Are you burning out on what to fix ? Here in Italy, many of us are still out of work and at home cooking breakfast, lunch and dinner. Both my husband and I have been vaccinated now, He gets his second pfzier next week. But work won’t start for me until Italy opens up to…
Spaghetti alla Nerano- Searching for Italy, One dish at a time
There couldn’t have been a better time to release CNN‘s new show with Stanley Tucci, Searching for Italy. Everyone is going through travel withdrawl and missing Italy so much. I hear it daily in messages from friends and clients waiting to come back. I think trip planning is almost as much fun as the trip…
Simple Pasta Sauces- Penne Lisce Arrabbiata con Tuna
I was inspired to do a simple recipe by a fotograph taken of the panic in the local grocery stores around Italy with the Corona Virus scare. The circle is around the Penne Lisce pasta, obviously not a favorite with many people. Italians are fanatics about what sauce goes with what shape of pasta and…
Celebrating Fall| Non-stir Polenta
October is my anniversary of arriving in Florence, in 1984. If you have ever been here in Fall, you will know how easy it is to fall in love with Tuscany with the Fall light. The countryside is turning gold, the vineyards and hills covered with chestnut and oak trees are vibrant. Weekends are filled…
Pici Pasta -Tuscan Traditional Pasta
I have always enjoyed learning to make Tuscan traditional pasta shapes. Locally, the cucina povera, poor cuisine, found a way to make eggless pasta. Flour and water pasta is one of the first pastas created we can trace it back in history to Roman times and also think about Ramen noodles. Around Siena and heading…
Amatriciana for Amatrice- #virtualsagra (updated)
One of Italy’s most famous sauce, Amatriciana, originated in Amatrice, a small town in Lazio famous for the pasta dish, made using guanciale. The 50th anniversary sagra, food festival, was to be held this weekend. Amatrice no longer exists. Hopefully it can be rebuilt. Usually they move the towns. The earthquake on August 24th leveled…
Gnudi- Naked Ravioli
The recipe names are funny. This is a personal favorite: naked ravioli. Naked? Yes, they have no pasta dough around them, so the classic spinach and ricotta filling is simply made into a gnocchi-like dumpling. In other areas, they are known as strozzapreti, “priest-chokers,” but strozzapreti can also be a long hand-rolled spaghetti-like pasta, which I would…
Tuscan Fall Pleasures- Chickpea Pancakes
Old recipes are new again, Cecina, a gluten free crepe,is popping up all over again. I am always thrilled with I get return students. This past season, I hosted a student from 10 years ago, that has now found a new path. For her program, using food to heal people, gluten-free cooking is a large…