Why Molise "Doesn't Exist" and Other Fun Facts about Our Authentic Italy Culinary Tour
Filed Under Destination Features, Food History, Travel Tips Italy
There's a saying in Italy. "Molise non esiste." Molise doesn't exist. It's a running joke among Italians to pretend Molise doesn't exists due to its small size and relative obscurity, even among Italians. If you ask your average Italian to tell you something about Molise, don't expect much (if any) information! But it's also a running joke among Molisani, the quirky inhabitants of Molise, who seem to enjoy the absurdity… Read
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"Thursday, Gnocchi!": All About Our Favorite Italian Dumpling
Filed Under Destination Features, Food History, Kitchen Tips, Travel Tips Italy
"Giovedì gnocchi, venerdì pesce, sabato trippa." So the saying goes in Rome, that Thursday is gnocchi day, Friday is fish day, and Saturday it's tripe! It's not hard to understand the "venerdì pesce" – this is a Catholic country after all. But why gnocchi on Thursday? I've always heard that it was to load up with a heavier meal the day before the Friday fast, and that it worked well… Read
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Things We Learned in 2020
Filed Under Special Occasions, What's Up at TIK
Well, we are almost there. If you had told us 10 months ago, when the Coronavirus first hit Italy and the rumblings of trouble sounded as shrilly as our phone lines ringing with calls from worried clients, that we would still be working from home, that restaurants would only be open for take-out, that the borders of almost every country would be closed to US travelers... we'd have thought you… Read
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10 Holiday Recipes You'll Love
Filed Under Special Occasions, What's Up at TIK France, Italy
We just finished our 10 Days of Holiday Recipes on social media and thought we'd recap them here for easy reference! It is our hope that they can help make your holidays brighter, or at least more delicious. Here at The International Kitchen we also hope you caught our special holiday thank you to all our travelers: Whether you're looking for something savory or sweet, we've complied some of our… Read
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All About Butter & How to Make Hollandaise Sauce
Filed Under Food History, Kitchen Tips, Recipes France, India, United Kingdom, USA
Butter. Yes, butter. Today we're all about butter, and it's not because it's national butter day (evidently that is October 25th–who knew?), nor because we've accidentally over-whipped the cream and ended up with it by accident (yes, that has happened). So why butter? Butter is one of the most versatile of ingredients. It is part of the magic that goes into such dissimilar things as flaky puff pastry and creamy… Read
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Holiday Appetizers: Antipasti, Tapas, and Hors d'Oeuvres, Plus a Recipe
Filed Under Food History, Recipes, Special Occasions, What's Up at TIK
As we approach the holidays, one thing everyone seems to be looking for are appetizer recipes. Whether for a sit-down meal or as a spread of munchies to sustain you through the day, there is no doubt that appetizers are a big part of holiday meal planning. And certainly at The International Kitchen when we get together for holiday parties, potlucks, or birthday celebrations, appetizers are always a key part… Read
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Béchamel, The Mother Sauce
Filed Under Food History, Kitchen Tips, Recipes France, Greece, Italy
I first encountered béchamel sauce, or besciamella in Italian, when I lived in Italy during my university days and was taught by my Italian boyfriend's mother to make lasagna, or "pasta al forno" as it is called there. Yes, lasagna! In Italy lasagna (or lasagne, adopting the plural form), is not piled with ricotta and mozzarella, it is, rather, a delightful concoction of thinly rolled, flat egg noodles sandwiched between… Read
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Celebrating Thanksgiving with Three Sisters...Even If Your Family Is Far Away
Filed Under Destination Features, Food History, Special Occasions USA
Originally published November 2020. This Thanksgiving is likely to be one of the least traditional for many U.S. families. Instead of gathering in large groups for a traditional turkey dinner, most of us will be celebrating in small family units. Many people will be missing from our family table this year, but there are still three sisters I can celebrate with! And their names are.... corn, beans, and squash? Our… Read
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Decadent Brownie Sundaes with Hot Fudge Sauce
Filed Under Kitchen Tips, Recipes USA
A good brownie sundae has been one of my favorite desserts since childhood. I remember going to Friendly's with my father and ordering it every time. This version uses homemade ice cream, but you could use store bought as well. That being said, it's perhaps the simplest ice cream you can imagine – it doesn't even require any cooking! The fudge sauce recipe makes 3 cups. I usually divide it… Read
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Fall Pumpkin & Sweet Potato Salad with Goat Cheese & Pomegranate
Filed Under Kitchen Tips, Recipes
Fall is pumpkin season to us, and we've featured plenty of pumpkin recipes over the years. But did you ever see a picture of a beautiful pumpkin dish and decide to recreate it? That's how this tasty pumpkin and sweet potato salad recipe started! The pumpkin and sweet potatoes are sweet, so we use half balsamic (which is also sweet) and half lemon juice for the dressing - nice and… Read
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