Rocco Galatioto, nice photos and good food

  Penne rigate with peas and mushrooms Put a pot of salted water on for the penne. In a non stick skillet large enough to hold the penne for their final cooking, coat it's bottom with good EVO. Slice up a shallot and place it in the oil and sauté in low heat. Add some pancetta or even bacon and if you like, a few red pepper flakes. When the shallots are golden, add sliced up mushrooms and salt lightly with sea salt. Now add half a cup of decent dry white wine. Raise the heat so that the alcohol evaporates. At this point the water should boil so add the penne. the rule is 100 grams per person. At this point add peas. Frozen once will do. Again sprinkle with sea salt. The reason for this is that each ingredient needs the salt to give off it's natural liquids thus adding to the sauce. Remember that the pancetta is salty to begin with so go lightly here. Now chop up some Italian parsley and add some to the peas and mushrooms. Cover and cook for a few minutes. A few minutes before t...

  2020 was a terrible year but it had it's moments. This is I on father's day preparing food for my family, We ate outdoors on the front porch and observed all precautions. Fun during this infernal pandemic. Things got tougher as it got cold. We spent Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year at home alone. We are trying our best to stay safe. I hope you are also being very careful.

 

This is a wonderful and easy dish.  Cut up a cauliflower or part of one and steam it lightly. Then take a non stick skillet and coat it with good EVO and two cloves of garlic. A dash of red pepper flakes go well here too. Once the garlic is golden add the florets. Reserve the water. Stir for a minute and add some chopped Italian parsley. Also add sea salt to taste and some black pepper. Add some of the water fron where the florets were steamed. Cover and cook for a few minutes. Serve with more parsley and a little raw EVO. Toast some nice rustic Italian bread and enjoy. Buon appetito.

  Potato gnocchi are wonderful and very filling. They are imported from Italy and are available in any good food store. The authentic recipe was given a few posts ago ( just scroll down). There's an important difference. While a pesto with pasta requires potato and strings beans, here only string beans are added to the pasta water because of the nature of the potato gnocchi. Remember that as soon as the gnocchi come to the surface they are done. You may add a few raw pinoli as decoration; I did not. Buon appetito

  My dear friend Moe from Oregon sent us this interesting olive oil as a Christmas gift. It is light and delicate and it appears to be excellent when used raw. Thank you Moe. But can I also expect cannoli and arancine from Oregon? But please no Oregon sea salt.

  The trick is to keep things simple. Here is a simple and delicious pasta dish of broccoli and Italian sausage. Boil a pot of pasta water and add salt and broccoli florets. Coat the bottom of a large skillet with good EVO and lightly sauté a shallot cut very fine. Once they get golden add the sausage that has been removed from the casing. Stir it in and break it up with a spoon. Now add half a glass of  good dry wine. You ma want to add some fresh peperoncino or black pepper. Once the alcohol has evaporated ladle in the broccoli; the water is for the pasta that you now add. Use a ladle or two of the pasta water to keep the sauce moist. This will help create the cremina that is so important. Add some finely chopped Italian parsley. Two minutes before the cooking time indicated on the pasta box, transfer it into the skillet. Reserve two cups of pasta water. Stir well and aerate. Add some pasta water. When pasta is a l dente , shut off the heat waist about 30 seconds and add so...