Category Archives: Recipe

This month I tackle: Zucchini Flowers.
Before moving to Italy I had never even heard of zucchini flowers (aka fiori di zucca), let alone seen one. Perhaps I missed them at the grocery store. Perhaps they were in a special aisle. Perhaps they were too implausible for me to comprehend. Or, more likely, I thought they were simply decorative and not edible and conveniently designed for stuffing with cheese. Had I known this, I assure you, I would have made every effort to find them. Luckily, once I moved to Italy, these decorative AND delicious treats became a reality and one that I looked forward to every late spring and summer.
These yellow and green flowers grow out of the side of the zucchini like enormous claws. When they’re in season, you can either buy the zucchinis with their flowers still intact or, at certain stores and markets, just the flowers. Since I cannot imagine getting through the quantity of zucchini required to yield the quantity of flowers I desire on a daily basis, I usually go for the pre-separated flowers. Quality-wise they are roughly the same and cost less without all the extra zucchini attached. Once you’ve found them, purchased them, and brought them home, the question is, of course, how to make these beautiful blossoms into a delicious dinner.
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Technorati Tags: Fiori di Zucca, Italian food, Italian recipe, Italy, Recipe, What is in Season, Zucchini Flowers

A few weeks ago I posted a photo of the week of some seasonal roman cauliflower and later some super fresh artichokes from the local market that – somewhat unintentionally – transformed into mini cooking adventures. It turns out that while I am by no means a “chef,” I can read a recipe and improvise reasonably well in the kitchen (who knew?). It also turns out that doing so is quite rewarding. More than that…it’s empowering! I used to avoid the fresh artichokes in my grocery store. I looked at them as foreign, unknown, and as a potential threat to my cooking confidence. I fear them no longer. As soon as I noticed this amazing transformation, I started to look around my grocery store and see veggies I had never tried before just waiting to be cooked, eaten, and conquered. So I made a deal with myself. I decided that I would try to always buy what is in season, find out the best way to eat it, and well…eat it. If I am feeling frisky I may even try a recipe of my own, but let’s not get too crazy. For a full list of what vegetables are in season when see this site. For my own simplified list of what is in season in Italy, scroll to the bottom of this blog. OK. Onto the first veggie victim.
This month I tackle: The Fava Bean.
 
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Technorati Tags: Fava Bean, How to cook fava beans, Italian recipe, Recipe, Seasonal Vegetables, What is in Season

A delicious Italian granita…read on to see how you can enjoy one at home!

Jane was a Select Study Abroad student this past summer and one of the most enthusiastic people we have every met. Before we arrived to a new city she had already picked three places she wanted to eat and had convinced several others to join her. No one was EVER disappointed with a Jane “selection.” She has excellent taste and is an avid researcher. At Select Study Abroad we feel similarly – NEVER waste a trip or a meal. There are too many amazing things and too little time to waste not doing (and eating!) the very best. So when her enthusiasm turned to a little something we call a granita well…she could not be stopped. Not even, apparently, when she returned home! Thanks to her unquenchable thirst for life and delicious icy watermelon she came up with this easily reproducible recipe you can use at home. Granita party anyone? I think we all owe her big time. Thank you Jane!!

As a kid, my dad would take me on gelato adventures before my ballet classes. I loved the delicate flavors and mouth-feel of the gelato – creamy, but not cloying. There was a little family run farm near my ballet studio in Natick, MA, and they made their own gelato from scratch. There were no glaring artificial colors, the labels were in Italian, and the stracciatella, or chocolate chip, had whole sheets of delectable chocolate tucked into the folds of vanilla. I collected the spoons, and a tower of plastic petaled dishes accumulated in the back of the pantry. When asked to choose between a true dedication to dance and my weekly habit, I promptly ended my dancing career. Continue Reading…

Technorati Tags: granita, Italian food, Recipe