Italian cooking – Ruth E. Hendricks Photography

Every Single Dish Was Delicious

A tribute to a restaurant, La Cucina Flegrea– opened in the late ‘90s. now permanently closed. This print is when it was located on Murray Avenue in Squirrel Hill.

Rigatoni alla Vodka Spaghetti alla Rucola (Arugula) Tagliatelle Zucchini, and the soups!

Steve bought this print in Bloomfield years ago. It’s on my kitchen wall. I was thinking about all the delicious meals I had eaten over the years. My family celebrated my fiftieth birthday at this restaurant in 2002. I took a cooking class with Chef Anna Fevola in 2010 (click to see blog post)

Mementoes of a favorite restaurant, which has been closed a long time ago. Where every single dish was delicious!

December 16, 2022 by Ruth Categories: food, PhotographyTags: Chef Anna Fevola, cooking and eating, food, Italian cooking, La Cucina Flegrea, neighborhood, photography, Pittsburgh PA, postaday 7 Comments

Mushroom Risotto

The only risotto I’ve eaten was made in fine restaurants. Although I always loved eating it. I’d never made it myself.

I’ve been binge watching lots of cooking shows. One episode of Master Chef Junior had Joe Bastianich demonstrating how to make risotto. Then I found a video of his mother Lidia Bastianich at Harvard demonstrating the science behind the cooking of risotto at a public lecture on Science and Cooking. I watched them and felt confident but upon a second look I heard that you use 1/4 c of wine not the one cup I thought I heard. Good thing I watched again.

You need the Arborio rice to begin with so I bought the correct ingredients (except I did not have a hunk of Grana Padano cheese and used some Parmesan to finish it) cook with wine you would drink, no cooking wine.

The best 22 minutes I’ve spent in a long time, and standing at the stove stirring constantly wasn’t difficult. Can’t wait to make it again.

January 28, 2021 by Ruth Categories: Cooking and Eating, PhotographyTags: baby Bella mushrooms, cooking, cooking shows, food, irish butter, Italian cooking, Joe Bastianich, kitchen, Lidia Bastianich, parmesan cheese, photography, postaday, risotto, science, shallots, wine 20 Comments

Look What Steve Bought at Bloomfield Groceria

We were sad when a local neighborhood business on Cedarville Street, Groceria Italiana, closed their doors last summer..

But here’s the good news!

It has recently reopened as Bloomfield Groceria. It’s really close to Steve’s work so he picked up this wonderful ravioli and brought it home.

We are thrilled they are in business under new proprietors.

Especially after tonight’s dinner of their delicious Spinach and Cheese Ravioli. I sautéed baby spinach- you can see it peeking out underneath.

And I grated some fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano on top. I asked Steve if he could to pick up mushroom ravioli for dinner next week.

Here’s an Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article written by Bob Batz, Jr., about the new Bloomfield Groceria

https://www.post-gazette.com/local/neighborhood/2019/03/25/Bloomfield-Groceria-Italiana-Italian-grocery-store-Cedarville-Little-Italy-opens/stories/201808050006

April 23, 2019April 23, 2019 by Ruth Categories: foodTags: Bloomfield, Bob Batz Jr, cheese, cooking and eating, food, grocery, iPhone photography, Italian cooking, kitchen, neighborhood, photography, Pittsburgh PA, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, postaday, ravioli, spinach 12 Comments

When Your Neighbor Brings You Pancetta

When your neighbor brings you pounds of pancetta, what else can you do? (Thank you Joaquin.)

Find a recipe, quickly.

I read some eat pancetta raw but that turned me.

Next time I’ll slice it more thinly. First, I warmed the dish in the oven, cooked the cut up pancetta for about 8 minutes in my cast iron skillet and then drained it on paper towels. Tossed the eggs, cheese, minced garlic cloves mixture onto the hot drained spaghetti in the warmed casserole Freshly ground pepper. Rich and good. Next time I’ll hold off on salting the pasta water as the pancetta and cheese made it salty enough. The recipe called for 1/2 cup white wine which I didn’t have on hand so poured a glass of red to accompany this perfect dish for a snowy day.

Spaghetti Carbonara

There’s plenty of pancetta left for several meals if you have any suggestions.

January 27, 2017 by Ruth Categories: Cooking and Eating, food, PhotographyTags: cooking, eggs, Italian cooking, kitchen, neighbor, Pancetta, parmesan cheese, pecorino, pepper, photography, postaday, spaghetti, spaghetti carbonara, Villeroy and Boch 14 Comments

Tag: Italian cooking

Every Single Dish Was Delicious

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Mushroom Risotto

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Look What Steve Bought at Bloomfield Groceria

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When Your Neighbor Brings You Pancetta

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