I, like many people, find thoughts of melted cheese and skiing in the Alps inseparable. Fondue and raclette are signature winter mountain fare. In Valle d’Aosta the iconic cheese is Fontina, where it is exclusively made amongst the highest mountains in Europe: Monte Bianco (Mont Blanc), Monte Rosa, Cervino (the Matterhorn/Zermatt) and Gran Paradiso. Two…
Archives for February 2016
Alpine living
So we are in the Italian Alps on a skiing holiday working hard to get in all the cheese, glorious cheese. It comes sliced, grilled, broiled, on polenta, risotto, pasta, in veal chops, melted in a bowl- the list is endless. I’ll report back next week on my visit to see Fontina being made. Until…
The Roman grain basket reemerges
A new generation of Sicilians are emerging. While Sicilians are known for being traditional and proud, several of their traditions have been industrialised with the role of the craftsman slowly disappearing. The production of Marsala being an iconic example. Sicily was the grain basket for the Roman Empire under Julius Caesar. There are about 60 ancient indigenous…
The land of milk and honey…..and olives: Valle del Belice
Salemi in Valle del Belice is home to Cucchiara family, where three generations have been making traditional and organic sheep’s milk cheese since 1870. The Caseificio Cucchiara Liborio has 900 sheep which graze on their 90 hectares of land. The Cucchiara family also keep bees to make honey during the Spring and Summer which pairs exquisitely with their pecorino cheese. Their…