Recipes

Dulce Argentino In this recipe, dulce de leche is made using sweetened condensed milk, but it can also be made from scratch or bought already prepared. A couple popular brands of dulce de leche available in Argentina are La Serenísima… Read full article

Spanokopita or Greek Spinach Pie (Makes four servings) A few weeks ago I was at a potluck lunch with some colleagues from my university department and the hostess had baked this wonderful dish that was everybody’s favorite. Though this version… Read full article

Kolokithokeftethes Greek Zucchini Patties This month’s recipe comes to us from Greek tour leader (and olive grower) Yorgos Paraskevopoulos.  It’s a traditional holiday food you’ll see throughout Greece and Turkey.    This time of year zucchini squash can be found in… Read full article

Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread       With the coming of Fall and cooler temperatures, I start making my own bread in order to warm my soul (and stomach) with freshly-baked bread and the house with heat from more… Read full article

Renaissance Cuisine in France and Italy Italy’s Tuscany and France’s Loire Valley don’t have much in common as far as geography or climate are concerned, but they share a special place in the history of the European Renaissance. From Florence,… Read full article

Rick’s Famous Sardinian Pork Chops My pork chop recipe dates back to a trip I took to Sardinia in the fall of 1984.  I had completed my doctoral dissertation on issues related to coastal zone management in Sardinia in 1980. … Read full article

Fava Bean Salad with Fresh Sage and Lemon This month Ellen Brinks, a colleague of Paola’s, shares her fava bean recipe. Here’s a recipe that features the wonderful taste of fresh sage and makes a delicious picnic or potluck offering,… Read full article

Pasta with Kale I have found that the I prefer using the sun-dried tomato pesto, rather than the soaked sun-dried tomatoes themselves, as the original recipe calls for. Your choice. 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes or two-three tbsp. sun-dried tomatoes pesto… Read full article

Mushroom Soup or Zuppa di Funghi or Soupe aux Champignons As Paola says in her accompanying article on the tenuous connections between Tuscany and the Loire Valley, the two regions are quite different. But one thing they do have in… Read full article

“Cacciucco alla Livornese” or Fish Soup, Livorno Style Here is a recipe that tastes like the Mediterranean and speaks Tuscan, the mother language of Italian, thanks to Dante’s influence. This soup, originally from the coastal town of Livorno (or Leighorn,… Read full article

Baba Ganoush (Eggplant & Tahini Dip)         1 Medium to Large Eggplant   1 to Four Cloves of Garlic (chopped)   2 Tbsp. Tahini (Sesame Paste)   2 – 4 Tbsp. Plain Yogurt   1 – 4… Read full article

Mussels in ‘Sauce Poulette’ Josette Smyrl, our French Hotel Coordinator, has sent me this recipe from her home in Provence. She had just prepared this dish for some friends, so she gladly passed it on to me to share with… Read full article

Risotto with Peoci alla Veneta Risotto with Mussels "Veneto" style Here is a tasty, simple recipe that will remind you of the Mediterranean and its special flavors of garlic and seafood. You can use this sauce, especially if you add… Read full article