Category Archives: italy

Rebutting Radical Chic…nella Cucina Italiana

Posted on March 24, 2023 by hnbjr

In a fit of radical chic, the Financial Times published Marianna Giusti’s interview with Marxist academic Alberto Grandi, in which the latter “debunks” (a popular activity these days) Italian food traditions, most of which are admittedly as new as Italy’s … Continue reading →

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M&M Enterprise Cooking, Vol. XIX

Posted on November 21, 2018 by hnbjr

Here’s a pre-Thanksgiving Day meal complete with primo, secondo and contorno. I was most excited about the contorno and had been squirreling away supplies from the dining facility for some time for it. The primo, a dish more suited to … Continue reading →

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M&M Enterprise Cooking, Vol. XVIII

Posted on November 16, 2018 by hnbjr

Ragú Redux Ragù. Pride of Emilia-Romagna, the rich, wine-and-broth simmered stuff which is indescribably comforting on a cold, foggy day in the Valpadana. And of course, a testament to its inherent goodness is its bastardization worldwide as “meat sauce” or, … Continue reading →

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M&M Enterprise Cooking, Vol. XVII

Posted on November 16, 2018 by hnbjr

Pasta con tapenade e sgombro It was “Italian night” at the dining facility the other night so I picked up a vat of black olive tapenade, thinking I’d do something with it later, despite the fact that tapenade is a … Continue reading →

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“San Martino, ogni mosto diventa vino”

Posted on November 11, 2018 by hnbjr

Republishing this for the 103rd anniversary of Armistice Day — It’s not only the 100th anniversary of Armistice, now Veterans, Day, it’s also San Martino, an autumnal feast day in Italy that celebrates not only the fourth-century patron saint of … Continue reading →

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M&M Enterprise Cooking, Vol. XVI

Posted on November 11, 2018 by hnbjr

Two dishes today. One is a variation on the previously-posted risotto-in-a-bag dish. It was “Mexican night” at the cafeteria Wednesday and I was generously given by the server a large quantity of cooked shrimp, presumably for use in shrimp tacos. … Continue reading →

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M&M Enterprise Cooking, Vol. XII

Posted on September 18, 2018 by hnbjr

Caponata Siciliana – September 17 This will be the last for a bit, as I’m off to the land of good and accessible food soon enough. I found myself with far too many good fresh vegetables and jarred items the … Continue reading →

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M&M Enterprise Cooking, Vol. I

Posted on August 19, 2018 by hnbjr

In the model of a less-evil Milo Minderbinder, I thought I’d show people what kind of food one can whip up with limited resources in a war zone.  Having a full range and stove helps, but the crucial ingredient is, … Continue reading →

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Le elezioni

Posted on September 28, 2016 by hnbjr

One of the many small pleasures in Italian daily life is picking up a thick edition of one of the dailies and reading through it over a strong morning coffee (or two, if one still has jet lag). Yes, such … Continue reading →

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Amid What Bells Do You Appear Rovigo?

Posted on April 26, 2014 by hnbjr

April’s poetry discovery was that Polish poet Zbigniew Herbert has not only a poem, but an entire volume entitled Rovigo, with the eponymous poem being indeed about that small town in Veneto midway between mythical Venice and sumptuous Bologna where I … Continue reading →

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