy and came across images of hand extruded pasta. They use a tool that's basically a brass pipe, a screw plunger part and a bottom with exchangeable bottom plates with different hole sizes. The pasta they show looks amazing, tiny little "thorns" opeining away from the main strand (like a very prickly rose stem) that I'm sure will hold great amounts of sauce, very different from pasta cut with a pasta machine. Now, I'm not ready to plop down a couple hundred for the Italian machine (called a bigolaro) as pretty as they are, nor a couple thousand for an electric machine. Some stand mixers seem to have extruder attachments, do those work well? Like most of those attachments they seem rather small and toy like. I don't have a stand mixer, so I can't try that. Would my meat grinder work? I might just try that. Or the sausage stuffer? Would it be worth the trouble to try? Curious if anybody here makes both or decided for one of the other. It wold be nice to make macaroni and others with holes in them I guess. Opinions? Oliver

It being spring, and the asparagus and peas at the farmers market looking particularly good the last couple weeks, I've been playing around with "pasta primavera." I'm not using any kind of recipe, nor am I looking for the most "authentic Italian" version, I'm just looking for how others make theirs. Last week's I made like an Alfredo, but with added sauteed peas and asparagus. Tonight I gently sauteed the peas, asparagus, and some sugar snap peas as well in some nice olive oil, then gave it a squeeze of lemon, a hit of garlic, some more olive oil, and tossed it with some linguini and parmesan. Bother versions were good but not great. Tonight's showed promise, but I think needed more lemon and maybe some black pepper. What's next? Do you have a go-to recipe? Any other thoughts for pasta/noodle dishes that incorporate our springtime harvests?

The dried-pasta tastings I've read about in the past, such as the ones performed by Cook's Illustrated, have never struck me as particularly credible. But New York Magazine recently put together a tasting at the International Culinary Center that seems, on the face of it, to be the best of its kind done to date. The tasters were Marco Canora of Insieme, Hearth, and Terroir; Mark Ladner of Del Posto; and Cesare Casella of Salumeria Rosi; and they tasted the pasta both plain and dressed. When I heard about this tasting, I thought for sure, finally, this would prove the superiority of imported artisanal dried pasta. Trader Joe's won.

Although the food is a central reason we decided to take our honeymoon in Italy, I've been delinquent in planning our meals. We leave this Tuesday the 28th so time is of the essence. I do have a few good recs for Rome, but always happy to hear more. The other destinations are an open book. Give me your best ideas from grand dining to hidden countryside gems to street fare. In addition to restaurants themselves I'm also looking for suggestions on particular dishes or food items I should seek out and where to do it, wine experiences, in home dining, and cooking schools.

Italian Gratin Serves 6 as Main Dish. This is a lazyman's lasagna with more taste but less formality and eggplant. Quick and simple to make a large amount of decent food. This is a Moosewood receipe, I've really only altered some of the ingredient amounts compared to their original. 1 handful fresh basil 3 onions 3 c Tomatoes, or a 28 oz can 4 cloves garlic 3 c spinach leaves 4 c mushrooms 1 tsp salt 1 T olive oil 1 c bread crumbs 1 c dried pasta, some type of small shell 2 c freshly grated parmesan cheese Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. I used a 13" by 9" glass lasagna type dish that my mom left at my place to make this dish. Oil the dish. Mix together the onions, basil, salt, and tomatoes. Heat the oil in a small frypan over medium heat. I might try some butter next time instead of the oil. Throw in the garlic and the bread crumbs and cook for about 3 minutes, until the bread crumbs are lightly browned. Remove from the hot pan and set aside. Spread out half of your tomato mixture in the bottom of the oiled dish. Sprinkle the pasta for the next layer. Then a layer of spinach, then mushrooms, and then half of your cheese. Top it off with the rest of the tomato mixture then the browned bread crumbs. Cover with foil and and bake for about 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes. Serve it up with a green salad following behind. Keywords: Main Dish, Dinner, Vegetarian, Italian ( RG770 )

Italian Minestrone Soup 2 stalks celery 2 T fresh chopped Italian parsley 1 12 oz. can V8 juice 1 can crushed tomatoes 6 c chicken stock 3 c beef stock 1 c dry white wine 3 carrots, 1/4 inch slice 2 medium Idaho potatoes, 1/2 inch dice 1 chopped leek (white plus 1 inch green) 5 chopped plum tomatoes 2 c finely sliced cabbage 1 green & 1 yellow squash, 1/4 inch slice 2 c Italian green beans* 1 c corn* 1 c small red beans* 1 c small white beans* 1 c garbanzos* 1 coarsely chopped green pepper 2 coarsely chopped onions 5 cloves garlic, finely minced 2 T lightly salted butter Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste 1 tsp dried oregano 1 tsp dried basil crushed red pepper to taste (optional) 1 qt cooked pasta (small shells or elbows) grated Parmesan or Romano cheese *Canned or frozen may be substituted 1. Melt butter in large soup pot. When melted, add minced garlic and let saute for a minute, then add leek, onion, green pepper & carrot. simmer covered for 10 or 15 minutes to wilt vegetables. 2. Add tomatoes, potatoes, celery, cabbage, squash, stock, & V8. bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. 3. Add red & white beans, corn, green beans and garbanzos, and bring to a slow boil again. Add salt, pepper, oregano, basil, red pepper, wine and parsley. Let simmer for 1/2 hour. 4. in a separate pot bring 2 qt water to a boil. cook pasta til almost done (do not overcook, it will continue to soften in the soup). Drain pasta thoroughly and add to soup. Serve with Italian bread and garnish with grated cheese and chopped parsley. Keywords: Soup, Appetizer, Easy, Italian ( RG271 )

I've got on the order of 40 old-growth cherry trees (read: 50 feet, not yr standard orchard tree). It's that time of year, and I'm trying to preserve the fruit (the low-hanging stuff that I can reach, anyway). The consorzi (ag coops), as well as the supermarkets here all seem to sell a really shitty canning arrangement: glass jar (duh) + integrated cap. I'm worried that it's faulty. Here's why: Last summer in the U.S., I processed 500 lb. of tomatoes using Mason jars. When the jars went into the water bath, they happily gave up their air, tiny bubbles nesting around the jars. My understanding is that you need to drive out the air and create an anaerobic environment. The product held A1 over time. With the Italian jars, I see niente on the bubble front. I'm wondering if they're working. You can't even really screw the lids down hard, like with a Mason or Ball jar. It's a quarter turn at most, then basta. I'm sterlizing the jars and then throwing the lids in for a couple of minutes to soften the ring. I'm doing hot pack for pitted cherries (fyi: 1.5 kg cleaned cherries yields 3 250-ml jars: saints preserve us!) and cold pack for whole cherries. The cold pack's already looking suspect. Anyone had any experience with Italian jars?

We're heading off next week to a big gathering of friends in a house in the South of Le Marche, on the edge of the Sibillini mountains. I've volunteered to be one of the cooks. Is anyone familiar with the region at this time of year? Would absolutely love any tips on exciting seasonal treats that we should be making a beeline for in the markets, or favourite recipes involving local ingredients. I'm feeling hungry already...

I've been doing an exhaustive review of my notes and maps because I can't remember or find reference to a great restaurant/wine bar we went to last year. We had drinks and salami, Italian themed, long room with a long bench in the back beyond the tables, with wines by the glass listed on a black board in chalk. I thought it was in the East Village more or less. Visits to NY Mag and Metromix haven't jogged any memories. If anyone knows this place, could you let me know? Otherwise, I'll take recommendations for great wine bars in that area. I've enjoyed the deep Italian wine selections at 'inoteca, liked the knowledgeable bartenders at Terroir and have heard good things about Ten Bells. I'll be hitting up Chambers St. Wine on this trip and love to talk (and drink) wine. Any suggestions? Thanks!

My lucky younger sister got to travel for a few weeks in Italy last summer and fell in love with the pizza. Now she wants me to take her somewhere in LA where she can relive the experience she had in Piacenza. I've already made it clear that wherever I take her will obviously not be 100%, but I'd do my best to get "as close to authentic" I could possibly do. Other then Antica in LB, is there anywhere else I could take her?

I was wondering if someone could help, i made 16 lemon meringue pies for the tournament supper using Italian meringue as usual, and this time it was weepy and not staying in place. Any thoughts as to why, and could the humidity in the walkin have something to do with it? thanks

I made it this weekend to the Distinti Salumi festival in Cagli. Had I been more aware of its breadth, I would have posted an alert. In addition to the multitude of vendors, there were talks, exhibits, and related events. There were also four tasting rooms set up, one each for salumi interi, cotti, crudi and particolari. Great handouts and signage. It was just a really well done festival. There was an unbelievable bounty. I took home lots of fat – a creamy lardo macellato from Lecce, herby pestàt from Fagagna in Friuli, and a beautiful piece of lardo di colonnata from, well, Colonnata (so now I know that Colonnata is a place, not a style -- I usually see it without the "di"; the vendor had a great book showing the traditional vessels used to make the lardo). Plus a nice hunk of guanciale from a local Cagli producer, lamb salame from Holland, and a spicy, chunky bad boy from Abruzzo. Diverse selection of cheeses (mostly pecorino), too. I bought a piece of delicious pecorino trombaitolo, which the Puglian vendor had enticingly labelled the "viagra di una volta". Also various grilled meats. I had some very slow-cooked cinta senese from a local farmer that was unbelievable: just about the opposite of porchetta, it was soft as butter and virtually unspiced. Berkel had a display of restored slicers from the early 1900s. And then there was the exhibit "Women and Pigs". If only the photographer would have found a way to include my other two food groups: cigarettes and gin . . . (glossy format made for fuzzy pix). Cagli's a picturesque town, and the surrounding countryside is beautiful. It's worth the trip. I'll try to remember to post a reminder for next year's fest.

Tomato Sauce, Red Sauce, Pasta Sauce, Marinara, Gravy (if you're super Sicilian), whatever you want to call it, I often find myself with nothing but canned tomato sauce (sometimes the odd can of whole/diced tomatoes or paste) and dried herbs. I can make some really stellar sauces with fresh ingredients (My marinara has like 5 ingredients and it's ridiculously good), but I'm trying to figure out an acceptable alternative when I'm broke and/or lazy. I'm looking for variations with dried herbs and spices, possibly even up to the point of nothing fresh. And before I get the onslaught of "that's culinary blasphemy!" and the like, please note that I am an actual working chef and I do know the difference between "pasta sauce" and marinara" etc., but in general I really only use dried herbs (oregano, specifically) when making pizza sauce and I just want to find something I can make and stash in the fridge or freezer to have on hand when I get hungry and either don't want to spend a lot of time preparing anything or just don't have the ingredients in the house. Just for the record, I tend to stick to a pretty much tomato, onion and garlic (generally just seasoned with salt, pepper and fresh basil) based sauce, but I welcome the addition of mire poix and carrots and sugar and all that jazz. Not looking for a culinary masterpiece here. Not looking for anything "authentic". Just something good. Thanks in advance. Edit: On a side note, I make a pretty common sauce in terms of consistency and flavor profiles, but when I was young, my grandfather and father (both Sicilian), made a very thin sauce, probably just with tomato sauce (no whole/diced/puree, etc.) and the only other ingredient I remember is bay leaf, for some reason. I've tried looking for something similar but to no avail. Any help in this area would be appreciated as well. Thanks.

Seeking recommendations for a week-long cooking class (prefer Italian). Asking on behalf of a dear friend and her daughter. Daughter is leaving for college in the fall and this will be a last hurrah for the two of them before the daughter leaves for school. Prefer a major US city. Thanks for any suggestions!

Hello NYC egulleteers, I am looking for a recommendation for week-long cooking class (prefer Italian) in NYC for a dear friend and her daughter. Daughter is leaving for college in the fall and this will be a last hurrah for the two of them before the daughter leaves for school. Thanks for any suggestions!

is there a better restaurant than Band B at the Venetian for upscale italian,?