Frittata al prezzemolo, aglio e pecorino (Frittata with parsley, garlic and pecorino)

06/01/2026 ~ stefano arturi ~ 2 Comments

December 2025

“Oh! What a dreadful illness hunger is!” exclaims Pinocchio in the fifth chapter of his adventures. At the beginning of the chapter we find the wooden puppet desperate from the pangs of hunger, finally aware of how hard it is to be alone in the world, without a family. Suddenly, however, his troubles seem at an end. In the middle of a heap of rubbish he catches sight of a beautiful white egg and begins to fantasise about how he might cook it: as a frittata? fried?

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Crostata di riso di Jeanne Caròla Francesconi (Jeanne Caròla Francesconi’s baked tomato rice with mozzarella – a Neapolitan speciality)

10/06/202510/06/2025 ~ stefano arturi ~ 17 Comments

Jeanne Caròla Francesconi (1903-1995) is the doyenne of Neapolitan cookery and the author of the seminal La Cucina Napoletana(1965). Here, an informative article about signora Francesconi.
From that book, I cooked this excellent rice dish. Plain boiled rice is dressed with a basil tomato sauce, butter and parmesan, then poured in a cake tin, with a mozzarella and extra tomato sauce layer in the middle and baked. The contrast between the deliciously crisp outside and the cheesy soft inside is just wonderful.
Straightforward cooking, delicious eating.

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Tiramisù alle fragole con pistokeddos and alchermes (strawberry tiramisù with Sardinian pistokeddos sponge biscuits and alchermes liqueur)

22/05/202522/05/2025 ~ stefano arturi ~ 10 Comments

Tiramisù is one of my (and the world’s) favourite desserts. The combination of savoiardi (sponge biscuits), luscious mascarpone cream and bitter coffee and cocoa powder is a winner. It is quick to make and its ingredients are easily available (also outside Italy). What’s not to like?

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Sugo di pomodoro con alloro e cannella (tomato sauce with bay leaves and cinnamon)

17/01/202517/01/2025 ~ stefano arturi ~ 17 Comments

A few days ago, I helped a friend to clear his garden after the previous day’s severe pollarding that followed a storm which had toppled one of the trees. At first, I did not pay much attention to those thick branches that carpeted the grounds; then I picked up one of them, scrunched a couple of leaves and my nostrils were hit by the unmistakable, wonderful perfume of bay: lemony and with hints of nutmeg and pine.

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Scarpaccia viareggina (sweet and custardy courgette cake from Viareggio, in Tuscany)

16/09/2023 ~ stefano arturi ~ 18 Comments

Scarpaccia viareggina

It took a leap of faith and my avid curiosity to try this cake: could a basic sweet batter and some grated courgettes make a good cake? No nuts, no sultanas, no spices…really? A resolute “yes!” is the answer.
This is a most unusual and excellent cake come dessert: delicate, plain and light, but not at all boring, with a delicious custardy quality. Burnished golden outside, yellow with specks of green inside, it is also pretty.
Scarpaccia means “nasty/old shoe” and no one really knows why such an uninspiring name; it is possibly something to do with the appearance of this dessert: a genuine scarpaccia should be a fairly thin and crusty affair – like an old, over-worn shoe. It is the contrast between the sugary and crusty exterior (due to a good drizzle of olive oil) and the custardy, vanilla scented interior that make this unposessing looking dessert sing.
It is a Tuscan speciality and you will not find anywhere else in Italy – Continue reading “Scarpaccia viareggina (sweet and custardy courgette cake from Viareggio, in Tuscany)” →