Popularized in the Middle Ages, the culinary tradition of making savory pies continued throughout the Renaissance (1400's to 1500's). Nobility would be served pies filled with meats, poultry and fish ...
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Chocolate Pastry Cream with Berries
Catherine de' Medici, an Italian noblewoman, introduced pastry cream or "crema pasticciera" to the French court in the sixteenth century. In turn, the French called it "creme patissiere". While traditional ...
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Fresh Tomato Basil Sauce
In Italian cuisine, the ingredients must be fresh and simple. This traditional tomato sauce comes from the region of Campania in southern Italy - where I was an apprentice to ...
Friday, April 30, 2010
Nopales Frittata Burrito
Nopales (cactus) and scrambled eggs are an important food staple in Mexico. I admit that the first time I was offered a scramble of nopales I thought it was unusual ...
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Kitchen Trick – Reading a Recipe
Always read a recipe completely before diving into it. As you read the recipe, it will become virtual reality. For example, if reading, "Take one stick of butter at room ...
Nancy DeLucia Real is an art historian and chef. She has led culinary courses at the Italian Cultural Institute, The Getty Center and The Getty Villa and is a former member of the Culinary Historians of Southern California. Nancy's gastronomy training took place in the heart of Italy under the tutelage of her grandmother. She has taught international cuisine at Williams Sonoma and Sur la Table Stores. Nancy's art history & culinary courses are ongoing at various institutions. She also teaches private cooking classes. 
