Notes about Recipes in this book

• Farro salad with cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and herbs

  • Cheri on August 27, 2011

    While I did not presoak the grain, it was nutty and al dente at 35 min simmer. I liked this salad, used marinated boccaccini, tomatoes, parsley and basil. Dressing was a little too lemoney for 1 cup of farro. Served two for a lite summer meal. R so so on this one, but I give it 4 stars.

• Spaghetti sautéed with radicchio

  • twoyolks on March 21, 2014

    The radicchio made this very bitter. It was reminiscent of the aftertaste of a hoppy beer.

• Nonna Domenica's macaroni and broccoli sauce

  • twoyolks on October 16, 2012

    Despite the recipe header claiming to not be put off by the anchovy, this resulted in a strongly anchovy flavored pasta. We could not eat it (and I actually like anchovies normally).

• Anna Amendolara's baked chicken with tomatoes and garlic

  • twoyolks on July 27, 2014

    This was not a lot of effort for a flavorful dinner. I'd consider reducing some of the cooking liquid down into a sauce while the chicken is resting next time. The recipe contains an inverse spatchcocking method that doesn't seem to add much.

• Peppery fried chicken wings with garlic and rosemary

  • twoyolks on January 24, 2015

    These were just alright fried chicken wings. Neither the rosemary nor the garlic was notable in the wings.

• Turkey meatballs

  • twoyolks on November 04, 2013

    The turkey meatballs were mild but complimented the sauce very well. I'd consider adding less lemon juice to the sauce in the future.

• Nonna Vera's tender and crunchy beef medallions

  • twoyolks on July 03, 2014

    This reminded me of a hamburger version of snitzel. It did, however, taste like there was an ingredient missing (lemon juice? marinara sauce?).

  • Running_with_Wools on December 04, 2020

    I made these last night using gluten free flour and panko. They were simple to make, and my kids loved them. Like fun little crunchy meatballs. There was not a lot of flavor - I think it was more about the texture. I served them with three vegetable recipes from the same cookbook - including the sweet and sour carrots that the inventory of the recipe is said to have always served with them. They were perfect because they added a little acidity which was needed.

• Panini with fresh mozzarella, tomato, and pesto

  • twoyolks on April 12, 2017

    I used a ciabatta baguette which worked well. This is a simple but tasty sandwich.

• Nick Gualano's savory summer squash pancakes

  • twoyolks on October 18, 2012

    I'd reduce the amount of salt in the recipe as it came out a bit salty. I also think it would be very good with a pinch of red pepper flakes.

• Blanched basil pesto (food processor method)

  • twoyolks on April 12, 2017

    A decent classic pesto. It was heavy on the garlic flavor and lighter on the basil and cheese.

• Fresh tomato vinaigrette

  • twoyolks on July 11, 2020

    This is a neat twist on a traditional vinaigrette. It worked very well as a salad dressing.

• Oven-fried tilapia with fennel crust

  • twoyolks on November 05, 2014

    The fennel, thyme, and mustard really compliment the fish well.

• Two simple ways with cabbage

  • twoyolks on December 17, 2020

    I found this a bit bland and underwhelming. There just wasn't a lot of flavor.

  • Running_with_Wools on December 04, 2020

    I made the cabbage with pancetta last night - and it was devine! Easy and delicious. Even my kids loved it. I will be making this again.

• Zia Rita's potatoes schiscionera

  • twoyolks on July 03, 2014

    This was a nice improvement on simple boiled, parsley potatoes. The garlic and olive oil compliment the potatoes nicely.

  • Running_with_Wools on December 04, 2020

    I made these last night using Yukon gold potatoes and they were wonderful. Easy, quick to cook, and something different from the roasted potatoes I make frequently. We all really enjoyed these. I will definitely make them again.

• Nonna Clia's apple cake

  • twoyolks on October 29, 2013

    During baking, the apples did not become completely soft which made the cake have an odd texture.

• Nonna Vera's sweet and sour carrots

  • Running_with_Wools on December 04, 2020

    Made these last night to go with the "tender and crunchy beef medallions" and they were delicious. Followed the recipe exactly, except I did not get the carmelized burnish on the vegetables, probably because I cooked them in a pot rather than a skillet. They were still full of flavor and went great with the simply flavored beef.