Although their backgrounds and culinary experiences are quite different, my good friend and the chef both stick to the same cooking principles: Use only fresh ingredients; allow enough time for proper cooking; cook with attention, passion, and respect for the food; and present your food with pride. I can attest from firsthand experience that the recipes that follow, all of them developed by these two talented people, are wonderful when these rules are followed.
So how about trying some barley recipes out for yourself? I did. I bought the freshest ingredients I could find, then stirred, sniffed, and tasted each dish as it bubbled on the stove. And, singing a bit of the Italian tunes I have learned over the years, I let the sounds and scents of Italy fill my kitchen.
Vanda’s minestrone with barley and lentils
Barley with roasted garlic and rosemary
Chef Marco’s orzotto with porcini mushrooms
