I decided to take the Scarlet solution… think about it tomorrow. And capture the romance of the accessory, sometimes called the garnish. In this case the wispy chive flower, packing an unexpected texture and flavor surprise in the Vichyssoise Spring Chill Asparagus Vichyssoise *this Recipe adapted from a recipe from Taste Restaurant, Seattle Museum 1½ … Continue reading
To continue with my blog…is the question of the hour for me. I committed to one year of blogging two years ago this month. I wasn’t sure how it would evolve, a newbie to the blogging world. I registered my domain name Italian Handful.com at Go Daddy. Com and decided to keep using my italianhandful.wordpress.com … Continue reading
A Matisse week in May, kicked back, socializing, and Chef Craig Boroughf’s adaptation of a Chicago favorite! Ready and easy in minutes… What with Mother’s Day…et.all… Salty, sweet and snappy. Just like your mother! Matisse Chips *Recipe adaptation of West Town Tavern Potato Chips courtesy of Susan Goss, Executive Chef/Co-owner, West Town Tavern, Chicago, IL … Continue reading
My love affair with radishes began when I was six years old and pulled my first baby radish from our city prairie garden. The green leaves popped early, their tiny tips of red tinge bursting warm though the hard dirt. I tugged at the leafy stem. Once out, it looked like a tiny red carrot. … Continue reading
In ancient China oyster mushrooms were sent as a gift to friends and family. The jewelry maker in me couldn’t resist adding the pearls… The graceful appearance of the bloom of the oyster mushroom hooked me at the Green City Farmer’s Market. I wondered if I could roast them to keep the whole mushroom together? … Continue reading
Struffoli, strufoli, struffoli—Italian Honey Balls! A Neapolitan dessert my Grandma Micaletti brought to every Easter Sunday family celebration I can remember—since I was a little girl. Grandma Micaletti, my dad’s mom, didn’t cook. She was a bakery girl. There never was a Struffoli recipe handed down in our family. My mom’s family was from Abruzzi. … Continue reading
At the Green City Farmer’s Market last weekend they were selling Goose Eggs. Huge! The Winter Farmer’s Market is alongside the North Pond in Lincoln Park. Last year I remember seeing these big broken shells around the pond, a “goose control squad” was piercing the eggs to control the goose population. Maybe we should start … Continue reading
Call it my Italian Spring thing. It begins with forsythia’s bright yellow star-shaped flowers, then childhood’s marshmallow “peeps” everywhere and before I know it I’m heading to the bakery for a Lemon Slice aka Lemon Square, Lemon bar— the same bright yellow shimmying pastry —but I’ve been using the wrong name. And I just got … Continue reading
The Green City Farmer’s Market in Chicago is full of surprises in early Spring…things I don’t notice other times of the year, when the colorful fruits and vegetables capture my eye and imagination. Popcorn on the cob? My young audience was incredulous. In the microwave? The hardest part is harnessing our impatience. The aroma extends … Continue reading
A media witness daily to the destruction and loss from the tsunami in Japan— I watch with sadness and awe the courage and elegance of the Japanese people, their grace, dignity, gentle strength. I search for words of consolation, find none. My silence —dirge dark. “Egyptian lotus never dies.”—same for our beloved? And as the … Continue reading
Italian Handful 