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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A History of Sandwiches and a Sandwich Recipe
Filed Under Cooking Videos, Food History, Kitchen Tips, Recipes Italy, USA
It's national sandwich day, and we're asking ourselves: do sandwiches exist in the cuisine of every country in the world? What defines a sandwich? Does a wrap count? What about a sandwich in pita? A burrito? A spring roll? A crepe? Let's make things easier and say that to be a sandwich, it has to have something 'sandwiched' between two pieces of bread. One piece of bread folded over doesn't… Read
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Travel Memories: My First Trip to Italy
Filed Under Destination Features, What's Up at TIK Italy
It's hard not to wax nostalgic about travel these days. As the effects of COVID-19 keep us all at home, with no clear indication of when we'll be able to travel again, those of us with wanderlust turn our minds to fond memories of trips past. I have been thinking increasingly of my first trip to Italy, when I was a university student taking part in a study abroad program… Read
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Autumn in Italy: Creamy Mushroom Soup Recipe
We eat soup year round, but there is something about soup in the fall and winter that is particularly appealing. And if you pair that with autumnal produce – in this case mushrooms – it is a match made in heaven! Our favorite fall soups feature what you would expect from the fall harvest. Mushrooms of course, but also plenty of squash, root vegetables, and even apples! This soup is… Read
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Supplí al Telefono - Recipe for Fried Roman Rice Balls
Filed Under Destination Features, Food History, Recipes Italy
One of our favorite types of Roman street food to eat are Supplí al telefono, a type of fried rice ball that is very like the more widely known arancini, which hail from Sicily. Supplî are a perfect and hearty little snack, consisting of leftover risotto formed into an oblong ball, stuffed with cheese, and then breaded and fried. You can find supplí throughout Rome in local "Pizza al taglio"… Read
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Mussels with White Wine (Cozze al Vino Bianco)
Filed Under Food History, Kitchen Tips, Recipes Italy
We love mussels. We love them with a clear broth or a tomato broth, baked or steamed, stuffed - even raw. What's more, we like them with an Italian flair, or French, Spanish, Thai, or Mexican - we pretty much just like mussels. I've eaten mussels so many times during my travels to Italy and France in particular, that they have become a favorite dish of mine when traveling. You… Read
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