Jocelyn Ruggiero

Blog Archive

Long Lost: The Archeology of an Italian-American Family and its Struffoli

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I’m flipping through a thirty-year-old community cookbook by the Saint Ann Society of St. Michael’s Church in New Haven, Connecticut, when a recipe for struffoli, the Italian pastry, catches my eye. Crispy on the outside and cakey on the inside, these marble-sized balls of dough are first deeply fried in vegetable oil, then drenched in warm honey laced with tangerine peels. Every year at Christmas time, they are served piled high in a mountain of sticky goodness. And for me, struffoli are … [Read more...] about Long Lost: The Archeology of an Italian-American Family and its Struffoli

Maine's Midcoast: Summer Fare Extraordinaire

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I should say right off the bat that I never would have ended up on vacation in Camden, Maine this past August- and enjoyed all of these wonderful meals-  if it weren't for Nancy Harmon Jenkins' sage advice. So really, I am indebted to her. That being said, if you're interested in seeing Maine through her eyes (and stomach!), check out her website. There's no better person for this. I grew up going to the Lakes Region of Maine, to a town we affectionately referred to as "Stinkin' Lincoln," … [Read more...] about Maine's Midcoast: Summer Fare Extraordinaire

Mortgage Lifter Tomatoes at Bitta-Blue Farm

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I've been dazzled week after week this summer by the bounty of an organic CSA share with Susan Willis of Bitta-Blue Farm in Killingworth, Connecticut. I love  (and sometimes dread!) the insistent demands of a CSA, which force me to experiment and explore new types of produce. Susan makes the whole adventure fun by not only enduring my endless questions each week regarding varieties, but by making preparation suggestions. I was thrilled two weeks ago that her heirloom tomatoes had finally … [Read more...] about Mortgage Lifter Tomatoes at Bitta-Blue Farm

Farmer's Plums

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Each summer, I eagerly await the "Farmer's Plums" I buy from "Jake's Farm Stand" on the Boston Post Road in Madison, Connecticut. Jake opens shop for just a few months on the side of the road, bringing with him the bounty of his family farm in Northern Connecticut. He uses a pencil and paper to figure out up your purchase and always rounds down. My favorite of his treasures are what he calls "Farmer's Plums," which are more widley known as "Methley" plums. These plums grow for 2 to 3 weeks per … [Read more...] about Farmer's Plums

Grilled Connecticut Corn

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I have no data to verify this, but it seems like native corn varies from year to year. Some years are better than others. This season, without a doubt, the native Connecticut corn is absolutely spectacular. Several days a week, I stop at Jake's farm stand in Madison, and buy as much corn as I can eat. Once home, I remove the silk, peel back a few outer leaves and then toss onto the grill. It's the best way to get that nutty, the caramelized flavor which comes when the kernels get nice and brown. … [Read more...] about Grilled Connecticut Corn

Italian Cookie

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If you've read the About section of my blog, you'll know that my first word was "cookie," rhythmically chanted as both a celebration and a request when I was 9 months old. Somehow though, baking my own cookies  hasn't been a part of my December ritual. When I was little, spending my holidays with my extended family, it was my great Aunt Mary who made the cookies. And there were always an assortment of cookies given as gifts to my great Aunt Phil. But this year, I craved not only the tastes of … [Read more...] about Italian Cookie