A Look Back at Buona Domenica 2023

Your favorite posts and recipes; plus, it's not too late to make a batch of homemade Vov for the New Year!

Make a batch of Vov to ring in the New Year! (photo courtesy of the Chicago Tribune)

Welcome to Buona Domenica, a weekly newsletter of inspired Italian home cooking and baking. I’m a journalist, cooking instructor, occasional tour guide, and author of eight cookbooks on Italian cuisine. Looking for a particular recipe? You’ll find all Buona Domenica recipes indexed here, ready to download or print.

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Ciao! I am technically still on break, but I wanted to pop in to say a quick hello, wish you a Happy New Year, and thank you for being a Buona Domenica subscriber. Grazie infinite!

I also want to remind you that:

1. It’s not too late to make a boozy batch of homemade Vov (zabaglione cream liqueur, pictured above) to ring in the New Year. Think of it as a more sophisticated Italian version of eggnog, with a charming back story. You’ll find both story and recipe here.

2. Registration is now open for my fall culinary tour, From Piemonte to Liguria, in collaboration with Beautiful Liguria. Please email me if you are interested in a detailed itinerary and registration information.

3. I’m offering a 20% discount on the annual subscription to this newsletter through January 6. Here’s what you get:

   • Full access to the weekly newsletter, including the ability to comment on all posts.

   • Full access to the Buona Domenica index of recipes, where you’ll find downloadable and printable versions every recipe from this newsletter—128 and counting. Think of it as an ever-expanding Italian cookbook right at your fingertips.

   • Participation in giveaways, and discounts on online cooking classes.

   • Your support allows me to keep publishing this newsletter, a labor of loves that involves lots of research, recipe testing, and writing, not to mention Daniela’s wonderful illustrations.

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One of your favorite illustrations by Daniela from 2023

As I work on plans for Buona Domenica 2024, I’ve spent some time looking back at this past year’s posts and recipes. Here are a few that, based on likes and comments, resonated with you:

1. Tanti Auguri

It makes me happy to know that this post—a celebration of my one-year anniversary publishing on Substack—was one of 2023’s most popular. The accompanying recipe for chocolate amaretti may have had something to do with that!

2. From the Files of Gabriella: Bombshell Spaghetti

My mom’s recipe for Spaghetti alla Claudia Cardinale, a simple but memorable pasta dish with butter, sliced prosciutto and fresh herbs, was a big hit. And so was Daniela’s accompanying illustration (see above). By the way, stay tuned for more “From the Files of Gabriella” recipes in 2024.

3. Cooking My Way into the Kitchen

Was it the glimpse into my funny little kitchen in Abruzzo that made this newsletter one of 2023’s most popular? Or the recipe for riso e cicoria?

4. From My Kitchen in Abruzzo

I suspect that it was the photos of baby artichokes and the video of Signore Nevio from the farmers’ market in Penne, deftly showing me how to clean them, that put this newsletter in the Top 5.

5. Food Swing

My confession that l lost my taste for pasta while I was laid up with a broken ankle resonated with many of you. Update: I’m eating pasta again, but far less than I used to. In fact, I’m thinking of adding a new category to the newsletter in 2024 focusing on more healthful recipes that I’ve been making and enjoying.

Yea? Or Nay?

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Daniela’s illustration for Occasional Cookie #1

And, to round out the list, here are a few of my personal favorites:

1. Occasional Cookie #1: Brutti ma Buoni

I started my “Occasional Cookie” series in October with the classic Brutti ma Buoni meringue and nut cookies, and though at the moment I am kind of “cookied out,” I look forward to resuming the series with a fresh batch of contenders.

2. On Italian Vino

This interview with Kate Leahy, co-author of Italian Wine, was one of the year’s highlights for me. I loved digging into this complex and layered subject, one filled with history and intrigue and innovation. Expect more on Italian wine in 2024.

3. The Allure of Chestnuts

From the original post: “The dark, polished gloss of a chestnut, the smooth shell and swollen little belly, the way it fits so easily in the hand, has always appealed to me, so that when I see one on the ground, I almost always have to pick it up. It’s like a worry bead, or a talisman. Eventually, it ends up in the bag, where it remains for months, years.”

I especially love the recipe for Torta di Castagne, a plain cake made with chestnut flour.

4. Just Add Olio Nuovo

I enjoy devising new gelato/ice cream flavors, and I was really pleased with the Bay Leaf-Infused Olive Oil Gelato in this newsletter.

5. Choux Fry

From the original post: “It’s that time again; my annual plea for you to dump a quart of oil into a pot and fry some dough. I always feel guilty when I push a fried recipe, but really what I want to share is the occasional joy of enjoying a fried treat.”

The fried treat in question is Tortelli di Carnevale alla Milanese, which are, essentially, fried cream puffs rolled in sugar. They are divine.

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Thank you for being a part of this community of Italian food lovers. The next issue of Buona Domenica will publish on January 14. Till then, wishing you a happy, healthy, and peaceful 2024.

Alla prossima,
Domenica