Ages ago on a trip down to Umbria, we stayed in a castle hotel run by locals that has restored the abandoned castle. We dined there one night. Chef Donatella Lauteri, the young wizard in the kitchen, shared this incredible recipe with me ,warm truffled farro (spelt) salad. She called it Chicchi, little kernals. …
Garden to Table- Eggplant
When summer hits, we are also hit with a glut of vegetables from the garden. Actually not MY garden. We learned that we just cannot keep up with raising and eating as much as a few plants produce and we don’t have a big freezer or a lot of storage space for jars. I buy…
Seasonal Recipes- Grapes
This summer was killer hot. The hottest summer in 30 years. It wouldn’t be so bad if Italians used ice in their drinks and liked air conditioning. For me, just a little too extreme! But, August 15 is the breaking point almost always. It is a national holiday, based on a religious celebration, which are…
Amatriciana Sauce- My Way
I don’t want to start any fights, so up front just let me say that this is NOT the traditional way they make Amatriciana sauce in the town of Amatrice or in Rome. But in Italy, there are as many versions of recipes as there are cooks.If you go and look back at the original…
Bless this Kitchen- San Lorenzo
August 10th is the feast day of San Lorenzo, he is considered patron saint of cooks as well as the poor and librarians. He was grilled alive so is depicted with a grill by his side and often holding a book, as he had protected the written documents of the church. I have a collection…
A Taste of Puglia- Plic/Plac
I have been going down to Puglia for about 8 years, each time researching new areas and looking for places to organize culinary weeks. I finally put it all together and created something special for a group of women that met on one of my Chianti Kitchen weeks and enjoyed each others company so much…
Italian Pantry- Dispensa- [capperi]
I adore foraging. Not a true forager, but I know what is edible growing around my house and that makes me really happy. Have been waiting and waiting and finally on the wall of the abandoned church in the piazza where we park, the capers are ready to be picked. Now that you know what…
Summer Rosso
Today we are celebrating! Our first tomato is ripe. I am celebrating #Summerrosso on FB and Twitter. What most people don’t know is that Italians enjoy green tomatoes. Not hard unripe tomatoes, but as in this photograph, not fully ripened tomatoes. Green tomatoes are used often in salads as they have a nice tang to…