While I know there are a lot of people who subscribe to the motto “bacon makes everything better”, in Italy, one doesn’t see bacon at the grocery store or at the butcher shop. Italians don’t use bacon but pancetta. Pancetta is normally sold cubed or sliced […]

The title of this recipe, Porter Pancetta Porcini Oxtail Stew sounds a bit like a law firm. Or maybe this is just on my mind as I work with a lot of law firms. Or maybe I’m thinking about work because the Clifford Porter I use is from […]

This dish sounds complicated, but it really is not difficult to make. Pork loin wrapped in pancetta and stuffed with fig jam. Doesn’t this sound yummy? Pork loin, pancetta and fig jam! It sounds pretty decadent and Italian, doesn’t it?! I made this meal earlier this year in […]

  Pete loves cycling. He had finished a 115 km bike ride. It was day one completed of the two-day (230 km) Alberta Ride to Conquer Cancer. Besides being tired, he was in the mood for some carbo-loading pasta for dinner. Since it had been what […]

  Back in the summer, Pete and I were lucky enough to have dinner at Osteria dal Capo one evening when we were in Padova. We had a wonderful dinner and both the meal and service were lovely. At the end of the evening, we chatted […]

There is some argument on the origins of Spaghetti alla Carbonara. One school has the classic Roman dish created during the war, using military rations from American soldiers. Another side argues that the name comes from “alla carbonara”, a dish eaten by coal workers. (The heavy […]

  One of the nicest things about having your kids go away to school is that they develop a much greater appreciation for your cooking after eating residence food. It’s  kind of nice when they look forward to dinner and make meal requests. I recently […]