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…
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…
Salone del Gusto 2016 – Not to be missed!
I would be remiss to not share with you all what I think is one of the most important food events of all time. If you love food and drink, particularly Italian food and drink, don’t miss out on Salone del Gusto 2016, from 22 to 26 September in Turin. Salone del Gusto is a biannual event…
Why you should visit Stresa
Within an easy hour-long drive from Milan’s Malpensa airport is a beautiful and relatively uncrowded holiday spot. The winding road off the motorway leading to Stresa takes a sharp left turn offering panoramic views of the glassy lake dotted with islands and boats, framed by the towers of handsome period villas. Palm tree-lined streets and…
Exotic Sicily
We explored the south-western part of Sicilia (Sicily) starting with a drive from Palermo to Erice. The land was arid and rocky dotted with rows of vineyards. It feels more like North Africa than Italy now. Dates grow on the palm trees, rows of pomegranate trees and fig covered cacti line the walls. Dwarf olive…
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…
Ringing in the new year
Another year is almost over. 2015 was full of real highs and then sudden darkness looming. As a mother, one look in my child’s eyes leaves me with only hope for the future. As always, in order to focus on the enjoying the present and hoping for the future, we fix our gaze firmly on…
Where in Italy is a great place for families to spend the Christmas holiday?
Venezia (Venice) has many names and faces. It is known as the city of romance, a UNESCO city of culture rich with breathtaking architecture and art, the City of Water with its canals crisscrossing the city, the City of Masks as shops display the city’s characteristic carnival masks year-round, as where the orient meets Europe…
My favourite foodie presents from last Christmas
Typically I slowly hoard Christmas presents all through the year. Meanwhile my husband spends 363 days of the year in denial that Christmas is always on December 25. I predict that in 9 days from now, he will be amongst the crowds of shoppers desperately trying to remember who and what to buy for. This year…
Our family’s favourite Christmas dish
There are a few evocative Christmas foods that elicit childhood memories from a simpler time. Christmas and childhood are intertwined and that festive feeling of families coming together to celebrate the season is one that no child forgets. For some people Christmas means roast chestnuts, roast turkey, goose or beef, traditional cakes, tarts and puddings…