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Definition: Gnudi

YumSugar — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:00:15 -0800

Gnudi (pronounced "nu-dee") is a type of gnocchi made from ricotta cheese and a little bit of flour. The result is a dumpling that some describe as "nude" ravioli, or filling without the pasta - that is to say, light, fluffy, and creamy.

If you like gnocchi, chances are you'll be a fan of gnudi, too.

Source

Fast & Easy Dinner: Gnocchi With Chard and White Beans

partysugar — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 06:50:38 -0700

If you think gnocchi is a dish that can only be enjoyed in restaurants, think again! These days most grocery stores offer packaged gnocchi in the fresh or regular pasta sections. Why not make this staple a part of your busy-cook pantry? Then when you're in the mood for a comforting Italian-style meal, make this dish! The gnocchi is combined with hearty chard, stewed tomatoes, and white beans. The recipe calls for a topping of mozzarella and parmesan cheese, but if you are trying to eat healthy, simply omit them. Sound delish? Wait till you read the recipe.

Definition: Gnocchi

YumSugar — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:00:26 -0700

Gnocchi (pronounced "nyoh-kee") means "lumps" in Italian, and refers to a thick, pillowy dumpling. Available fresh, frozen, or dried, the pasta is made from a dough based on potatoes, flour, farina, or semolina, which is rolled into long cylinder shapes, cut into bite-sized pieces, and sometimes decorated with forked ridges. They are boiled, baked, or sautéed, then served in a tomato, pesto, cheese, or butter-based sauce. Smaller forms are referred to as gnocchetti.

Definition: Branzino

YumSugar — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:00:48 -0700

A silver-skinned fish found in European sea and saltwater lakes, branzino goes by many names, including European sea bass, spigola, loup de mer, róbalo, and lubina.

The fish, which ranges in size from one and a half to three pounds, has a firm, white, delicate-flavored flesh and few small bones. It's a prized fish in Italian, Spanish, and Greek cuisines, and is often prepared grilled, baked, poached, steamed, or braised whole.

Name That Dish!

partysugar — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:15:47 -0700

When making the Italian soup that's pictured below, one could throw in a rind of Parmesan cheese to enhance the flavor. With its ribbons of fluffy eggs, do you know what it's called?

Simple Tip: Use Parmesan Rinds to Flavor Soups

partysugar — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:30:12 -0700

Good-quality cheese is expensive and if I'm going to purchase a wedge of imported Italian Parmesan cheese, I like to use the entire chunk - including the rind. Luckily, I learned a long time ago that the rinds can be used to season soups and stews. Once you've grated all the cheese off, wrap the rind tightly in plastic wrap and throw in the freezer. The next time you make minestrone, chicken noodle soup, or any other Italian-style, stock-based soup or light stew, simply toss the rind in. It will melt and seep a nutty, cheesy goodness into the soup. How easy is that?!

Do you reserve and reuse cheese rinds? Tell us how below!

Name That Dish!

YumSugar — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 16:00:08 -0700

In honor of World Vegetarian Day, try to identify this classic, meat-free baked Italian dish.

Fast & Easy Dinner: Italian-Style Spaghetti Squash

partysugar — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 07:50:13 -0700

If you've never cooked with spaghetti squash, I highly recommend you give it a try. Once it's roasted in the oven, the flesh comes off in strands that resemble spaghetti. Treat it as you would pasta and toss with a simple vegetable saute and you've got a carb-free, vegetarian-friendly meal. This recipe is highly versatile, so sub in whatever veggies you have on hand; mushrooms, peppers, even a green like kale would be delicious. Check it out now.

Happy Hour: 2007 Feudo Principi Di Butera Nero d'Avola

partysugar — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:15:12 -0700

When selecting wine from a menu, sometimes I like to choose a varietal I've never heard of. Take Nero d'Avola for example. Up until recently, I didn't know this red grape (that's been grown in Sicily for hundreds of years) even existed. The bottle I tasted was 2007 Feudo Principi di Butera.

This lush and impressive red has a cherry aroma with a hint of spice and a smooth, velvety mouthfeel. The liquid is a deep garnet. It's unusual and exotic, but highly drinkable. With its appealing complexity and rich fruity flavor, the Fuedo tastes like an expensive bottle of wine.

Surprisingly, it's only $14, making it the ideal wine for a dinner party or hostess gift. Have you ever sipped Nero d'Avola?

Definition: Speck

YumSugar — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 15:15:00 -0700

An Italian cured, smoked meat native to the Alto Adige, a region that straddles Northern Italy and Southern Austria. To make speck, a boned pork leg is cured in salt, and spices like laurel and juniper, then intermittently slow-smoked, using pine or juniper wood for several months.

Deep red in color with heavily marbled traces of fat, speck is served thinly sliced as an appetizer, or used in to flavor cooked dishes.

Note that speck from Alto Adige or Tyrol, which enjoys a protected designation of origin, should not be confused with the German usage of the word, which refers to lard.

Source: Flickr User dags1974