Editor's note: On Thursdays, Babbo pastry chef Gina DePalma checks in with Seriously Italian. After a stint in Rome, she's back in the States, channeling her inner Italian spirit via recipes and intel on delicious Italian eats. Take it away, Gina! Any serious student of Italian cuisine understands the relationship that Italians have with leafy greens. I can’t remember an evening meal, with my family or when I lived in Italy, without a pile of garlicky greens on the side; it could be dandelion, swiss chard, escarole, chicory, or my very favorite, spinach. Spinach in Italy is beautiful: deep green, with an almost velvety appearance, and a distinctive, mineral-rich flavor. It only needs a minimalist approach to make it completely...
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When I saw Jane Spice's blog post about a goat cheese spread with mint and cumin seeds my brain did a double take. "Wait," I thought, "This is not the processed, wine-saturated cheese dip that graces my parent's Christmas table." No, this dip is made with fresh mint and cumin, which helps counter the bite of the tangy goat cheese. As much as I kind of love cheese log and beef stick, this dish has me salivating. And the best part, all you have to do is throw some crackers and maybe a handful of cut vegetables and you've got a quick and easy appetizer....
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Kim Severson poses that very question in the New York Times today. What do you think, Serious Eaters? In a way entrees are a bulky anachronism, an ode to an earlier time when meat and potatoes were a given at every meal, whether we were eating at a four star restaurant or a diner. Let's face it. When we eat out nowadays we crave variety, stimulation, and satisfaction, and we're much more likely to get those things by ordering a number of small plates. Plus, sharing food at a restaurant is an easy way for us to connect with our friends and family. How do most Serious Eaters eat at restaurants these days? We just order a bunch of food...
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There's some indescribable satisfaction in knowing that the best appetizer recipe I own consists of one packet of Lipton onion soup mix, one can of Campbell's cream of mushroom soup, and one chicken-flavored bouillon cube. And this recipe, one that's totally unnatural, is the one that I'm asked to share the most, out of all the expensive, time-consuming, silly little dishes I have served.
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