Cooking with Kids

Artichoke Risotto: Risotto ai Carciofi

April 24, 2012
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Creating artichoke risotto can be a bit intimidating. The artichokes need to be trimmed properly and at first the technique can be a bit daunting. No worries, just a bit of practice is needed. We like to use the small artichokes that in our stores come in packets. They are more tender than the big globe artichokes and are easier to trim.

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Chocolate Custard with an Italian Twist of Amaretti Cookies

April 17, 2012
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The only hard part in this recipe is waiting for it to cool. If we aren’t careful, we often will see smudge marks on the top where our youngest daughter has “checked” to see if it was ready yet. However, this is not just a children’s dessert, it is an elegant ending to an adult meal.

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Easy Truffle Cheese Scrambled Eggs

February 27, 2012
Easy Scrambled Eggs with Truffle Cheese

We woke up late on a Sunday morning and didn’t have to rush anywhere. We were able to enjoy each other’s company like the old, still in love, married couple that we are. I made these Easy sottocenre eggs for Giuliano and he pronounced them delicious.

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Pesto: The Taste Of Spring

April 13, 2011
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The beauty of pesto is that it is easily freezable which makes it available at anytime. But to me, it is the quintessential spring dish. We tend to eat it in the traditional manner, just the pasta with a few boiled green beans and sliced potatoes; however, it is great as a primo, first dish, during an Easter Feast.

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Chocolate Cookies and a Thank You to Fire Fighters

April 4, 2011
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These are fun and easy cookies to make. Even the smallest child can assist. The greatest challenge is to get them to actually make the cookies rather than just eating the yummy dough.

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Italian Custard Pie Recipe: Torta Della Nonna and a review of two new google rich snippets recipe plugins

March 16, 2011
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After all the discussion of the new google mandates and just trying to figure out what a rich snippet is and figure out which google recipe plugins we should use, we will all need something sweet to pick us up. Since our girls are very much into baking, I thought it would be good for them to make one of the Sorelle Simili, the Simili sisters, fabulous treats, their Torta Della Nonna, or Grandmother’s cake. Long ago the sister’s had given their recipe of this homey and comforting pie to Giuliano. I thought it was a perfect chance for the girls to learn how to make custard and to roll out pie dough.

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Bolognese Lasagne

February 21, 2011
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Lasagne makers are often judged on how many layers than can create. Five or six layers are considered the minimum for acceptability. Ooh’s and ahh’s occur the higher they go. For my birthday celebration, Giuliano created a spectacular 9-layer lasagne!

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Valentine’s Day Strawberry Gelato Recipe

February 13, 2011
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In Italy, il giorno della festa degli innamorati or Valentine’s day is considered to be an imported American holiday. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t celebrated, particularly with chocolates, roses, or in this case, Strawberry Gelato!

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Nutella Semifreddo in honor of World Nutella Day

February 5, 2011
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This is a sweet and creamy dessert that the kids love, yet is sophisticated enough for adults too. Lorella made it as a semifreddo in a glass for the adults, she then surrounded it with chocolate and created popsicles for the kids. Semifreddo in Italian means half frozen, and this recipe had the airy chewiness of meringue mixed with the sweet flavor of Nutella. A fun dessert for the entire family.

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Italian New Year’s Tortellini Recipe

January 3, 2011
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In the Italian region where our family is from, Emilia Romagnia, a traditional New Year’s dish is Tortellini or Cappelletti: small filled pasta that is shaped, according to some, like a Bishops hat. Cappelletti means little hats, and New Year’s, Capo di Anno, is the hat or head of the year so it is an obvious pairing. They are at their best in a homemade meat broth but they are also delicious served with a cream sauce. However you choose to enjoy them, they are a delicacy to look forward to all year long.

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Fried Bay Scallop Recipe

October 4, 2010
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The children fed the donkey, played archery, and biked around the neighborhood without need for supervision. I don’t think I saw a Nintendo or electronic gadget from either the kids or parents for the whole weekend. It was a perfect, relaxing, getaway.

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Fusilli with Broccoflower

October 1, 2010
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When asked about her favorite food, our six-year-old daughter, Michela, invariably names broccoli. The broccoli she’s so fond of is the Romanesco variety. Although it’s fairly new to suburban supermarkets in the United States, Romanesco broccoli has been known in Italy since the 16th century. Grown in the region of Lazio, of which Rome is [...]

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Fusilli with Butternut Squash

October 1, 2010
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In Italy pumpkin would be used for this sauce, but I’ve found that butternut squash more closely resembles the flavor of Italian pumpkin than American pumpkin does. This sauce has been a hit with kids. I made this one day when my daughters had playmates over, and the five-to-nine year old crowd unanimously approved it!

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Penne with Peppers, Fresh Tomato and Basil

October 1, 2010
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I often make a risotto with red and yellow peppers, tomatoes, and basil whose enticing colors and aroma make it one of my family’s favorites. The fresh and fragrant combination of flavors makes this dish a great light summer meal.

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Penne with Spinach and Ricotta

October 1, 2010
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It occurred to me that it would make a very nice pasta sauce, so I added a little cream to the mixture and it was delicious — so much so that I’ve been making it just to use as a pasta sauce.

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Italian Meatball Recipe and the results of a meat taste test

September 27, 2010
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The verdict was positive. The meat had a rich flavor and a firm texture that spoke of the place where it was raised: much like a wine, its terror.

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