Bravo, Gourmet

Sure, times are tough and the weather’s downright cruel. But, when I wrapped myself in the January 2009 issue of Gourmet magazine, celebrating “all things Italian-American,” I felt as warm as the summer sand on a Sicilian beach.

From the greats of Ital-Creole cooking (leaving me seriously craving broiled oysters with pancetta at Irene’s Cuisine) to Gourmet editor Gina Marie Miraglia Eriquez’s Calabrian heritage recipes (such as Marinated Eggplant, Polpette , and Sweet Ricotta Pastries), to an ambitious recipe for making fresh mozzarella at home, Italian American cooking is receiving the respect it deserves.

As editor in chief Ruth Reichl observes, “Italian-American food is not pseudo-Italian, and it is neither the food of the north nor the food of the south. It is the food of the Italian diaspora, an authentic cuisine that has been joyfully embraced throughout the United States.”

To learn more about the Italian-American issue, visit your newsstand, library or www.gourmet.com