Confit de Canard (Confit of Duck)

The word confit comes from the French word confire, meaning to preserve, and refers to anything which is preserved by curing and slow cooking in fat  or sugar water (and is also the origin of the French  word for jam,  “confiture”). This was the only way of safely keeping meat, fish or fruit for any

Cassoulet (Slow Cooked Pork, Duck and White Bean Stew)

This hearty peasant dish  originates in South Western France, showcasing the white Tarbais beans that grow in the foothills of the Pyrénées mountains, together with local sausages and duck confit.  Cassoulet  is the subject of fierce rivalry between the cities of Toulouse and Castelnaudary, each claiming to have invented it and each claiming to have

Spaghetti ai Carciofi (Spaghetti with Artichoke Sauce)

Artichokes are members of the thistle family, and have been cultivated in Italy since the classical period of the ancient Greeks.   Highly prized for their succulent leaves and edible stem, they are eaten as antipasti, side vegetables and in this case as a pasta sauce.   This vegetarian recipe comes from Rome, and has

Gnocchi di Ricotta al Pomodoro e Basilico (Ricotta Gnocchi with Tomato and Basil Sauce)

Gnocchi is a type of pasta usually made  today from  flour and potatoes, with a long lineage first recorded in ancient Rome.  Prior to the 16th century arrival  of the potato in Europe, they were made with eggs and semolina, and were introduced by the Roman Legions to the lands they conquered –  where variations