MARCELLA MONDAY: BRAISED PORK CHOPS WITH SAGE AND TOMATOES, MODENA STYLE

January 30, 2017 by Donata Maggipinto

So why Modena? Renowned for balsamic vinegar, Modena also gave us (the lucky lot of us) fast cars (Ferrari) and luscious iterations of pork. Marcella Hazan remarked, "The Modenese touch with pork can't be beaten." She is spot on. I've had the good fortune to visit Modena and enjoy pork in many variations. Each time, the taste was a revelation. Marcella prefaced her recipe for Braised Pork Chops with Sage and Tomatoes by saying, "This recipe is one of the simplest and tastiest ways of doing pork chops I've ever found." Again, spot on.

MARY RICHARDS AND ME (PLUS RIGATONI WITH BROCCOLI RABE AND SPICY SAUSAGE)

January 27, 2017 by Donata Maggipinto

I’m old enough to have watched The Mary Tyler Moore Show in real-time, not syndication. For seven years of Saturday nights, from childhood to my early teens, I lay on my stomach on our den carpet (yep, shag), mesmerized by the woman played by Mary Tyler Moore. Not only could Mary Richards “turn the world on with her smile,” but she also had a career that looked like fun, a big girl apartment with a wood-burning fireplace, a sporty white mustang, and a hilarious, pull-no-punches best friend, Rhoda. Plus, Rhoda lived upstairs, just like Lucy’s Ethel.

Now, years later, I am channeling Mary Richards...

THE FIX: WINTER MINESTRONE WITH CHICKEN

January 25, 2017 by Donata Maggipinto

There are as many minestrones as there are Italian mammas and this one is mine. It's a hearty soup that celebrates the winter garden. A market basket of leeks, carrots, broccoli, green beans, potatoes, and Swiss chard mingles with chicken and tubetti pasta to create a nourishing, satisfying dish.

MARCELLA MONDAY: PEARL ONIONS WITH PANCETTA, ROSEMARY, AND VINEGAR

January 23, 2017 by Donata Maggipinto

Pearl onions generally get their day in the sun on Thanksgiving, usually in a bath of cream. During the rest of the year, you may find them winking from stews or bobbing in a pot pie. Italians enjoy pearl onions or more precisely, cipolline, all year long. Italian cipolline are small and flat. Cipolline are available in the U.S. but pearl onions are easier to find; hence, I have used them in this recipe that I adapted from Marcella Hazan's original Cipollne in Tegame con la Pancetta. Pancettta rounds out the caramelized onions' sweetness while a dash of red wine vinegar at the end of cooking enlivens the dish. You'll find yourself plucking onions out of the pan and popping them into your mouth. Sooooo good. Get the recipe...

EVERYBODY DRINK! AN AMERICANO!

January 19, 2017 by Donata Maggipinto

I’ve always been a worrier so it’s odd that I am not worried about what will transpire tomorrow, January 20th, at noon. I’m concerned/anxious/incredulous, of course, about what a Donald Trump presidency will mean for the world at large and for my own small world here at home in America. But worry, like regret, is a wasted emotion. Why not toast each other instead? With an Americano. Get the recipe (and more)...

4 PM FIX: CREAMY POLENTA WITH BLACK PEPPER AND PARMESAN

January 18, 2017 by Donata Maggipinto

While I can eat this dish on its own - milk softens the polenta, Parmesan cheese enriches it, and black pepper spikes it - it is also a lovely complement to a host of flavors. Serve it alongside stews, roast chicken, or sausage. For a vegetarian option, pair the polenta with braised greens, sauteed mushrooms, or tomato sauce. In the spirit of saving time, I opted for quick-cooking polenta. Recipe here...