Archive for August, 2008

Artichoke Carpaccio

Ingredients: 1 jar Radici of Tuscany artichoke hearts 1 cup tender arugula leaves, lightly packed 1/4 cup Mannucci-Droandi DOP Chianti Classico Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil Maletti Balsamic Vinegar, to taste 1/4 cup shaved Parmeggiano Reggiano cheese Freshly ground black pepper, to taste Drain the artichoke hearts and remove them from the jar, patting them [...]

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Artichoke Heaven

“Carciofi crudi,” my fellow teacher informed me as I crunched delightedly on a bite of a bitter and cheesy, green yet buttery serving of a mysterious antipasto arrayed on a clean white plate. I had never seen or tasted before such a dish, served at an elegant osteria in the Umbrian city of Perugia. “Raw [...]

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The Rituals of Domenica (Sunday)

When we lived in Italy, Domenica or Sunday, became the most satisfying and recharging day of the week. It was unstructured and spontaneous, breaking up an otherwise busy work schedule for us; customarily, no solid plans for Domenica were made other than our respective choices of newspaper to read and discuss during acCapuccino-punctuated, Sunday morning [...]

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