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This stuffed pasta takes on a Middle-Eastern flavor with the lamb and harissa. Harissa is a red hot sauce or paste used in North African cooking and is made from chili peppers (often smoked or dried), garlic and olive oil. It may also have ground cumin, caraway or coriander mixed in it. Harissa can be…

I have a recipe that’s similar to this using orecchiette and anchovy fillets. The thought of adding anchovies to anything used to bother me until I took a cooking lesson from my Italian friend, Francesca. She would tell me, “my dear, you haven’t lived or experienced Italian food if you haven’t tasted anchovies!”. That was…

Bulgur is a quick cooking form of whole wheat which has a pleasant, nutty flavor. Bulgur is what’s left after wheat kernels have been steamed, dried, and crushed. Bulgur holds a place in recipes similar to rice or couscous but with a higher nutritional value (it’s low on the glycemic index). Most know it as…

Whenever the word salad is mentioned, some people cringe or turn their nose up at the idea. However, a salad does not have to be lettuce, tomato and cucumber smothered in some form of prepared dressing. These days, a salad takes on many forms and more substantial than aforementioned. In the last few decades the…

Yesterday was a bit of a hectic day running around town doing errands so I wasn’t in the mood to be in the kitchen for any length of time. I had in my mind that I wanted to make something with linguine and artichoke and my search on the web came up with this recipe.…

I love cheese and although Reggiano Parmigiano is one of my favorite Italian cheeses, there are others that rank equally as high. With so many to choose from, I have highlighted the ones that my family and friends enjoy when we get together. GorgonzolaNamed for a town outside Milan where it was originally made, Gorgonzola…

When I think of Italian food my mind automatically thinks of pasta, fish and slow simmered meats. However, none of these would be as good if it weren’t for the sauce. Each region reflects the flavors and textures that make up each sauce – some are salty and sweet, chunky, spicy, velvety smooth etc. These…

I’ve been on a bit of a fennel kick of late and am very happy to have found this recipe! The flavors here are awesome and while fennel has a distinctive licorice taste, roasting the fennel in the oven mellows the flavors. Fennel is a good source of fibre, vitamin C, folate and potassium. In…

This aromatic Mediterranean style stew is so simple to prepare and yet when presented at the dinner table, your family or friends will think you have spent the entire day in the kitchen! The added flavors of chilies and smoked paprika to the aioli gives this stew a bit of a kick. Ailoi (pronounced ahy-oh-lee)…