If you are noticing a big game fish theme these past few weeks, it’s partially because we are coming towards the end of swordfish season. Swordfish are a majestic species of fish which play an important role in the cuisines of Sicily and Calabria where they are historically fished. It is highly prized for its…
Archives for August 2017
A great seaside take on the traditional spaghetti carbonara
Tuesday was the pinnacle of the Italian summer holidays. The word “ferragosto” is synonymous in most Italians’ minds with the seaside. For my friends who work at the seaside, ferragosto is the equivalent of Wednesday in most people’s work week. They know that after ferragosto, the season will start to end as the holiday makers…
Seared tuna with sweet and sour Tropea onions
The month of August brings in a festival in celebration of the Tropea onion which takes place in Ricadi, Calabria. The red Tropea onion was introduced to Calabria by the Phoenicians some 4,000 years ago and has always been famous for it’s sweet flavour and crunchy texture. In addition to its culinary values, the Tropea…
Picnic season food: pasta frittata
Young children and summer holidays involve some degree of planning to keep it stress-free. I don’t know about you but summer holidays for me go something like this: kids get up, eat breakfast, slowly pull on their clothes and then are bouncing off the walls, desperate to get out of the house. I inevitably make…
Ravioli filled with burrata in cherry tomato and basil sauce
One of the greatest combinations of ingredients ever is tomato with mozzarella and basil. To think this trio was not possible until the new world was discovered (along with potatoes, corn, chillies and aubergine/eggplant to name a few more) gives a different view of what food on the Italian peninsula must have been like. Happily…