Creamy mashed potatoes, the perfect basic recipe
Creamy, velvety mashed potatoes: potatoes boiled in their skins, riced while hot and beaten with warm milk and cold butter, with no lumps and no gluey texture.
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Homemade scialatielli, Neapolitan pasta with milk and basil
Homemade scialatielli from Naples, made with semolina, milk, pecorino and basil: a short, thick fresh pasta with a rough surface that grips every sauce.
Crème Anglaise (Vanilla Custard Sauce), Smooth and Silky
Homemade crème anglaise with milk, egg yolks, and vanilla: a smooth, silky vanilla custard sauce cooked over low heat, perfect for desserts and cakes.
Demi-Glace, the Rich Brown Stock of French Cooking
Homemade demi-glace: roasted bones, vegetables, and wine reduced slowly into a glossy, intense brown stock, the base for the great meat sauces.
Classic Béarnaise Sauce with Tarragon
Homemade béarnaise sauce: an emulsion of egg yolks and butter scented with shallots, vinegar, and tarragon, the French sauce that's perfect for meat and steak.
Cold pasta salad with cherry tomatoes, mozzarella and olives
A summer cold pasta salad with cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, olives and basil: a light first course you can make ahead, perfect for office lunches and summer picnics.
Creamy Hollandaise Sauce, Smooth and Foolproof
Homemade hollandaise sauce with egg yolks, butter, and lemon: velvety and stable, the classic base for eggs Benedict, asparagus, and fish.
Ensaladilla rusa, the Spanish potato salad
Spanish ensaladilla rusa with potatoes, carrot, tuna, eggs and mayonnaise: a creamy cold salad, a classic summer tapa you can make ahead.
Summer farro salad with cherry tomatoes and mozzarella
A summer farro salad with cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, olives and basil: a fresh, light one-dish meal you can make ahead, perfect for lunches, the beach and picnics.
Pasta alla checca, the Roman no-cook tomato pasta
Pasta alla checca: a no-cook sauce of cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, garlic and oil that coats the pasta without any cooking. The fresh, fast Roman summer first course.
Italian seafood salad, the classic cold fish starter
Italian seafood salad with octopus, squid, prawns and mussels, boiled and dressed cold with celery, lemon, parsley and olive oil. A fresh summer starter to make ahead.
Vitello tonnato, the Piedmontese veal in tuna sauce
Piedmontese vitello tonnato: thin slices of poached, chilled veal coated in a tuna sauce made with tuna, anchovies, capers and egg yolks. A summer classic to serve cold.