Tuesday, August 31

Ginger Peach Crumble

Ginger Peach Crumble

Late summer and early fall in Connecticut means peak stone fruit season. Bushels of peaches call out to me. First to eat in hand or maybe sliced in a salad with fresh ricotta or slices of Parma ham. Then finally I cook them. No peach jam for me. I prefer to retain the fresh peach flavor, which is what happens in this ginger peach crumble. The topping works for any combination of juicy fruits. The

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Apple Almond Galette

This apple galette is my go-to, all-time favorite dessert to make for company. Super crisp crust with lots of flaky layers. Fruit that develops an intense flavor.  Leftovers taste as good for breakfast, if you don’t refrigerate the tart. (The crust gets soggy and there is no reheating technique I’ve discovered that revives it.) Jump to Recipe This wonderful crisp galette owes its success to many tricks I’ve learned over the years.  First the dough,

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Saturday, August 28

Glossary of Italian American Bakery Specialties

A box of Italian cookies from NY Old World Italian Bakery tour

Pignoli, amaretti, sfogliatelle.  Oh My! Are you as mad for Italian cookies and pastries as I am?   If so, you might enjoy this Glossary of Italian American Bakery Specialties that I put together for armchair or genuine travel. Growing up in New England, where a sizeable percent of the population claims Italian heritage, I was exposed to Italian sweets from a young age. My appetite for nutty things comes from eating Jordan almonds, biscotti and

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Monday, August 30

Old World Italian Bakeries of New York

Old World Italian Bakeries of New York

You’ve nibbled a pignoli and perhaps tasted a zeppole at an Italian street fair. And I know you’ve ordered cannoli at least once. (I have.) But have you really experienced the array of sweets that fill a typical Italian bakery in a city where many have been in business for more than 100 years? What keeps generation after generation of customers coming back? To help you find out, I created a map of some of

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Monday, August 09

Agro Dolce Green Olive and Eggplant Caponata

Agro Dolce Green Olive and Eggplant Caponata

I can’t make caponata, the Sicilian eggplant condiment, like Enza Causa-Santagata does. But I can try. This Agro Dolce Green Olive and Eggplant Caponata is my homage to Enza’s succulent version. It’s something to serve as a primo or first course or as a condiment with grilled fish or poultry. It makes a perfect topping for bruschetta, grilled bread, too. Enza comes from Sicily but has lived here forever; she keeps our local post office

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"Let no man fancy he knows how to dine
Till he has learnt how taste and taste combine."

-Horace, Satires, 2.4

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