Barley is a nutritious whole grain that retains far more nutrients than pearl barley. It does take longer to cook and tends to require more water, but the taste is more than worth it, and you can make it up to 3 days in advance. I like to enhance this medley with pomegranate molasses. A staple in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines, it’s a luscious sweet-tart syrup made by boiling down pomegranate juice until it becomes thick. It’s available at spice and gourmet shops, but it’s easy enough to make on your own…with a little patience—expect a couple of cups of juice to take an hour or more to reduce (check the pot often and stand by when it gets close to the syrup stage to avoid burning it).
Yields 4 servings
The “hot honey” trend is as popular as ever, and it’s definitely not limited to wings. This recipe revs up the flavor of nutrient-dense sweet potatoes. It’s perfect if you’re looking for a meatless Monday dish any day of the week—just add a salad to get in your greens.
Yields 4 servings
This is a tasty yet simple prep for pasta, perfect for a weeknight meal. Roasted garlic adds great depth of flavor—spread any leftover cloves on slices of toasted crusty bread. The garlic can be made in advance and kept in the fridge for about a week (after cooling, squeeze out the softened garlic from each clove and store in a sealed jar). I’ve suggested thin spaghetti for this dish, but choose any shape you like, cooked according to package directions.
Yields 4 servings
Pistachio and white chocolate are two luscious ingredients whose unique tastes enhance each other. This cake is not only delicious but can also be up made up to two days in advance. For the white chocolate, choose a brand that’s 35% cacao and in bar or disc form, not chips, which won’t melt smoothly.
Yields 8 servings
Grated hard cheese, like Parmigiano-Reggiano, makes a great addition to panko for breading chicken. Olives and diced tomatoes combine for a zesty sauce. Choose whatever olives you like best. For a milder taste, I love Castelvetrano olives; for a stronger taste, go for Kalamata.
Yields 4 servings
The aromas wafting from this stew as it cooks are tantalizing! And the finished dish is worth the wait (it gets even better the next day). Enjoy it on its own, over broad noodles, or with a side of creamy mashed potatoes.
Yields 8 servings
Giving ricotta a quick whirl in a food processor takes its creaminess to the next level.
Yields 2 servings
A silken purée of fava beans served alongside braised wild chicory is another Pugliese classic, one we enjoyed at Ai 2 Ghiottoni in Bari with the folks from Fratelli Ruggiero. While it’s possible to find fava beans (dried or frozen) in the US, wild chicory is elusive—dandelion greens are a great stand-in and available at many greengrocers. Note: This recipe includes directions for soaking and peeling the skin from dried favas, but some purveyors sell them already peeled—you might see them labeled as broad beans. If you love chickpeas, they make a tasty substitute.
Serves 4
This is the second family recipe Duccio shared with the Club. Considered a “white” cacciatore because it doesn’t have tomatoes, this one-pot prep was traditionally used for making rabbit. It is succulent and flavorful. Taggiasca olives are available in some gourmet food shops and online; you can also substitute your favorite fruity brined olives.
Serves 4
Millefoglie, the Italian version of the French millefeuille, is extremely popular throughout the country. For chocolate lovers, I’m including a variation made with thin layers of chocolate in place of the puff pastry. Both get filled with a rich and creamy sweet cheese filling. The filling ingredients yield enough for either 8 pastry or 8 chocolate millefoglie; if you’re making both, double the quantities of the filling ingredients.
Serves 8
This recipe was inspired by a pasta dish my Merry Band of Tasters and I enjoyed at Dal Sor Francesco, a restaurant in Vetralla near the Colli Etruschi mill that we try to visit every year. We arrived at the height of fresh walnut season and saw the nuts everywhere. Walnut sauce is actually a specialty of Liguria, a region in northern Italy, where it’s prepared in a pesto style. My version is a bit creamier but still takes only a few minutes to make.
Serves 4
This dish is a celebration showstopper with ingredients that reflect the colors of the Italian flag. The key is to have your butcher debone and butterfly a large, fresh turkey breast, leaving the skin on, and then to pound it to an even thickness for easier rolling.
Serves 6 to 8