Category Archives: Antipasti/Appetizers

The Marcella bean has gotten great press, including a feature in the New York Times. In our house we prepare them in multiple ways, and Giuliano often uses them in recipes that he teaches to our students. Perhaps my favorite preparation is the first way I remember Marcella serving beans. Simple and delicious, so that the flavor of the bean was the center of the dish, the recipe, known as Assunta’s Beans came out of Victor’s request to eat a dish they had not tasted in 45 years.

It is impossible to quantify exactly how many kinds of cheese there are in the world. Once discovered, the humankind went wild for cheese. Easily transportable, it became valued for its taste, shelf life, and protein content. The elite vied to import their favorite flavors, and each variety developed a legend.

This easy recipe is so good, that you will find yourself sneaking some before serving, and there are rarely any leftovers.

In Italy eating is of supreme importance and a cardinal rule is that local food is the best and freshest. Therefore, anything nostrano “ours”, is more expensive and desirable than anything imported. In Venice, local fish is more prized than anything else.