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Archive for September, 2008

How Much Pasta Is Too Much?

Posted in Skinny Guinea on September 30, 2008 | 9 Comments »

Sophia and the stuff she’s made of (although what is that lumpy mess hanging in the middle?). I had an extremely enlightening conversation with a friend  while we were preparing dinner together a few nights ago. The subject was pasta, and what he matter-of-factly said shocked me—me the pasta queen, who really thought I knew [...]

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BuonItalia

Posted in Restaurant and Product Reviews on September 24, 2008 | Leave a Comment »

Guanciale at BuonItalia in Chelsea Market. I lament the demise of the old-fashioned provolone-stinking Italian grocery store of my childhood. Such places certainly still exist on Arthur Avenue in the Bronx, but as far as Manhattan goes, I don’t know. I can’t think of one. Faicco’s on Bleecker Street? DiPalo? Those are great shops, but [...]

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A Tomato Tart for Summer’s End

Posted in Skinny Guinea on September 22, 2008 | 2 Comments »

The finished product and the raw ingredients. Recipe: Tomato Tart with Pecorino and Rosemary My friend Barbara, of Patron Saints and Holy Cards fame, has a house with a vegetable garden in Delaware County, New York. She grows gigantic, lumpy deep red tomatoes, and also really delicious grape and cherry tomatoes, all from Italian seeds [...]

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Figs, Celery, and Walnuts: It’s Almost Fall

Posted in Skinny Guinea on September 20, 2008 | Leave a Comment »

Recipe: Fig and Celery Salad with Walnut Pesto Crostini Walnut pesto is a lovely thing, but it’s quite a load in the calorie department when used for its intended purpose, being tossed with pasta. I’ve found a new way to enjoy the rich paste in small doses where it can still make a big impact: [...]

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San Gennaro and Chickpeas

Posted in Skinny Guinea on September 16, 2008 | 2 Comments »

The San Gennaro festival procession in Naples. Recipe: Roasted Chickpeas with Garlic and Rosemary I think we have to face a fact: The San Gennaro feast in Little Italy is a crashing bore. When Johnny Boy proclaimed in Mean Streets, ”I hate this feast with a passion,” I could feel his pain. I’m sure at [...]

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Capra Sarda, Fennel, and Green Olives

Posted in Skinny Guinea on September 14, 2008 | Leave a Comment »

Murray’s cheese cave, built into the sidewalk on Bleecker Street. Recipe: Frisée Salad with Capra Sarda Cheese, Fennel, and Green Olives About once a month I walk over to Murray’s cheese shop on Bleecker Street to check out any new Italian cheeses they may have gotten in. When they first moved across to the other [...]

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Eggplant Is Your Friend

Posted in Skinny Guinea on September 8, 2008 | 6 Comments »

Gorgeous eggplants at the Hanover Farms 24-hour vegetable stand, in Mount Tremper, New York. Recipe: Eggplant Gratin with Ragusano Cheese and Filetti di Pomodoro Are you scared of eggplants? A lot of my friends are. Fear of the unknown can be mesmerizing. If you didn’t grow up in an Italian or Middle Eastern household, you [...]

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Zucchini Blossoms for Summer’s End

Posted in Skinny Guinea on September 3, 2008 | 1 Comment »

Recipe: Fried Zucchini Blossoms Filled with Mozzarella, Marjoram, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes This still from Fellini’s Amarcord reminds me of the end of summer, or what the end of summer should ideally feel like, a peaceful, breezy transition to a cooler place. My end-of-summer transition usually takes place in the kitchen, not on the Adriatic coast, [...]

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