Italy

This is one of those dishes that’s ubiquitous and still manages to raise the hackles of purists. I would argue that the purity tests around the ragù alla bolognese are unfounded....

There’s a case to be made for making this as the recipe suggests, with actual live mussels in the shell. It’s more work, but the oceanic flavor of the fresh mussels adds an undeniable complexity to the pasta....

My moment of discovery with alcohol and desserts came one of the first times I went to the River Cafe and ordered the panna cotta. At the time, they were serving it with raspberries and a healthy dose of grappa poured over the plate....

Confusingly, the words for sauce and green are identical in Spanish and Italian. This sauce is the Italian salsa verde. I’ll keep saying this over and over: don’t let the anchovies put you off....

Credit where credit is due: I got this from Ken Forkish of Ken’s Artisan Pizza in Portland. It’s one of my favorite pizza places. Sadly I don’t have a wood-burning oven at home....