Nestled in the heart of Brooklyn’s South Slope, Flora emerges as a culinary beacon for those in pursuit of authentic Italian fare without the Manhattan price tag. At 1021 8th Avenue, this charming restaurant is the brainchild of Emiliano Cammardella and Rossella Episcopo, whose passion for Italian gastronomy lights up every dish served. Flora’s int...

Nick Valenti has quite the résumé — James Beard Award winner, chairman emeritus at the Culinary Institute of America and former Patina Restaurant Group (now Delaware North) CEO. He's been responsible for numerous restaurants at Disney, some of which I'm sure he's truly sorry for and others, including Tutto Italia and Via Napoli in Epcot, that consi...

April 1982 marked the beginning of theArtichoke Festival in an area of about 700 hectares dedicated to artichoke cultivation. Now, 42 years later, the festival remains a reflection of the dedication of the residents of Cerda (Palermo), who have a true passion for growing spiny artichokes, a source of pride for this town’s agriculture. The Cynara Fe...

This story has gotten so confusing. Years ago, I became obsessed with the chicken parmesan at Italia Mia. I’d often go for lunch since their location on 62nd in St. Pete wasn’t far from our studios. The lunch specials were super cheap. Most times, I stuck with the chicken parm but the Italian sausages and pizza were also pretty amazing. Then the pa...

LA’s longtime old-school favorite Andre’s Italian Restaurant reopened in Mid-Wilshire. For 59 years, the family-operated eatery was located across the street from the Original Farmers Market. As of April 11, it now resides inside the historic Dominguez-Wilshire Building on Wilshire Boulevard and Cloverdale. Andre’s owners were forced to close in 20...

Marking the centennial of Marcella Hazan’s (1924–2013) birth, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History has received a donation from the family of the influential cookbook author and legendary teacher of regional Italian cuisine in the United States and United Kingdom. Hazan is widely known for her six cookbooks on the cuisines of Italy...

One of the interesting things that you notice while working in both the United States and Italy is that the availability of certain seasonal fruits and vegetables is much more limited (especially on the East Coast and in the Midwest) than it is in Italy. Living in the Washington, DC area, I don’t always have the same fresh fruits in season as my It...

The first historical references to the Roman ricotta cheese date from the description of cheese-making techniques provided in “De re rustica” by the Roman agronomist Columella in the 1st century BC. In those times, sheep's milk had three uses: the first religious, the second alimentary, as a food or drink, and the third to make both fresh and aged...

“Joe the Boss,” as everyone calls him, is getting ready to open his brand new, classic Italian restaurant at 2655 S. 18th Street in the Melrose neighborhood of South Philly. In the restaurant business for over 30 years, he’s had his own restaurants (Pasta Cucina in the Bellevue Hotel) and even worked with Steve Martorano of Café Martorano fame in F...

A year after opening its doors in May of last year, The Taste of Italy in Johnston has not faltered in delivering its consistently delicious and authentic Italian cuisine to an ever-growing list of loyal fans. From the moment a curious diner walks into this inviting space, the answer to the age-old question “What’s for dinner?” is immediately answe...