Spring has arrived but the winter chill is still lingering. I am savouring the last moments with the flavours of winter- slow cooked beef ribs, hearty stews and the earthy flavours of chestnuts, hazelnuts and mushrooms. We are away for the Easter holidays and I spied on the flight, a pear and chocolate cake on…
One sauce makes 10 recipes
We drove through Carmagnola, the pepper capital of Piemonte, on our way from Torino to the Langhe last autumn. Carmagnola is famed for producing four varieties of peppers including the peperone corn di bue di Carmagnola (the bull-horn shaped pepper from Carmagnola) which comes in bright yellow or red and has a firm meaty flesh….
Easter pizza
The egg is a symbol of Easter because it represents the resurrection of Christ, rebirth and the beginning of Spring. Colourfully painted eggs and chocolate eggs are popular ways of celebrating this festival around the world. In Italy, there are many types of special breads prepared at Easter using eggs, both in the dough and on…
An ancient cooking method revisited: salt baked fish
Sealing food in pastry, dough, salt crust or even leaves is an ancient method of cooking. Before pots and pans were invented, people living near geothermal springs would either wrap the food up and cook it in the springs or bury it in the hot earth near the spring. In Iceland today they still bake…
My favourite winter salad
In the winter, puntarelle (a type of endive typical in and around Rome) begin to pop up in the markets. The long, young, crisp leaves and shoots are dressed with a garlicky anchovy sauce and are the perfect accompaniment to a plate of salumi. The slightly bitter, crunchy leaves contrast well with fatty, silky soft prosciutto…
The joy of alpine milk
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…
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…
The real reason I go skiing
When I say I love skiing, what I really mean is that I love lunch while skiing. Anybody reading this in North America may be unable to relate to this statement. I grew up eating very expensive, dry, burnt hamburgers with frozen fingers before heading back down the piste. Then I came to Europe to…
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