Italian
Italian cuisine is renowned for its regional diversity, richness of flavors, and emphasis on high-quality ingredients, including pasta, olive oil, tomatoes and cheese.
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Focaccia
The first time I ever tasted “Roman bread” was at Monti’s la Casa Vieja in Tempe, Arizona. I vowed to find a good focaccia recipe and tweak it to my liking, and this is the result. There is nothing quite like Italian Garlic-Cheese Bread.
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Cannoli
Cannoli were my favorite Italian bakery dessert in Chicago during the Lenten season. Cannoli are cheese stuffed pastries.
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Cuccidati
Cuccidati are fig or date bars. They are beautiful on cookie trays during the holiday season. Cuccidati, also known as Italian fig cookies, are a traditional Sicilian treat typically prepared during the holiday season, especially for Christmas. They are filled with a mixture of dried figs, nuts, spices, and sometimes citrus zest, all encased in a sweet dough.
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Affogato
One of the most delightful Italian desserts! Affogato means “drowned” in Italian. In this case, gelato is “drowned” in espresso and flavored syrup. The flavor combinations are almost endless. An affogato is a delicious Italian dessert that consists of a scoop of vanilla gelato or ice cream “drowned” with a shot of hot espresso. The contrast between the hot coffee…
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Caponata (Aubergine Salad)
This Italian dish highlights the rich flavor of eggplants and combines them with fresh ingredients for a refreshing salad.
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Chicken Cacciatore
A simple, but tasty, stovetop version of Chicken Cacciatore.
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Shrimp Scampi
Shrimp scampi is an Italian-restaurant favorite made right in a skillet. Serve these succulent shrimp over a bed of hot fettuccine or angel hair pasta and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if desired. Shrimp are sold according to the number of shrimp per pound. A good size shrimp for scampi is 20 to 25 per pound. Very large shrimp tend to…
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Italian Beef
This makes delicious roast beef sandwiches in your slow cooker.
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Raspberry Gelato
This is the recipe that prompted me to buy an ice cream maker attachment for my Kitchen Aid mixer.
