Your Guardian Chef: Laura Giunta Tobin

Buona Domenica, Summer is the season when round zucchini appear at every market stall in southern Italy, and there is a reason they get stuffed whole rather than sliced. My mother always added two ingredients to her stuffing that will surprise you. They are not exotic. You may already have them in your kitchen. But they change everything about the final result. 📖 Italian round stuffed zucchini 🎥 Watch the full recipe on YouTube Buon appetito, LauraYour Angel In The Kitchen Follow me on

Buon Venerdì, In Italy, eating fish on Friday is a tradition. But in summer, it is no longer tied to one day of the week. When Italians are on holiday, fresh fish is everywhere. On the coast, it comes straight off the boat. Up in the mountains, lakes and rivers offer plenty of fresh catch. Wherever you are, it is light, it is fresh, and it takes very little time to prepare. That is exactly what you want on a hot day. Here are five recipes that work just as well on a Tuesday in August as they...

Buon Mercoledì, Summer is here and the markets are full of courgettes, tomatoes, peppers, and mushrooms. In Italy, we transform them into a main meal by stuffing them. It is a proper secondo or piatto unico. You make it ahead, take it to the beach or serve it at the table, and it feeds everyone without asking much of you on the day. That is why I put together this list. Stuffed Round Courgettes Italian Rice Stuffed Tomatoes Vegetarian Stuffed Bell Peppers Italian Stuffed Mushrooms with...

Buona Domenica, The French call it Caviar d'aubergine. It sounds like something you would order at a restaurant and never attempt at home. But the ingredient is eggplant, the preparation is simple, and southern Italian kitchens have been doing this long before it had a name. We call it crema di melanzane and it is an easy recipe for your summer parties. → Easy Aubergine Caviar (Eggplant Caviar) → Watch the full recipe on YouTube Buon appetito, LauraYour Angel In The Kitchen Follow me on

Buon Venerdì, On Wednesday I sent five ways to serve eggplant before the meal. Today it takes centre stage. It started as a cucina povera ingredient but by the nineteenth century it had made its way onto the tables of the aristocracy. Even Fabrizio Corbera, Prince of Salina, served them at a lavish banquet in Il Gattopardo, the novel by Tomasi di Lampedusa and later the Visconti film. Dressed in rich sauces, layered into timbales, these eggplant recipes are served at banquets hosted by...

Buon Mercoledì, Eggplant kept southern Italian kitchens going for generations. The climate in the south is perfect for it, so it grows everywhere. Melanzana, the Italian name that originates from Mela Malsana, meaning "unhealthy apple", was humble, abundant, and endlessly adaptable. Cooks from Campania to Sicily learned to do more with it than anywhere else. That is why I put together this list: five ways to serve eggplant before the meal, each one rooted in that same tradition of doing a lot...

Buon Domenica, Asparagus has a very short season. We have known this since Roman times — and we have never wasted it. We serve asparagus with eggs, but never for breakfast. Always for lunch or dinner. Here are 3 ideas for 3 different occasions → White Asparagus with Prosciutto and Egg Vinaigrette → Green Asparagus with Poached Eggs and Parmesan → How to Forage and Cook Wild Asparagus → Watch the full recipe on YouTube Buon appetito, LauraYour Angel In The Kitchen Follow me on

Buon Venerdì, Most people think of Italian food as pasta and sauce. But Italy has a deep grilling tradition — regional, specific, and arriving just in time for the long weekend. That's why I put together this list. Five dishes from the fire. Arrosticini Lamb or Mutton Skewers from Abruzzo Bistecca alla Fiorentina — How to BBQ Like a Tuscan Easy BBQ Chicken Breast Sea Bream Cooked in Salt Grilled Zucchini, Eggplants and Peppers Buon appetito, LauraYour Angel In The Kitchen Follow me on

Buon Mercoledì, Most home cooks decide on the side dish after the meat is already in the oven. It is the last thing chosen — but the right contorno is what makes the plate work. That's why I put together this list. Five contorni versatile enough to sit alongside almost anything you are cooking. Sicilian Caponata Ciambotta — Italian Vegetable Stew Easy Italian Sautéed Spinach with Garlic Easy Crispy Italian Roasted Potatoes Easy Ratatouille Baked Buon appetito, LauraYour Angel In The Kitchen...

Buon Domenica, Most people think of cheese bread as something stretchy — pull it apart and the cheese follows. In Marche and Umbria, they have been doing it for Easter completely differently for centuries. That is why this week's recipe is Crescia — and once you make it you will make it again any time of the year. 🍞 Crescia di Pasqua — Traditional Italian Cheese Bread ▶️ Watch the full video Buon appetito, LauraYour Angel In The Kitchen Follow me on