tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-366146772008-06-13T15:42:18.313-04:00Michele Toporhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01158349950501877694noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36614677.post-14374893569668220352008-06-13T15:35:00.002-04:002008-06-13T15:42:18.346-04:00

In a world in which there seems little time or social acceptance to permit ourselves small pleasures, one delight – coffee – remains accessible to most everyone and seldom fails to please. Unfortunately, Americans do not understand what people in Europe and the Middle East have always known: Drinking coffee is not about acquiring an energy jolt, but about pausing, reflecting, enjoying and sharing

Michele Toporhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01158349950501877694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36614677.post-34501128179094340112008-04-24T10:59:00.002-04:002008-04-24T11:40:20.825-04:00

The winter season has brought a few changes to the neighborhood. Some old familiar places have closed and a few new shops have opened. Here's a quick rundown: (1) Martignetti Liquor Store has closed, now leased by Citizen's Bank. They are putting a few ATM machines on the Hanover St. corner and are leasing the remaining space to Cafe Graffiti (closed the Hanover St. location), Christina DeFalco

Michele Toporhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01158349950501877694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36614677.post-38139169423904762302008-04-23T21:16:00.003-04:002008-04-23T21:31:13.662-04:00

I just returned from another fabulous trip to my favorite region of Italy - Sicily. Spring had arrived. The fruit trees cast a pink and white mantel over the hills, the borage flowers bloomed as blue as the sky above, masses of acacia and mimosa veiled the roadsides with sprays of yellow flowers and the countryside rolled green with a new crop of wheat. Situated just 3 miles off the Italian

Michele Toporhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01158349950501877694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36614677.post-90376146581982290552008-02-05T11:59:00.000-05:002008-02-05T12:11:58.178-05:00

The celebration of Chinese New Year is right around the corner. Prepare to say goodbye to the Year of the Pig, and to usher in the Year of the Rat. Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, is the most important of the traditional holidays celebrated in countries with a large Chinese population, as well as in cities here in the States with sizable Chinatowns. The actual date of Chinese

Michele Toporhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01158349950501877694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36614677.post-24511020388814377532008-01-23T12:23:00.000-05:002008-01-23T12:26:37.207-05:00

January is all about fresh starts. Whose resolutions haven’t included eating better, exercising more, quitting smoking, or participating in more cultural activities? My resolution is to adopt Italy’s Mediterranean lifestyle. Italians have long been envied for their rich, celebratory lifestyle, but it’s the simple elements of well-being in lifestyle and diet that have made their culture one of the

Michele Toporhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01158349950501877694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36614677.post-165357627383188452007-11-01T12:40:00.000-04:002007-11-01T22:25:04.400-04:00

dal mercato ... HIGH GEAR Yes, I know that this is a jewelry store, but...they have a fabulous new line of baubles made from Tagua, a seed from a palm tree only found along the Pacific Coast of South America. It has acquired the name of "Vegetable Ivory" because when it dries it acquires the same properties as Ivory. Also part of fair-trade and eco-friendly! High Gear 204 Hanover St. tel-617-523

Michele Toporhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01158349950501877694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36614677.post-73074917884475354992007-11-01T12:34:00.000-04:002007-11-01T12:40:04.313-04:00

There’s no doubt that cooler days and autumn evenings signal the start to the apple season. Ever since Adam bit into the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge, apples have been the world’s most favorite fruit. There is evidence to suggest that the Stone Age man was partial to the apple, and apples were the first fruits cultivated in the fertile valleys of Asia minor over 3,000 years ago. With over 7500

Michele Toporhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01158349950501877694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36614677.post-76921859877590820472007-10-01T22:14:00.000-04:002007-10-01T22:21:17.128-04:00

The tomato is probably the most symbolic of foods associated with Italian cuisine; more tomatoes are eaten in Italy than any other vegetable. In reality the tomato did not enter the Italian pantry until the late 16th century when the Spanish brought it into the country. It was then described as a magical and medicinal plant to be used as a cure for various ailments as well as in the preparation

Michele Toporhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01158349950501877694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36614677.post-19546333753481647062007-08-11T18:30:00.000-04:002007-08-11T18:43:09.538-04:00

I recently returned from the Fancy Food Show in New York City where more than 73 countries and territories from around the world displayed their best specialty foods and beverages in hopes of attracting the attention of the US retail buyers. Although I spend most of my time attending educational seminars and workshops to learn about Italian food products and trends, I can’t help but notice food

Michele Toporhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01158349950501877694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36614677.post-51782148382626002392007-06-11T10:17:00.000-04:002007-06-11T10:35:21.399-04:00

Mediterranean fish stew It’s very often that too many topics come to mind when I sit down to write this column but I had help last week when I was approached by “Junior” as I walked down Salem Street - “I like your articles in the North End News but why don’t you write something about fish – I’d like to see a good recipe .” It then reminded me of great times at the table, sopping toasted bread

Michele Toporhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01158349950501877694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36614677.post-84713876073807442482007-05-17T16:34:00.000-04:002007-05-17T16:45:05.984-04:00

Risi e Bisi "Rice and Peas"- Venetian style As a rule, I’m a fairly punctual person. But for reasons that I will explain, I am devoting this column to one of the most famous of all Venetian dishes traditionally served on April 25 to celebrate the birthday of St. Mark, patron saint of Venice. Rice and peas, or “Risi e bisi” in Venetian dialect is a luxurious rice soup - minestra - celebrating

Michele Toporhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01158349950501877694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36614677.post-69758027752731411642007-05-07T13:36:00.000-04:002007-05-07T13:48:06.381-04:00

FAVA BEANS I love introducing people on tour to fresh broad fava beans – fave fresche. The culture of the fava bean is thought to have originated in the eastern Mediterranean in late Neolithic times and in the Middle Ages the fava bean was a staple food throughout the Mediterranean. Favas were the only bean known to Europe until the discovery of the New World. In Central and Southern Italy fava

Michele Toporhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01158349950501877694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36614677.post-19229250685791429582007-04-05T14:09:00.000-04:002007-04-05T14:52:03.641-04:00

"Natale con i tuoi, Pasqua con chi vuoi," as the Italian proverb goes, "Christmas with your relatives, Easter with whomever you want". But spending time with family turns out to be the way most people choose to enjoy their Easter holiday. As with all Italian holidays, food plays a key part in the celebrations. Although the Italian Easter table varies regionally, there are some elements that can

Michele Toporhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01158349950501877694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36614677.post-1174924309340046952007-03-26T12:47:00.000-04:002007-03-26T13:04:52.476-04:00

LA PICCOLA CUCINA Welcome to my “Little Kitchen” As I sit here and watch snowflakes dance outside my kitchen window I think of that prime example of rustic, simple winter food that I love – polenta. Although some think of it as cornmeal porridge, it has become as fashionable as all of the other foods of the poor. Still a specialty of Northern Italy, it is the ultimate comfort food; it soaks up

Michele Toporhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01158349950501877694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36614677.post-1174923955194001412007-03-26T12:38:00.000-04:002007-03-26T12:46:37.713-04:00

LA PICCOLA CUCINA Welcome to my “Little Kitchen” Americans are crazy about Italian food! For years the western world was seduced by not only its appetizing medley of aromas, tastes, colors and textures but also by the “dolce vita” life style that it suggested. Now as the trend toward eating the Mediterranean diet escalates, Italian food is doubly appealing for its healthful use of olive oil

Michele Toporhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01158349950501877694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36614677.post-1167426837684915422006-12-29T15:02:00.000-05:002006-12-29T17:04:48.713-05:00

Although many people celebrate the New Year with oysters and champagne, we prefer to follow the traditions of Northern Italy which is to start another year by eating lentils cooked with cotechino sausage. Cotechino, a specialty of Modena, is a large fresh sausage consisting of pork rind (cotenna), lean pork meat, fat back and seasonings. During cooking the pork becomes a bit gelatinous. We

Michele Toporhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01158349950501877694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36614677.post-1163771514157715642006-11-17T08:50:00.000-05:002006-11-20T10:23:01.296-05:00

Panforte, a traditional medieval Tuscan confection and a specialty of Siena, is beginning to be seen on market shelves throughout the neighborhood. The best description of this classic Italian confection may be that it is like a cross between a fruitcake and candy. Although translated as “strong bread” it is not bread at all but rather a spicy, chewy flat sweet cake full of candied fruits and

Michele Toporhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01158349950501877694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36614677.post-1162325915304739262006-10-31T14:35:00.000-05:002006-11-01T09:19:56.490-05:00

There are many versions of "Bones of the Dead" cookies in Italy. Maria in Maria's Pastry Shop in Boston's North End, continues the tradition and makes the cookies in the authentic Sicilian style. They are so delicious that I just can't stop eating them. Their consistency depends on the weather and sometimes they are so hard that you have to soften them in your mouth so as not to break your teeth

Michele Toporhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01158349950501877694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36614677.post-1161817346503843422005-10-25T19:02:00.000-04:002006-11-01T09:24:17.440-05:00

Dried Chestnuts—castagne secche--are dried in Italy using a smoking technique which renders them a bit sweeter, a tad smoky, and less floury in texture than regular roasted chestnuts--albeit not as flavorful. They do, however, make a great shortcut in recipes where they are to be added to other ingredients, such as in stuffings. Reconstitute dried chestnuts like any dried bean or legume by

Michele Toporhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01158349950501877694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36614677.post-1161817316205618152005-10-25T19:00:00.000-04:002006-11-01T09:23:25.833-05:00

Melagrane—pomegranates--one of my favorite fall fruits. Remove the ruby-red, glassy seeds to enjoy their delicious, tangy flavor--all on their own, or sprinkled in/on almost anything to enhance flavor and garnish appearance: on salads, with meat or poultry, on soups, in desserts... Pomegranate seeds add texture, spectacular color, bright flavor, and are incredibly high in anti-oxidants. (For more

Michele Toporhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01158349950501877694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36614677.post-1161816401282797342005-10-25T18:45:00.000-04:002006-11-01T09:22:14.320-05:00

Tartufi Bianchi e Neri—white and black truffles, flown in fresh from Italy; the most prized (and costliest) Italian food product. White truffles are thinly sliced and eaten raw, usually topping preparations of fettuccine, risotto, scaloppine and fonduta. Black truffles are more often used as a supporting flavor ingredient in longer-cooked dishes, versus the condiment (but starring!) role white

Michele Toporhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01158349950501877694noreply@blogger.com