My notoriously bad puns just keep popping up here. I can’t seem to help it.  Before Passover starts next week, I’ve been trying to get all the urges to cook with leavening out of my system. Maybe this played a part in the weeks of anise cookies, or the slew of bread baking, or the other baking that I’ve been doing. Or, I just really...

By jove, I think I’ve done it! After weeks – no – months, of dutiful testing, I’ve come up with my own personal perfect anise biscotti. This has been very hard work. I have the 5 extra pounds and content smile to prove it. Of course, it has been well worth the effort. I could stay inside and eat these biscotti all day long. Although,...

So the verdict is in, biga is better. At least on some levels. The bread from the biga has a dark, crunchy crust. The loaf is smooth and dense, yet not so dense that you feel it sitting in your stomach like a rock. On the other hand, the quick no-knead style bread that The Italian Dish recommended was also very good. The crumb is light and airy, yet...

My Italian Cookie cravings have two sides. The first is for a light, crisp and flavorful anisette toast. The flip side is for a dense sesame cookie. Neither are too sweet and can be enjoyed for breakfast as readily as for dessert. My first attempt at making sesame cookies was not really good. Although the pictures were quite lovely, I think I’ll...