Anglo-Saxons are rather famous for the concept of eating meat and two vegetables (usually a starch, typically potato, and a vegetable). Meanwhile Italians continue to eat a more traditional parade of courses (see guide here) which range from 2 or more courses of starters, a first course typically rich in carbohydrates which could be pasta, polenta,…
If you love meatballs, you will love Sicily
My list of things I love about Sicily is long. Too long to cover in one post but high on the list is their love affair with meatballs. Meatballs in Sicily can be made out of vegetables, fish or meat. I spied in Catania a popular restaurant named Polpetteria (sort of like a pizzeria but…
Bread filled with aubergine Parmigiana (eggplant Parmesan)
We were staying in a small town at the base of Mount Etna in Sicily in October. I made the obligatory rounds at the pastry shops and at Condorelli spied a small selection of breads with interesting fillings. One of the breads I purchased was declared the undisputed winner and it was filled with aubergine…
Cauliflower cheese: a firm family favourite
I remember as a child reading a series of Bunnicula books. It was a story about a vampire bunny (Bunnicula) that would suck all the juice out of vegetables, rendering them spookily white. Cauliflower was never my favourite as a child and while I have come around, even now it makes me think of vampire bunnies….
White polenta with langoustine
This dish has the same attributes as the trout with polenta dish I presented a couple of weeks ago: it is healthy, quick and easy, gluten-free and mainly compliant with most New Year’s resolutions. More importantly it is delicious. The slightly sweet succulent langoustine or crayfish are flavoured with a slight taste of garlic, wine…
Pesto lasagne
Thought Christmas was over? So Friday was Epiphany (the day everyone realised Jesus Christ was the son of God) and it was Orthodox Christmas. For me it was the second day of freedom after my children had been on holiday for a MONTH! Freedom here is actually code word for a month’s worth of admin…
2017, what to do?
I hope you all had a good New Year’s holiday. While I am definitely all for self-reflection, self-improvement and personal goals, I also think it’s important to embrace the here and now, however imperfect that may be. I like to think of it as optimism with a healthy dose of reality. So while I eschew joining…
So long 2016
Most of us cannot wait to get 2016 behind us. It’s been a rollercoaster ride of a year and even the last few days show no slow down in the momentum of terrible and/or surprising events. While traditionally Christmas is a time to hold your nearest and dearest close, this year we are gripping them…
Susumelle- Italian gingerbread from Calabria
Many of us have holiday baking on the cards for this week. One to add to your repertoire are Susumelle, deliciously spiced gingerbread biscuits dipped in chocolate. Pop one in your mouth and the flavour is the epitome of Christmas. They are easy to make and last for ages in sealed tin. I let the children weigh…
Pappardelle with braised beef short rib ragú
Does the name of the dish make your mouth water? It should. Beef braised to the point where it falls away from the bone and its unctuous sauce coats fresh egg pasta is a dish most people dream of coming home to in this weather. This time of year is full of conflicting feelings. As…
Italian paella: Tiella
While historically Puglia has a stronger Greek influence, there is a typical Apulian dish, tiella or tortiera, which derives from the Spanish paella. This was brought to them by the Bourbons and there are dishes of the same name in Lazio, Campania and Abruzzo, all attributed to the Bourbons. The round tin or copper baking tins…
Puglia’s Gargano: Italy’s spectacular Adriatic coast
Continuing from my post from last week about the Trulli in Puglia, now we head back up north along the coast. We stopped in Trani as our cousin had advised us to eat at the Le Lampare al Fortino where he proposed to his soon-to-be wife. The restaurant had a magnificent terrace overlooking the scenic harbour and…
Puglia: the land of the Trulli
We arrived a few days early for a cousin’s wedding in the Gargano to see the Terra dei Trulli (the land of the Trulli – iconic conical houses in Puglia). We arrived late into Bari, delayed by our flight. Our host generously ventured out in the dark to meet us by the motorway and lead us…
Comfort food, Italian style: pasta e fagioli
Pasta e fagioli (pasta and beans) is a staple Italian dish, an iconic representation of the countryside, born out of simplicity and a need for frugality. It is good old fashioned comfort food at its best, nourishing the soul and providing sustenance during long winter nights. Pasta e fagioli is one of the most popular soups…
Solidarity with Norcia, the latest earthquake victim
Italy has unfortunately experienced three large earthquakes in the past few months, the latest hitting the town of Norcia in Umbria quite hard. Norcia, like Amatrice (which was severely impacted by the first of the large quakes), is a gastronomic town famed for its butchers and their splendid pork products. Since the Middle Ages, the…
Doubling the joy of eating Sicilian marmalade
I apologise for the stereo silence for the past two weeks. I was really unlucky and had a shocking and unprecedented lack of wi-fi during my trip to Sicily and Calabria. That said, I had a really relaxing time probably because of it. I have loads of interesting dishes and sights to share with you…
Crab risotto: The perfect healthy, quick mid-week meal
I am off to Sicily and Calabria on Sunday so just a quick post for this week. This is a super simple dish which even my children love. Crab is a relatively luxurious ingredient so this dish is also perfect for dinner parties. Fingers crossed there is decent wi-fi where I am going so I…
Arista: a great recipe for when you have all 4 seasons in one day
While the autumn can have amazingly sunny but slightly crisp days, sometimes there is a winter chill in the air one day and then summer sun and blue skies the next. Planning what to cook can inevitably lead to barbecues in the rain or the oven blaring when it its already a furnace indoors. Arista is a great…
The Salone del Gusto wrap up
So Salone del Gusto has finished and we will have to wait until 2018 for the next one. It was lovely that this year it was held around Turin with its castles and palaces as a stunning setting. The wine tastings were a highlight as they were held in the Royal Palace of Turin with…
Plumcake
Before I leave for Salone del Gusto, I thought I would leave you with a simple recipe for plums as they are currently in season. My 1 year old daughter cannot resist their purple glow and expertly devours a bowl of them in a few days. One of my favourite ways to eat plums is…
The Langhe: A taste of autumn
If you had to distill the essence of autumn into one word, it would be the Langhe (an area southeast of Torino in Piemonte). For anyone fortunate enough to be attending Salone del Gusto next week, this area is well within your reach and should not be missed. I’ll be there so let me know if anyone…
A super simple, mouth-watering dish: tagliata
As the last days of (enjoyable) barbecuing have arrived, I’ll share with you the perfect quick, simple and delicious dish for any occasion. While our favourite is the grand-daddy of Italian steaks, bistecca fiorentina, beef sirloin or rib eye are easier to source and tagliata easier to cook perfectly. The name “tagliata” literally means “slices” but…
The millennia old recipe in need of celebration
My heart went out to the town of Amatrice on Wednesday morning. The town, swollen to its peak summer population, was devastated in an evening whilst preparing for their annual celebration of their most famous dish, salsa all’ amatriciana. Heartbreaking stories of families torn apart while innocently sleeping in their own beds left an ache…
When you feel like eating pasta and salad: pasta alla checca
It’s the last days of summer. Friends are returning from holidays, shopping has started for school shoes and the days are getting shorter. Tomatoes, aubergines, peaches, plums, nectarines are at their peak. There is nothing better than the fragrance of a ripe tomato, one that lingers on your fingers after you have touched it. Knives…
A versatile summer dish with a touch of magic: Ciambotta
We love Ciambotta for so many different reasons. We love the colours in the dish, how it makes the most of summer vegetables at their peak right now, that it is uber healthy and our children love it. But what we love most is that its flavour improves with time and it can be reinvented into so many…
More summer staples (part 2)
This is a continuation of my post last week on seasonal summer dishes. Last week focused on nibbles, starters and pastas while this week’s list continues with main courses, side dishes and desserts. 5. Fish and seafood One of my favourite denial tactics is to pretend I am somewhere I am not. Like the year…
My summer staples
It’s hot. I like to take advantage of the sunshine and enjoy the good weather while it lasts. Luckily summer means that many fruit and vegetables are at their peak, requiring little intervention to create a delicious meal. Here are a few of my favourites during the summer: Bruschetta Basically anything spread on grilled or…
Cappon magro- my favourite Christmas dish to eat in the summer
Cappon magro is a Ligurian dish, traditionally served on Christmas eve when according to Catholic tradition, families would abstain from eating meat. Fish and seafood were served instead. This elaborate seafood platter hardly counts as suffering in the name of piety. There are various theories as to why the name of the dish is “fasting…
Food shows us the way forward
These past few weeks I find myself conflicted. I like to keep up to date with what is happening in the world but following the events in the UK, US, France and Turkey brings untold sadness to my life. When the world makes no sense and challenges my sanity, I retreat back to firm ground….
A twist on tomato mozzarella salad
Insalata caprese, otherwise known as tomato and mozzarella salad, is a popular salad around the world. It was named for the island of Capri in Campania. Its elegance is in its simplicity – relying on sourcing top quality tomatoes, mozzarella, olive oil and basil. Even better, it takes 5 minutes to prepare. Still, its ubiquitousness…
- « Previous Page
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- …
- 8
- Next Page »