I don’t think we really need a special day to give thanks. It should be daily. Perhaps a sort of Polly-anna way of thinking, but I have always tried to focus on the good things around me . If I dwelled on the daily difficulties and nightmares in life, I would be constantly depressed. I…
Wednesday Market in Certaldo
There is nothing I love more than a market day! I live in Certaldo where we have the large market on Wednesday and a small market just a few food trucks, on Saturday. Where I teach, in Colle Val D’Elsa, the huge market day is on Friday. That pretty much covers it for me. With…
Tomatoes “Tonnati”
The horrible heat wave and drought we have been having has finally been broken but a couple of days of rain. Not really enough, but enough to drop the temps down to something more livable. As we feel summer slipping away, I am enjoying the last tomatoes. These huge tomatoes are more like a steak,…
Fiori Fritti- Fried Zucchini Blossoms
I adore spring and this year it came sort of late but is one of the most beautiful in years. The hills are all shades of velvety green and red poppies and yellow scotch broom add touches of color. One of my clients asked me yesterday why we fry flowers and who thought of it….
Keeping Kitchen- Artichokes part 2
Once you have let the artichokes sit overnight in vinegar, remove them and let them sit for a day to drain, upside down, on a plate. When they are dry, place then in a jar and cover with olive oil. It’s important to leave the open to remove any air in the jars. Hit the…
Keeping Kitchen- Artichokes
When shopping at the market, as I mentioned, we first enjoy all the the seasons best fresh. As the season goes on, then prices start to drop and we think about buying in quantity and putting up the excess for another season. I saw the first tiny “baby” artichokes at the market yesterday. Usually I…
Fall Favorites- Kale Bruschetta
Right now life is a little hectic. When I stop working, I have to catch up on work, if you know what I mean. End of the year paperwork, things I have let slip by. And when that happens, cooking time in the kitchen also gets cut down to quick recipes or really long slow…
Cooking Cardoons- Marisa’s Polpette
From emails I get from my blog readers and on FB, I see cardoons are getting easier to find in America. Cardoons are cousins with artichokes, looking more like celery, but tasting like artichoke hearts. What’s not to love? When I was at Paola’s,my ortolana (vegetable vendor), in town; she had huge fabulous long cardoons…