Last autumn I was in Italy for the first time in way too long. This was the funny time when we all thought this covid thing was waning and we were heading back to normal. Weren't we cute? Regular followers of Rancho Gordo know of our love and admiration for the amazing Judy Witts Francini. She is a powerhouse of knowledge about the Italian kitchen and nothing makes her happier than sharing her secrets. She has many. Judy arranged for me to meet with some members of the cooperative that is keeping the Sorana bean production going. Unable to meet...

Is this not a thing of beauty? A bowl of cranberry (Borlotti) beans with homemade pasta in a sauce of bean broth, chicken broth, and vegetables. It's moist and delicious but not at all soupy. A perfect balance of beans, pasta, and inspiration. Angelo with my son, Nico, before a failed, but fun, turkey hunt. Last week Angelo Gorro of Omnivore Salt (and sauces, etc) came by for a visit and pulled out all the stops with his own pasta, his own salume, his own sausage and of course his own salt. The variations on pasta e fagioli (pasta and...

My friend Canice saw this photo of me from the early 1980s in Sestri Levante. It's a beach town in Liguria, Italy and I spent many summers there in my early 20s. She wrote: I wanna use this photo to persuade young people to live a little, while they have the chance. Sestri Levante, early 1980s I know exactly what she means. I wouldn't go back to my youth for anything but your twenties are a time to really let things rip. Yes, you can go to Europe at any age but you find as you get older you can't...

Marcella beans are grown in California from Italian Sorana seedstock. Sorana is a cannellini bean with incredibly thin skin and when cooked properly, an indulgent creamy texture. You can use them in your kitchen as you would any small white, European-style bean, but with an ingredient like this, simple is often better. Good crusty bread with some Marcella beans smashed on top, drizzled with your very best extra virgin olive oil and maybe a dusting of freshly cracked pepper is the new standard for “fast food.” Even though these beans are small, you should take your time and gently allow...

(UPDATE: Unfortunately, Baia Pasta is no more. They closed shop but left such a mark on us that we wanted to keep these posts referring to them. ) It would seem that August is Paste e Fagioli month here at Rancho Gordo. I just can't get enough of it and I am obsessed with perfecting the dish. My family and friends love my Mexican food obsession but I can tell they're happy I'm back in Italy, so to speak. Part of the magic is the pasta. Either my tastes have become more particular or the pasta we have available here...

I think it's clear how much fun I've been having cooking pasta and beans this month. Along with the terrific dishes, which are all very easy to do once you understand the rhythm, I've been flooded with memories of Italy. The power of being a young person, coming into his own, in Europe, is a not to be dismissed lightly. Or forgotten easily! In my early 20s, I would work very hard, save up my money and then go for a good fling in Italy. I did this many times. Most of my friends were well-traveled and Europe wasn't a...

As a teenager, I never understood it's appeal. My father's dependence on it first thing in the morning seemed at odds with my flower child persona I was indulging at the time. I learned to like coffee on my first trip to Amsterdam. I reinvented myself as a sophisticated European mistakenly born in California and good coffee with a cheese toast in cafes over the canals affected me deeply. Then I went to Italy and my indulgence became a happy habit. For me, coffee means Italy. Obviously a good barista in a bar is what it's all about but at...

Gloria was my Italian teacher when I worked at Esprit, just 2 million years ago. We've stayed friends, even as my obsession for Italy waned and my compulsion for things Mexican and New World exploded. She's been experimenting with our beans and recently sent me the following email and her enthusiasm is infectious! I just made the BEST winter soup ever and I want to share the recipe with you. It all starts with LEFTOVERS. It takes just a few minutes of reheating and...ecco, pronto in tavola! In a couple of tablespoons of good extra virgin olive oil, sautee' for...

Years ago I bought this pot and was erroneously told it was a bean pot from France. It turns out it's a risotto pot from Italy. It's also used for beans but clearly it's a great vehicle for risotto. The design in very clever. There's a huge opening on the top to encourage evaporation and there are rounded sides to help your wooden spoon continually bath the rice in caldo. Shrimp were on sale at our local Whole Foods. It says they were farmed and I've heard it's pretty rough on the environment but I meekly assumed that Whole Foods...

In the 1980s, I spent a lot of time in Italy. I love the food, the people and the music. I was young and stupid and having a gas in Europe. It doesn't get much better. I had friends in on the Italian Riviera (when I see this obnoxious photo I wonder why they stayed my friends!), Florence, Rome and I lived in Milano. Through my friend Julie, I met Judy Witts. She's a gregarious ex-pat in Florence who knows more about Italian food than any mere mortal should. She was amused by my love of the Italian singer Mina...