Podcast Archives - Page 5 of 12 - Quatro Fromaggio and Other Disgraces on the Menu

[Thoughts on the Table – 64] Introducing Crazy Italians and their Video Series on Italian Food

An unusual interview today on Thoughts on the Table! Yvette from Crazy Italians restaurant in Memphis found my page while looking for references on authentic Italian food. We started chatting and I discovered that not only did she and her husband Giampaolo open a successful restaurant, for over a year they have been producing amazing short videos featuring their daughters Azzurra and Lucrezia to help introduce continental Italian food to North America. Since I know you’re curious, here are a few of my favorite episodes: Bruschetta, Who is Alfredo, Carbonara, Pomodoro, Salad dressing.

In the podcast, Yvette, Giampaolo, and 9-year old Azzurra share their story and describe the laborious process of video production which involves the entire family, including some funny behind the scenes!

To know more about this amazing restaurant and project, please check out crazyitalians.com. You can also find Crazy Italians on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Yvette, it was great to get to know you and your family – thanks again for your fantastic contribution in letting the world know about the real food of Italy. And for this, please accept the Cannolo Award!

A listener kindly pointed out that a variation of Lasagna made with ricotta exists in the Naples area. This may be why Italian-American lasagna has ricotta.

The music in the episode is by www.purple-planet.com.

[Thoughts on the Table – 63] Italian and Italian-American Christmas Traditions, with Nick Zingale

Hello and Happy Holidays!

My friend and recurring guest Nick Zingale is back on the show with his great storytelling to talk about Christmas and the way he and his Italian-American family celebrated it over the years: from the anticipation leading up to Christmas Eve, to the Feast of the Seven Fishes, to the many family gatherings. In the episode, I also share my Christmas memories from growing up in northern Italy, with a special emphasis on the food.

This post’s featured image was derived from “Christmas Tree Fruit” by Sergé, licensed under Creative Commons.

[Thoughts on the Table – 62] Introducing Enzo De Chiara from The Italian Guest

Hello and welcome back to Thoughts on the Table! This episode’s guest is Cannolo Award winner Enzo De Chiara from the fabulous blog The Italian Guest.

During the interview, Enzo explains his link to the United States and how he started his blog to document his food, travel, and lifestyle experiences across from his hometown of Bergamo (in northern Italy) and his adoptive city of Columbia, Missouri.

In the episode, we also discuss some of the differences between Italians and Americans in the context of social interactions, lifestyle, and of course food. Enzo also introduces his latest post which he dedicated to The Magic Tree.

You can follow Enzo on his blog as well as on Facebook and Instagram.

[Thoughts on the Table – 61] Rediscovering Artisan Craftsmanship and Ancient Grains, with Alida Zamparini

Friend, food blogger Alida Zamparini from My Little Italian Kitchen is back on the show to give us an update on her latest recipes and blogging trips. As you will hear, Alida has been focusing on regional Italian products and artisan craftsmanship, which she documents in great detail on her blog. In particular, she describes her visit to “the dairyman,” an artisan who makes ricotta the traditional way in the Friulian Alps, and the production of the black fig of Caneva, which Alida makes good use of in her figs and ricotta tart.

In the second part of the episode, Alida introduces her passion for ancient grains such as spelt and Kamut Khorasan, which she uses for their rustic feel, depth of flavor, and wholesomeness in her berry crostata and Kamut pizza.

You can follow Alida on Twitter @cucinareitalia, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube.

The music in the episode is by www.purple-planet.com.

[Thoughts on the Table – 60] The Basic Rules of Italian Food with David Scott Allen

Blogger and photographer David Scott Allen from Cocoa and Lavender is back on the podcast to discuss a guest article I wrote in collaboration with Diana Zahuranec and other bloggers on “The Basic Rules of Italian Food.” For instance, among the various topics, we talk about the fact that no Italian would dare to cut spaghetti with a knife, to have a cappuccino after a meal, or to cook pasta other than in plenty of salted water at a full boil.

To conclude the episode, David introduces his latest recipe which is dedicated to the traditional Ligurian pasta shape called “Corzetti.”

You can follow David Scott Allen also on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest.

The music in the episode is by www.purple-planet.com.

[Thoughts on the Table – 59] Introducing Australian Restaurateur Simon Pagotto

Join me to meet restaurant owner, and Italian food ambassador, Simon Pagotto. During the episode, Simon talks about his Italian roots, his deeply Australian upbringing, and how his discovery of traditional Italian food led him to embrace authenticity in his trattoria, even against the general expectations of his patrons.

In our exchange, we touch on several hot topics including:

The three fundamental pasta sauces of Rome (Gricia, Amatriciana and Carbonara) and how they should be properly executed.
The overrated role of fresh pasta and the surprising presence of dried pasta in the diet the of Italians.
The omnipresence of balsamic vinegar outside of Italy versus the appreciation of plain wine vinegar in Italy.
The difference between serving pasta in large amounts of sauce and lightly coating it, in a balance of flavor and texture.

In the episode, Simon also mentions Marcella Hazan’s fundamental cookbooks on traditional Italian cooking.

The music in the episode is by www.purple-planet.com.

[Thoughts on the Table – 58] A Morning in San Giovanni in Galdo, with Nick Zingale

Join me and Nick Zingale for another of his fascinating stories as he continues to recount his visit to Molise, his maternal ancestors’ homeland.

As depicted in Nick’s original blog post, during his day-trip to San Giovanni in Galdo he goes through a series of encounters that make him closer to his roots and that he will remember forever.

In the episode, Nick mentions the characteristic regional pasta called cavatelli (please check it out on Manu’s Menu!) This pasta shape also happens to be most commonly found in Cleveland’s Little Italy, as further evidence of the strong influx of Molisan immigrants in the area.

As always, the music in the episode is by www.purple-planet.com.

[Thoughts on the Table – 57] Nick Zingale and his Emotional Trip to Molise

Nick Zingale is back on the podcast to share another chapter of his past Italian trip which led him to discover his southern Italian roots.

In this episode, Nick takes us through an emotional journey to Molise, the small Italian region where his maternal ancestors lived. Particularly, he talks about the paese of Matrice and its strong connections to his hometown Cleveland, where many of Matrice’s citizens emigrated over the years.

Matrice, Italy — The town of Matrice in the region Molise. Image courtesy of Wikipedia.

The music in the episode is by: www.purple-planet.com.

[Thoughts on the Table – 56] Italians of the World – Introducing Linda from Signorina Spaghetti

Thoughts on the Table is back with a new guest: Linda from Signorina Spaghetti. I discovered Linda’s blog only quite recently, but I immediately offered her the Cannolo Award for contributing to preserving the true flavors of Italy in the world! In the episode, Linda talks about what brought her to Brussels, Belgium and about her motivations for starting a blog, which she describes through hilarious examples and colorful stories. She also talks about her inspiration as a cook, her most important recipes and what’s behind them, and her plans for future projects and collaborations. Whether you already know Linda or not, join me to hear more about her and about how much Italians in the world have in common!

You can follow Linda also on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Youtube, and Twitter @signaspaghetti.