Recently, my son James came to visit us, and we ordered two multi-topping pies from a local pizzeria for delivery. When the pies arrived and we each took a slice, the look of disappointment on James’ face said it all. His slice began to droop right before my eyes, … More

Hello, readers! I recently made a trip to Italy and visited my family in Palermo. What a beautiful city! My brother is a master chef there and also teaches culinary classes. We had a wonderful visit, and we put our heads together while I was there and made this … More

I recently stopped in to see my dear old friend, Nick Maccarone, at his popular restaurant, Carnival (carnivalrestaurant.net), in Port Jefferson Station, New York. Nick is a self-made man who has owned Carnival for 42 years—it has become the local restaurant and pizzeria of choice in the community. He attributes … More

Hello, my readers! Here’s a pizza recipe that features potatoes, anchovies, capers and other unusual ingredients—and I think you’re going to like it. How did the idea for this recipe come about? A friend and I were out having a drink one night and started talking about—you guessed it—pizza! … More

Hello, my readers! This month’s recipe is for a delicious potato salad, one of the world’s great comfort foods. We often associate potato salad with summertime and picnics, but it’s a great holiday dish as well. Waxy potatoes are the best choice for potato salads because they hold their … More

Hello, my readers! Today I want to talk to you about fennel. Fennel has a distinctive flavor reminiscent of licorice. The Italians call it finocchio and use it in various recipes. It’s firm, crunchy, a little bit sweet, and it’s delicious by itself, mixed in a salad or baked … More

Today I want to tell you about one of my favorite restaurants here in Tampa. That’s Amore (thatsamorerestaurant.com) is a beautiful Italian restaurant with a waterfront view on Tampa’s Harbour Island. It’s the perfect place to take a date or to celebrate your anniversary with your beautiful wife. This … More

Grilled pizza is a rare treat. Most people don’t think to cook a pizza on an outdoor grill, but some pizzerias—such as Al Forno (alforno.com) in Providence, Rhode Island—have become famous for it. Charcoal grilling lends unique flavor to a pizza, but it’s also easy to burn your crust … More

Hello, dear readers! I recently attended the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago. It’s the biggest show of the year for restaurant operators, with people coming in from all over the world. I was glad to see many of my old friends there, including Linda Green, the co-publisher of … More

Hello, my readers! I’d like to introduce you to a simple dish called Zucchini With Sundried Tomatoes. Recently, I was thinking back about all of the different places to which I’ve traveled over the years. It seems that I found varieties of zucchini—in different shapes and colors—everywhere I went. … More

Hello to all of my readers! During a recent trip to Las Vegas, I ran into a French friend of mine that I’d previously met at a pizza show in Italy. Our conversation inspired me to come up with a new recipe. And since we’re heading into springtime and many … More