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Baccalà with Marsala, Roasted Tomatoes, and Pine Nuts
Una Musica, by Caravaggio. Recipe below: Baccalà With Marsala, Roasted Tomatoes, and Pine Nuts As a pantheist and therefore a nonbeliever in Jesus as the son of god, I find that much of the standard...
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Christmas at the Improv
It’s the day before Christmas Eve, and because of matters of mental health I’ve just now begun thinking about Christmas Eve dinner. Traditionally at our house it’s the big fish dinner, but this year...
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Spaghetti alla Puttanesca: My Journey
The winter of 1977, when I moved into my first Manhattan apartment, was an exciting if sleazy time to be in the city. Fine with me. My place was right off Union Square, the pre-Greenmarket Union...
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A Winter Menu
New York Snow, by Richard Marsh. Recipe Below: Stuffed Peppers with Lamb, Goat Cheese, Sweet Spices, and a Honey and Mint Tomato Sauce Here’s a Winter menu for you: Crostini with Anchovy Butter and...
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Growing Up with New York Flavors
Spain restaurant, on West 13th Street, opened in 1966 and still going strong. Recipe below: Calamari Filled with Pine Nuts and Raisins, in a Saffron White Wine Sauce I just finished reading a book...
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Carciofi alla Romana
Recipe below: Carciofi alla Romana An artichoke’s taste is deeply vegetal and slightly bitter with a final burst of sweetness that to me tastes a bit like Splenda. The sweetness can be startling,...
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My Sicilian Grandfather
Recipe below: Fusilli with Swordfish, Eggplant, and Almonds I’ve seen only one photo of Errico, my Sicilian grandfather, taken somewhere in Westchester I believe. If others exist, I wouldn’t know...
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Shopping for Food
Recipe below: Penne with Peas, Ricotta, Pancetta, and Mint I often shop for food at Westside Market, mainly because it’s two blocks from my Manhattan apartment. It’s no gourmet store, but they have...
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Bucatini con le Sarde a Mare
Still Life with Sardines, by Abad. Recipe below: Bucatini con le Sarde a Mare There used to be Sicilian restaurant called Siracusa in downtown Manhattan that closed about ten years ago, and I still...
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Women with Fish
I am not jealous of what came before me. Come with a man on your shoulders, come with a hundred men in your hair, come with a thousand men between your breasts and your feet, come like a river full of...
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Tonnato Crostini with Roasted Peppers and a Spring Herb Salad
Still Life with Italian Tuna, by Caron Eastgate Dann. Recipe below: Tonnato Crostini with Roasted Peppers and a Spring Herb Salad I learned how to make vitello tonnato when I working at Le Madri...
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Easter Peas with Pancetta, Onion, Mint, and Warm Spices
Still Life with a Bowl of Peas, Valencian School. If you’re behind on your Easter dinner planning and need a quick but traditional Italian verdura, this here is it, especially if you make it with...
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Eat at Gastronomia Norma
I went searching for a good pasta con le sarde and discovered that there are only a handful of Sicilian restaurants in Manhattan. Most of them are only marginally Sicilian, and more pan–Southern...
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Halibut with an Olivata Crust
Still Life with Fish, Bread, and Olives, by Pieter Claesz. Recipe below: Halibut with an Olivata Crust Isn’t it wonderful when a loved but somehow forgotten dish comes back into your life? Fish baked...
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Braised Calamari with Peas, Potatoes, and Spring Herbs
Still Life with Squid, by Lucian Freud (not particularly springlike, but this is the best painting of squid I’ve ever seen). Recipe below: Braised Calamari with Peas, Potatoes, and Spring Herbs...
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My Introduction to Fresh Herbs
Italian Vegetable Garden, by Simona Cristofari. Recipe below: Peppers and Eggs Arriving home on Long Island at 4 a.m. or so from another night of Manhattan club-hopping, exhausted and starving as only...
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Chicken Liver Pâté with a Watercress and Radish Salad
Still Life with Chicken, by bijijoo. Recipe below: Chicken Liver Crostini with Watercress and Radish Salad Roman Polanski seems to have a deep interest in watching blonde women eat raw meat. In his...
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