1. Italians eat late and meal times are fixed. Times vary regionally so check with the restaurant beforehand. One of my favourite Italian traditions is the “aperitivo” where one meets friends for a light drink (usually a spritzer or glass of wine) and nibbles before (or sometimes instead of) dinner. 2. Shops close mid-day, often for…
Happy Mother’s Day!
Mother’s Day (Festa della mamma) is quickly approaching in many parts of the world, including Italy on May 10th. This day is dedicated to the lady who survived many a sleepless night to care for you when sick, prioritised you before herself, always turned a sympathetic ear when life seemed bleak, cheered you on through every…
The surprising secret ingredient to making the perfect focaccia
I admit, I have been obsessing for years over perfecting my focaccia recipe. This is partially due to nostalgia for long days at the beach in Liguria and partially due to my 5 year old son’s love for all things Ligurian (which I view as a cosmic link to his Ligurian godmother). I was pretty happy…
Top tips for visiting Italy
I put together this page on resources to use when travelling or living in Italy so you can easily access the content needed in one place. Use this page to help you discover the best places to visit in Italy, how to find good accommodation, the best places to eat, how to order food and…
Your guide to cooking authentic Italian food
Do you love eating Italian food? Want to try making it at home? All you need is a love of eating and a desire to learn. No need to know everything about cooking. I have quickly put together this page with links to all my top content to help you get started. I have to…
Think you know Prosecco? Think again. Cellar Tour: Bisol
Sparkling wine enthusiasts may turn their noses up at the mention of Prosecco, the world’s leading sparkling wine in terms of volume sold (160 million bottles sold), but like many things in Italy, to every rule there is an exception. What is true is that the Prosecco region has grown at a disturbing pace…
The fairy tale origin of Pastiera: the quintessential Italian Easter tart
Pastiera is a traditional Easter dish and is one of the most famous dishes in Naples. The story of its origin begins with a fairy tale, that the Neapolitans made offerings to mermaid named Partenope to thank her for her beautiful voice. They offered flour and orange blossom water to both symbolise the wealth of…
Where do Venetians holiday?
Moneyed Venetians have been holidaying in the Colli Asolani (the hills of Asolo) since the time of the Venetian Republic as evidenced by the many Palladian villas, which were country estates built in the 16th century and designed by Andrea Palladio. A mere half hour drive to the west of Venezia brings you first to Padova…
What do Homer Simpson and Joseph (as in Joseph and Mary) have in common?
The 19th of March is the Festa di San Giuseppe in Italy in honour of Joseph, Jesus Christ’s step-father. It is celebrated as Father’s Day and a type of doughnut, Bignè di San Giuseppe is served. The idea of celebrating Father’s Day with doughnuts reminds me of Homer Simpson rather than of Joseph and Christ….
A Guide to Good Value High Quality wines: What makes a true wine aficionado?
Nowadays many people seem to be of the opinion that loving wine means drinking the most expensive wines in existence. While particularly at the more affordable end of the market, the price tag has some correlation with the quality of wine as it will determine how much the wine maker could afford to spend on creating the…
Top 19 off-the-beaten-track places to visit in Italy
We spent 3 months last summer travelling through 12 of the 20 regions of Italy. Our objectives were to stay as much as possible in the countryside because it was summertime and to visit places we had never been to before. We were rewarded with unforgettable, unique experiences in pristine locations untouched by mass tourism….
The Best General Wine Apps and Italian Wine Apps
Think Italian wine complicated? Think you need to remember every wine? Think again. I often remember the place I enjoyed a wine or with whom rather than the details of the wine. Nor can I remember every producer and which of their many wines they do best. With the apps I list below, you can record every wine…
Planning to visit Italy? How to avoid the tourist trap restaurant and find authentic Italian food
The holy grail of travel in Italy is the small , family-run trattoria with nonna (grandma) in the kitchen rolling out the pasta and the children picking the produce from the garden in the back for her to make into a nice lunch. Instead what many travellers are confronted with is the classic “national menu”,…
Why is this week full of love, gossip and lies?
I remember this same week in 1995. I decided to go to the seaside town of Viareggio in Toscana with a friend. As we were young students at the time, we went expecting a bit of a parade with prospects of a street party. I was walking down the street, watching enormous comical floats go past when an elderly…
3 Steps to Plan the Perfect Italian Holiday
Overcome the winter blues by planning a trip to Italy this year. Want to stay in a hotel characteristic of the area run by friendly locals who make you feel instantly at home? Nothing ruins a trip more than staying in a carbon-copy hotel in the wrong neighbourhood run by drones. Don’t miss out on…
Cellar Tour: Vigne di Zamo and their surprising wines
I vividly remember 20 years ago, a Shanghainese friend telling me that she would love to travel to Europe one day. I was shocked when she said she really wanted to see Bulgaria, Romania and Yugoslavia. The most obvious destinations were clearly Paris, Rome, Venice and Barcelona. But she knew little of these cities. This…
Top 8 reasons to visit a forgotten corner of Italy: Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Friuli-Venezia Giulia is an exotic part of Italy with a distinctive Slavic flair. The cuisine is unique in its extensive interweaving of sweet, savoury and spices such as gnocchi di susine (sweet plum dumplings) which are served as a first course, the same as pasta. The geography varies from crystal blue Alpine lakes and the…
When is it Smarter to pause?
Follow my blog with Bloglovin Sometimes you need to take a pause to reflect on everything going on. This is one of those weeks with all the saddening events which have occurred and so many questions in mind. In times like these I like to regroup and think how to rebalance the sadness; to contemplate…
One good reason to eat lasagne today
Today is la Befana in Italy, otherwise known as the Epiphany. It marks the last of the 12 days of Christmas which begin on December 25th (Christmas Day). It is also a feast day to commemorate the visit of the Three Wise Men (Magi) to bring gold, frankincense and myrrh to the birth of Jesus…
One of the world’s most beautiful drives: Strada delle Dolomiti
Green valleys are dotted with yellow, pink, purple and white wildflowers. Towering over are awe-inspiring mountains of sheer rock. Charming wooden houses straight out of Hansel and Gretel peek out from behind trees. Each twist of the road brings an even more spectacular panorama into view. This is the Strada delle Dolomiti (the Great Dolomite…
Cellar Tour: Hofstatter and its Alpine cowboys
Hofstätter is located in a 15th century building founded as an inn by Joseph Hofstatter in the town of Tramin (Termeno) in Alto Adige. This is the Germanic part of Italy and Tramin looks more like Austria. The inhabitants speak German first then Italian and Ladinish. Hofstätter wine was originally produced from the inn’s mountain-side…
Cellar Tour: Two friends and a dream – Pojer e Sandri
Stories of enduring friendship are always a Hollywood hit, quite possibly because they are quite rare. This is particularly true when coupled with business. Pojer e Sandri’s story is more like that of a Silicon Valley hi-tech start-up out of a student’s parent’s garage rather than a veritable Italian winery. In 1975 Pojer e Sandri…
The most maligned cuisine in the world
It’s all very confusing. I am in Italy but I am not. From one village in Trentino to the next in Alto Adige, no one speaks Italian anymore, at least not natively. They speak it halteringly, searching for the correct translation in their heads. Even the character of the people changes….suddenly rules and regulations take…
What do Italians eat for Christmas?
Italian holiday foods are often symbolic as well as delicious. Dishes served on the day before a religious festival such as Christmas Eve, known as La Vigilia, are meant to purify the body before the rich holiday foods. The Christmas season starts in Italy on 6 December with the birthday of Saint Nicola…
Cellar Tour: Allegrini: the perfect marriage of culture and wine
Villa della Torre Allegrini is headquartered in the impressive 16th century Villa della Torre in Fumane in the heart of Valpolicella in Veneto. The fortress-like villa was commissioned by Giulio della Torre, a well-known merchant from Verona, employing three important architects of the time (Giulio Romano, architect of the Palazzo Te in Verona, Michele Sanmicheli and Giovan…
Where does the best olive oil come from?
Now is the season in Italy when the olives have the highest content of oil, have a lower acidity and a milder flavour. This is precisely when they are picked and pressed into olive oil. Olive oil is used throughout Italy. This golden elixir has been held in high esteem since ancient times not only for…
My top 7 foodie wish list for Christmas
1. Maria Grammatico’s Bitter Almonds cookbook We visited Erice in Sicilia this year after being told by many Sicilians that one of their best pastry chefs lived there and was named Maria Grammatico. Eastern Sicilia is the most famous for the pastries as it the Arabs, who introduced their art of pastry to Sicilia, had…
Cellar tour: What is the secret ingredient in San Leonardo?
San Leonardo uses largely French grapes and is located in an area not known for fine wine (mainly bulk wine growers using Marzemino and Teroldego vines) but this is not only what makes this winery unique. History San Leonardo is a very special winery started by crucifer monks (Frati Crociferi) in 1215. Wine had been…
The Disneyland Small World of Food: Salone del Gusto
Arriving at Slow Food’s Salone del Gusto (a 4 day food fair in Turin) on Thursday was essentially my idea of what arriving in heaven would be like; a combination of travel adventure and food voyage- a Disney’s Small World of food. Although I thought I knew most foods in the world as I am fairly well travelled, I…
Cellar Tour: La Giaretta: A Family Tradition in Valpolicella
Standing next to Valpolicella giants such as Masi and Allegrini and superstars such as Quintarelli and Dal Forno, La Giaretta sits out of the spotlight quietly producing its good value, quality wines. We had the privilege to visit this small, family run winery in Valgatara in Marano in the heart of the Classico zone (the…
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- Next Page »