Once My Hungry Boys was up and running, I recognized that reality is often different from expectations. I didn’t expect 40% of my audience to be international. Because I did not anticipate so many international readers, I had not included metric measurements in my recipes. To better serve my international readers, I’m still working to think in terms of metric, which has been long overdue as metric makes so much more sense than the ounces and pounds I grew up using. I’m thrilled with having an international audience, as I have always enjoyed meeting people different from myself and from different cultures. I have received such kind and supportive notes from such a wide variety of places written by people I would never have met without My Hungry Boys. In this case, reality exceeded expectations.

I understand that peanut butter, loved in the United States, is not equally enjoyed everywhere. As the global pandemic and the internet has taught us: We are all more alike than different, and more connected than we thought. Although peanut butter is expensive and difficult to find in many other countries, maybe it’s just a matter of time until peanut butter is readily available everywhere. Read more.

I categorize scones into two basic groups. First, there are what the rest of the world refers to as “American style scones.” Over here, we just call them “scones” as if they are the original scone, but I know they’re not. American scones are pastries, meaning they are made by cutting cold fat into flour, and then adding liquid. Second, there are British and Scottish scones, which are more caky, a bit drier, and often served with clotted cream and jam. The visual appearances of these two types of scones are distinct too. An American scone is typically a wedge shaped pastry, whereas a British scone is usually round and biscuit shaped. This, of course, is not always true, but it usually is. I usually stick to the rule of wedges and circles whenever I make scones, as this lets the consumer know what to expect. As an avid consumer and baker of scones, I do love them both very much. But today’s recipe will highlight an American scone.

Before the pandemic hit, I went out most mornings for coffee and a scone. But last March—when the pandemic left me housebound—I got into the habit of making scones at home. I’ve always made scones, but sporadically… usually only for special occasions. But nowadays, I make a whole lot of scones. I’ve experimented with many different flavors, but the pumpkin blueberry scone is one of my personal favorites. My local bakery sells pumpkin blueberry scones, but only for about six weeks in the fall when pumpkins are in season. Now, my question is, why should pumpkin only get six weeks? Ever since I began making my own pumpkin blueberry scones from home, I no longer go into grumpy mourning at the end of pumpkin season. Read more.

Ever since I was a child, I’ve loved pastiera. A Neapolitan ricotta based pie, Napoletana pastiera is traditionally eaten by Italians on Easter. Two of my grandparents were from a small town right outside of Naples, and so their families brought their recipes with them when they immigrated from Italy. When my grandmother used to make this pie she always used rice in the filling, explaining that back in Italy, pastiera was made with farro. But because farro wasn’t widely available in the United States at the time, she substituted rice. Rice was not an ideal substitute, as it is not nearly as chewy as farro. Nevertheless, like many other immigrants, my grandmother always found ways to improvise so that she could bring the food and memories from her past into the new world.

When my own mom began making pastiera, she went to a local Italian specialty shop and bought ricotta in a metal container. There were holes pierced in the sides and bottom, which allowed the extra whey to drain out. Over the years, producers of ricotta have engineered ways to process the ricotta, so that it is more homogeneous and less creamy. As a result, grocery store ricotta is more gelled than the original product. Either will work fine for this recipe, but if you can find ricotta made from just whole milk, starter, and salt, that’s what I would recommend. This variety still comes in a metal container with small holes in the side; once opened, it sits in a saucer in my refrigerator, reminding me of a bygone era. Read more.

The Irish soda bread I love is a modern slightly sweet version of the craggy bread the Irish historically ate with their dinner each evening. As kids growing up in a family with Italian and English roots, we thought of ourselves as only American, Italian and English. A DNA test revealed, as expected, I am predominantly of Italian ancestry but it also showed that I am a combination of many heritages including some Irish ancestry. Whether or not Irish soda bread is a part of my heritage - I embrace it wholeheartedly as part of my history. Read more.