Green sauce (salsa verde) of the Bolognese tradition

Food is joy, it is ritual, it is convivial, it is a necessity, and it is seasonal. In Italy, it is also regional, often even local. Not forgetting to know the history of many Italian recipes, you have to look beyond the current administrative boundaries. And then, of course, you cannot ignore the family heritage. Every Italian…

ByMonica25 June 20220Comments

COURSES Eggs Gluten-free INGREDIENTS Main Course RECIPES

Garden herb frittata with Parmigiano cheese sauce

The garden herb frittata recipe confirms what I have been thinking for some time. The way a person cooks changes. How I have changed, even in the kitchen Over time, it is enriched as we try new recipes and undergo contamination. It suffers trends, seasons, and necessities. Today's cooking tends to be very sophisticated or, on the contrary,…

ByMonica17 June 20220Comments

COURSES First Course INGREDIENTS RECIPES Rice and Grains

Bladder campion risotto, a vegetarian recipe of Romagna

Bladder campion in Italian are stridoli, or strigoli. Nonna often used this wild herb. She used to make a typical vegetarian ragù of Romagna, or risotto, frittata , potato and bladder campion schiacciata (a sort of thin focaccia), and maltagliati soup in chicken broth. She also used it as a filling for tortelli . I…

ByMonica1 June 20220Comments

COURSES First Course Gluten-free INGREDIENTS OCCASIONS RECIPES Sunday Lunch

Buckwheat crespelle with ricotta and asparagus cream

What characteristics should a modern cuisine recipe have? I answer the question by pointing to one dish. Buckwheat crespelle with ricotta and asparagus filling. An indulgent but light recipe with a straightforward procedure. These are the characteristics of modern cooking that I practice. Modern cooking. Or maybe not Modern cooking is a harmonious blend of…

ByMonica21 May 20220Comments

Bologna Food COURSES First Course OCCASIONS RECIPES Sunday Lunch

Macaroni with breadcrumbs and the story of macaroni eaters

This recipe for macaroni with breadcrumbs is for macaroni eaters. Who is the mangiamaccheroni (macaroni eater)? In 1500 were Sicilians, in 1600 were Neapolitans. Even Artusi was called mangiamaccheroni. Then, from the end of the 19th century, the term indicated Italians who had immigrated abroad. And today? Today we are all mangiamaccheroni, in Italy and abroad. In the world, pasta is…

ByMonica29 March 20220Comments

COURSES Gluten-free INGREDIENTS Main Course RECIPES

Braised mixed mushroom stew recipe

Braised mixed mushroom stew. Can you smell it? It is a vegetarian recipe perfect to accompany a polenta or to eat as a stew. In my life, cooking is a journey where twists and turns, unexpected events, and discoveries are the order of the day. I never know where it will take me. Along the Via Emilia and beyond.…

ByMonica16 February 20220Comments

COURSES Gluten-free INGREDIENTS RECIPES Soups

Head cabbage soup recipe. And what I like of winter

Winter is my season. Solid and silent, it is the opposite of appearance. It is a season that doesn't show off. Winter calls for substance. To stay warm, we need jumpers, scarves, and gloves. For nourishment, we need warm dishes such as soups and broths. Meat and vegetable broths. Soups with pasta, rice, or bread. Minestrone with old…

ByMonica10 January 20220Comments

COURSES Gluten-free INGREDIENTS Legumes Main Course RECIPES

Potato and lentil burger. Vegetarian recipe

Today the choice of burgers is wide enough to satisfy even the most demanding palates. You can opt for a simple, gourmet, or vegetarian burger. But before sharing the recipe for a potato and lentil burger, let me remind you when there was only Swiss steak in Italy. Swiss and hamburger steaks I remember well the minced…

ByMonica1 December 20210Comments

Bologna Food Christmas COURSES Fruits Gluten-free INGREDIENTS OCCASIONS RECIPES Salads and Sides Sunday Lunch

A family recipe. Homemade pickled vegetables (Giardiniera)

Pickled vegetables, in this case, sweet and sour, are called Giardiniera in Italian. A very poetic name since it evokes the word garden. Giardiniera brings to mind the colors of the dish and the vegetables from the garden. It is an ancient method of preserving vegetables in season and eating them the next. I still remember when, at…

ByMonica9 November 20210Comments

Bologna Food COURSES First Course Gluten-free INGREDIENTS OCCASIONS RECIPES Sauces and Pâté

Vegetarian onion sauce “alla Romagnola” and my home recipe

This recipe has been in my family's repertoire for generations. It is an onion sauce that I have always appreciated, and I have a clear memory of preparing it. And it has a secret. The secret of Sara's onion sauce. Grandma and I are in the kitchen. When it's time, she makes a nod, and I open the…

ByMonica15 September 20210Comments