Category Archives: Tips & Techniques

Many may be surprised to learn that it’s not the least like dust dissolved in hot water. It can be delicious, if you learn how to use the Moka. It’s not pushbutton coffee, it requires judgment to do well.

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.

The smoke point for good quality EVOO is around 200o C, which is more than hot enough for frying. The interesting thing is that the cheap oil you are recommending has a lower smoke point than EVOO. …Do you know what really matters in the end? It’s how the food you cook tastes. There is no more powerful agent for good flavor than genuine EVOO.

A recent letter to Marcella and her answer: Here is the recipe for squash risotto. Dear Marcella I thought of you watching Top Chef these last couple of weeks. One […]

The creamy, rich white sauce is easy to make but requires a bit of patience. Don’t worry if it doesn’t thicken right away, it will eventually so don’t panic and add more flour.

You can quickly and easily very finely dice an onion with only two cuts. A horizontal cut is not necessary as long as your lengthwise cuts follow the shape of the onion and resemble the spokes of a cartwheel. The important thing is to make all your cuts close together.

There are two reasons why Italians peel peppers.  The first is that the skin is tough no matter how long the pepper is cooked.  The second, and more important, is […]

Making pasta dough by hand is simple. Do not be discouraged by the length of my instructions. I have tried to describe as clearly as possible the method. With a little practice it will easily become second nature and you will have finished dough in less than 15 minutes.

Of course, most children won’t like anything remotely bitter, but I’ve discovered how to eliminate that bitterness, and our kids, who love artichokes, also love cardoons.

This is how my grandmother used to cook rice, and it’s a foolproof easy recipe. I use the same rice I use for risotto, which comes out slightly sticky but I love its starchy flavor. It’s also good with basmati rice or good plain white rice.