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Amaretti cookies are essentially Italy’s answer to macarons. Their name is derived from the diminutive form of “amaro” (bitter), because they’re traditionally flavoured with bitter almonds (and currently with almond extract). Unlike macarons, which are usually sandwiched, amaretti are mostly served solo. They’re also baked to a crunchier texture, and can be crumbled and used [...]

After the success of my homemade goat’s cheese, I wanted to delve a little further into cheese-making. Unfortunately, I don’t have a curing chamber, so I’m limited to fresh cheeses. (For now…) That’s OK, though, because some of my favourite cheeses require no affinage. And I was recently reminded that Ideas in Food, a continuing [...]

There are a few rules that apply to my kitchen. One of them is, “Always have the basic ingredients for pasta puttanesca on hand: canned tomatoes, olive oil, anchovies, garlic, capers, dried chillis and dried pasta.” That way, if I look up from my desk at 5 o’clock and realize I haven’t planned anything for [...]

This is one of my favourite treats to make when I have leftover risotto. I just put the leftovers into a mold (usually a square or rectangular plastic sandwich keeper) and refrigerate them. Once they’re thoroughly chilled, usually by the next day, I unmold, cut to shape, bread, and shallow-fry until golden on the outside [...]

My local butcher had a special on veal shank slices the other day, so I picked some up to make osso buco, even though I don’t usually associate braising with the dog days of summer. I made it a two-day process, searing, braising and chilling the meat on the first day, then de-fatting and reheating [...]

Thanks to some local friends whose garden was starting to look a little overgrown, I managed to lay my hands on some tomato leaves to cook with. I figured the best way to experiment with them was in a dish that already included tomatoes. My favourite go-to pasta sauce is amatriciana, which uses bacon and [...]