Mediterranean Orzo Salad

Jump to recipe This recipe is full of flavor, healthy and a great alternative to typical BBQ sides.  I have been making this salad for quite a while. It is similar the Italian rice salad my grandmother use to make but she didn’t use the feta cheese or smoked mozzarella and hers was made with…

Fig and Goat Cheese Flatbread with Bacon

I love fresh figs.  Growing up we had these all the time as they were an Italian staple.  One of my favorite ways to enjoy figs are to have them sliced with fresh Homemade Italian Style Ricotta Cheese with a drizzle of honey atop some fresh crostini.  I could make a meal out of this alone…

Beet Carpaccio with Fresh Ricotta and Pistachios

One of my favorite Italian appetizers is beef carpaccio, which is  paper thin sliced rare beef tenderloin, usually served with shaved parmesan cheese and hollandaise sauce.  I will only order it from trusted places as it served rare and food safety is paramount at all times, but most importantly when serving rare items or raw…

Italian Calamari Salad

I love squid or calamari if you will!  Now growing up I had this salad quite a bit or my Dad would make squid in a spicy red sauce and we would have it served over linguine. Both equally delish!  It wasn’t until I was in my 20’s that I began eating fried calamari.  Now…

Roasted Beet Salad with Candied Walnuts and Goat Cheese Croutons

I can’t remember a time in my life when I didn’t adore salad.  Growing up Italian, my first exposure to a salad was at my Grandmother’s on Sunday, her salad would be a mix of romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, all of the veggies from a wonderful Italian man who pushed his Peddler’s cart through the neighborhoods…