In terms of meat in Lazio, the region of which Rome is the capital, the place of honor went to abbacchio, milk-fed lamb. The name probably derives from bacchio, that is, the stick used for herding. Dictionaries of Romanesco dialect define abbacchio as just-weaned baby lamb whose season in the centuries following the stabilization of […]
Savory Pie in a Cast Iron Skillet
April 3, 2017 by 1 Comment
There’s something fun and easy to old-fashioned cooking in cast iron, such as this savory pie made in a cast iron skillet and topped with puff pastry. Savory pies were far more popular in the early part of the last century than they are today. They are waiting to be rediscovered. This recipe is not […]
Cherry and Lamb Skewers on the Grill
May 3, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Around the now sad and destroyed Aleppo in Syria is a dish fondly remade as best they can by Aleppines in exile and Syrians in general that will remind them of the good times once had. In fact, I first had kafta bi’l-karaz, grilled ground lamb and cherries on skewers, in Syria some 25 years […]
Using History to Create Inventive Dishes–Stuffed Lamb with Amaretti
November 30, 2015 by Leave a Comment
I first became fascinated with the role of the Arabs in Sicily after a trip to that island in 1983. There were noticeable Arab influences in everything from palaces, to bridges, to woodwork, to architecture, as well as a curious feeling to the local Sicilian food—not all of it, but some of it—which felt “Arab” […]
Simple Cast Iron Cooking: Lamb and Broccoli
June 3, 2015 by Leave a Comment
You can safely say that I’ve gone cast iron crazy ever since my Cooking with Cast Iron class was produced for Craftsy. Sure I’ve owned and used plenty of my cast iron cookware over the years, but since March I hard put my skillet away and just leaf it stovetop cooking all kinds of […]
Put Away the Recipe and Try Spain’s Grand (and Historic) Cuisine
August 5, 2013 by Leave a Comment
As cooks, we are naturally drawn to recipes. Recipes are instructions to be followed to create a dish. However, to be a better cook, to gain insight into a culinary culture, which is, after all, whence all cooking springs, I believe it is helpful to put aside our recipes occasionally. Recipes are like fireflies that […]
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