Why is it so hard to find ricotta salata these days? This salted and pressed Italian sheep cheese used to be more present, and I almost always had some on hand for shaving into salads—especially spring salads with fava beans, asparagus or beets. It’s a must for pasta alla Norma but I grate it on pasta sauced every which way. It’s moister than pecorino romano so it makes the dish creamier. Now it is scarcer than it should be, given that it’s neither costly nor rare.
Read moreRelearning Greek Salad
I’ve been to Greece enough times to know that a Greek salad never contains lettuce. Or almost never. Doug and I ate a lot of Greek salads on our recent vacation and only one—a deviant—had leafy greens. As familiar as I am with this iconic summer dish, I did learn a few more do’s and don’ts on this trip. In fact, when I asked one of my hosts about an ingredient that most Americans include, her eyebrows shot up in alarm. She all but shuddered. So, in the service of authenticity and international relations, here are a few observations about how to make an unimpeachable horiatiki that won’t dismay any Greeks.
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