Gourmet Italian

photo credit: JOE M500 I had this Italian Easy 5-layer Dip at a party a few years ago and now I serve it at my own dinner parties.  Everyone loves it.  What’s not to love about cheese and pesto, right?  It doesn’t get much more Italian than that.  Plus it has roasted red bell peppers, [...]

photo credit: HiMalta I found this gourmet Italian frittata recipe years ago in the now sadly defunct Gourmet magazaine.  People go nuts over this recipe and it is really easy to make. A frittata is kind of like an open face Italian omelet.  It is bulkier and sturdier than the delicate French omelet, and is [...]

We can most likely thank the Genoans for Pesto.  This quick Italian green mixture will brighten up any dish.  The name actually derives from the Latin word “pesta” – meaning to crush or pound.  Of course, the key ingredient in Pesto is basil.  Basil thrived throughout the region near Genoa, so it was widely used.  [...]

photo credit: cayobo Quick Italian Dishes are wonderful because they take little time, but are always full of flavor.  I love to cook shrimp and  I was surprised to learn that there are over 20,000 species of shrimp, but we only use about 300 of them.  Actually, the “real” scampi are actually lobsters found in [...]

If you are looking for a quick Italian appetizer, you must try Bagna Cauda!  Craig Claiborne once said that Bagna Cauda is one of the most “Savory, delectable, and unlikely appetizers in the world.”  Although not everyone agrees on the origin of the name, the popular take on it is that it means “hot bath”, [...]