Hello, my readers! I thought I’d talk to you this month about focaccia bread. As you probably know, every restaurant makes focaccia bread differently. And people have been making some version of focaccia bread since ancient times. In modern times, most people cover a thick crust with pizza sauce and … More

Hello, my readers. I’ve got a great new recipe for you, and, as usual, there’s a little story behind it. My wife made me a toasted English muffin with orange marmalade for breakfast one recent morning. She always likes to keep me on my toes, so she asked, “Do you … More

When I was thinking about what to write for this month’s issue, I grabbed my old recipe book and found a very easy-to-make recipe, for Apple Bread Pie. You will enjoy this one because it’s so simple to throw together; you can do all the prep work for it in 20 minutes … More

This type of cake reminds me of when I went to Palermo, Italy, to see my brother and his family. At the time, there was a wedding going on that was being catered. I walked into the kitchen and noticed that in the oven there were six little cakes. I knew they were … More

Zucchini is a vegetable that goes with everything. I love that it can be used in soup, salad, pasta and more. You can roast pieces of zucchini or bread them to fry. I also like zucchini with marinara sauce (just add to your sauce and cook for 10 minutes before the sauce is … More

You may wonder why I decided to write about bagels this month. Well, here in New York, pizza shops are rapidly tapping into the breakfast market. Street vendors are starting to sell pizza at night, so why shouldn’t you offer breakfast? In these changing times, pizza sales sometimes need a boost. Especially for … More

Cannelloni incorporates oversized rigatoni pasta that Sicilians enjoy because you can stuff them with many different ingredients. One of my favorite cannelloni recipes is one using eggplant, ricotta cheese and ground veal. The one here is stuffed with spinach and ricotta, and you can use your imagination to come up with additional … More

One of the most popular salads in Sicilian cuisine is caponata (eggplant salad). While eggplant is the main ingredient, the salad likely takes its name from one of the secondary ingredients—capers. You’ll find eggplant in many Sicilian dishes, and it’s used in many ways, including in both sweet and savory meals. I like to make caponata … More

I was on the phone with a client from Chicago one day discussing pizza, and he asked if I ever make Chicago-style pizza. I told him yes, and I thought I’d share the recipe with you. Once I planned out the ingredients, I went shopping and put it all together—and those who … More

In light of the immense heat we’ve been experiencing throughout the country, I figured everyone might be craving a light, refreshing meal to wind down the summer. I was in my pool the other day, getting hungry and pondering a summertime dish that was easy to prepare and light in calories. My … More

Mussels are one of my many favorites—and I don’t mean body muscles! When many think of mussels, they think only of appetizers, but this shellfish has many uses: in red sauce, white sauce, seafood pizzas, etc. Mussels are very popular in all of the coastal regions of Italy and are delicious served with pasta. This simple dish … More