The piadina is an Italian specialty from the Emilia-Romagna region. Similar to a flour tortilla it can be filled or topped with practically any cooked or fresh vegetable or cured meat such as ham and prosciutto which are typical. This unleavened flat bread can be made in no time too – just two basic ingredients! By the way my friend Laura who comes from this region gave me this recipe that has been handed down from her family for generations. Continue reading
These little avocado sandwiches are topped with a special cashew cream hummus and cherry tomatoes. Another perfect hot weather treat! Continue reading
This cold salmon trout pasta is perfect in hot weather especially now when the thermometer is reaching almost 40 degrees C. (100 F) around here! It’s also easy to prepare ahead of time and even serve it the next day. You could easily substitute the trout with tuna, shrimp or practically any cooked fish. Continue reading
Sardenara or Sardenaira as it’s called in San Remo is a pizza-like focaccia very popular in that area. But don’t call it a pizza if you’re there, it would almost be an insult to the locals! It’s an age old specialty that goes back to the Andrea Doria period of the 15th century. After the discovery of the New World tomatoes were introduced. Before that there wasn’t a trace of them. So if you wan’t to try the original recipe, skip them! Continue reading
Green Herb Hummus complete with freshly gathered parsley, rosemary, thyme, basil and marjoram. A delicious and healthy variation of the classic hummus. I even started humming “Are you going to Scarborough Fair, parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme……” I guess all the herbs that I was using that were mentioned in the song brought me back to the Simon & Garfunkel hit. Actually it’s an old English ballad about Yorkshire. Haven’t tried using sage though…could be an idea. Anyway choose any combination of herbs that you like or even what you have on hand. Maybe even singing this tune will help you remember which ones to use. Continue reading
This is a great vegetarian dish to serve on a hot summer day. To make it more portable, serve it in individual covered jars and complete this healthy meal with some fresh fruit. Continue reading
This basic vegetable quiche recipe can have many other variations. Instead of green beans you could use artichoke hearts, fennel, zucchini, etc. This is a great summer standby. Good cold too for a healthy snack or picnic. Continue reading
This luscious apricot upside-down cake is totally gluten free and light as a feather. If you wish you can use other fruits instead of the apricots: pineapple, peaches, plums, etc. Continue reading
Several years ago while visiting the Reubens museum in Siegen, Germany I came across this delicious bread. You might wonder what has Reubens got to do with potato bread? Well, after seeing this amazing Baroque artist’s paintings we stopped at the museum’s coffee shop where they were serving other than the usual refreshments, buttered slices of this bread. Next to the serving dish were photocopies of the recipe! Later I had the recipe translated from German and here it is! If you make it, you’ll understand why people were asking for the recipe. Don’t forget the museum though, it’s really worth visiting. Continue reading
This vegetable salad is very typical in Liguria. The mixture of fresh and cooked vegetables creates an almost complete meal. You can find the crisp bread at the bottom of this dish which has the purpose of soaking up all the delicious juices. Continue reading