Gastronomic Traditions Archive

Braised, fried, or sauteed with entrails are just a few ways to enjoy Roman artichokes. Find out everything you need to know about enjoying Rome’s noble thistle in my post on the NY Times In Transit Blog here.

Who would have thought that octopus, beans, and ricotta cheese could harmonize so perfectly. Throwing out the old Italian rule never to mix seafood and cheese, Chef Francesco Mazzei of L’Anima in London combines these three (more…)

I have just returned from London where I shamelessly gorged myself on all sorts of delicious and magical foods. I certainly didn’t achieve all of my culinary goals, but I did put a good dent into my interminable list of places to eat before I die (more…)

Technically called “New Tayyabs”, you can call this famous (and justifiably so) Pakistani restaurant in East London just plain Tayyabs. The “new” bit refers to its expansion from its original 1974 dimensions. Regardless of the added (more…)

Yesterday I indulged in another stellar fish and chips plate at the Greenwich Union. It was so crispy, meaty and juicy. I’m pretty sure this is what the Food Standards Agency had in mind when they decided to crackdownon the UK’s most famous dish.

Today’s daily food photo comes from Ganapati in London’s Peckham district. On a quiet, residential street off Rye Lane, this restaurant serves south Indian fare, including thali (an array of small portions) on banana leaves. The thali above (more…)

What is better than pizza? Fried pizza. In Naples, you can grab one of these portable personal pies from the frigitorie (fried food stalls) around town. Via Pignasecca and Via dei Tribunali are two famous destinations for such treats. I Decumani (more…)

I don’t know what my favorite thing in London is. It think there’s a three-way tie between the insane number of restaurants, the Deptford Leisure Centres, and free admission to public museums. I’ve really been taking advantage of (more…)

Polpette, fist-sized meatballs, make a delicious Saturday lunch. At Donna Teresa in Naples, they are fried in a pan of oil and served with contorni (vegetable side dishes), but at my house, they were cooked in tomato sauce and served over (more…)

Erzincan Tulumu is a pungent sheep’s milk cheese made in the Erzincan province of Eastern Turkey. Traditionally, it was aged in goat skin. You can see vendors in Istanbul’s Spice Bazaar unwrapping it from its animal skin sheath (more…)