Home At Last! with Patty Gironda

Butterflied Pork Seasoned With Fresh and Dried Herbs Fresh Garlic and Rosemary Tied Porchetta Marinating For Roasting I'm seriously doing some "armchair traveling" in the kitchen this week! Old photos and video shot during our trips through Germany, Switzerland and Italy have caused wonderful food memories to resurface and off I run to the kitchen to see if I recreate some of our favorites! My first porchetta sandwich was savored at Terranouva's weekly market-held every Friday on the town square in central Tuscany. I remember the young woman explaining the process as we waited for our crispy pork sandwich served on a nicely crusted roll. As we enjoyed our first bite of the heavenly pork she waved us back and presented us with a neatly wrapped package filled with Fried Polenta! Sure that we had just been presented with a piece of heaven we strolled the market "ooh-ing and aah-ing" through the stalls filled with fresh fish, cheese, cured meats a...

      Two of the most interesting salads I have ever enjoyed were in Europe. My all-time favorite salad was at the Hotel Guittard in Zug, Switzerland. We checked into this small boutique hotel late one summer night. Perched high on a hill overlooking a beautiful lake the hotel offered amazing views from the balcony-including an inviting patio restaurant engulfed by candlelight. On a recommendation I ordered their specialty salad and was delighted with the beautiful presentation. The variety of fresh ingredients-each neat pile complimented by a unique dressing provided a memorable dining experience and great Swiss beer. I enjoyed a similar style of salad on the Rhine River in Germany. A tuna salad-not in the Nicoise-style but more like the Swiss-style I just mentioned. Both of these salads left a lasting impression and I regularly make similar interesting varieties in hot weather. Although last night's salad was informal and quickly pulled together it delivered an int...