Am finally sleeping all the way through the night and have started classes again. Friday we did a market class which got me back to my kitchen habits. Being inspired by what is in season is one of the most exciting ways to cook. I like to teach cooking techniques, not so much recipes, as…
How can you miss me if I don’t go away?
ready for the grape harvest My summer was not a happy one, I spent most of August in California with my brother and sister, closing down my mom’s house. We had the burial while I was home, sold everything at an estate sale.It drained me emotionally and physically. I came home empty inside. While I…
Pie for Mikey
Why is it that bad things come in bunches? Most of the time blogging is about food and fun and friends and enjoying life, but then reality sticks in it’s ugly head. News travels fast and sometimes it is just a couple of words on twitter that set off the antenna that all is not right…
Grazie Mille- Kitchen Blessings
Thanks so much for all your feedback on my last post. When writing, I often feel like no one is reading, since there are not many comments on the blog.I do see I have a great list of followers. Mille Grazie to you all for letting me know I am not just talking to myself…
PIgging Out Tuscan Style- Porchetta
For my 500th post I decided to dedicate it to pigging out. Pork is so popular in Tuscany and most of my clients adore visiting and tasting at the markets and butcher shops. I thought I would let the rest of you come on my virtual tour. I am very lucky to be able to…
Summer’s Pleasures- Caffe Shakerato
Shake – shake – shake Love the sound of cocktail shakers and in summer I give my local barista’s a workout. Italians are not big into ice, but one specialty of summer I adore is the Italian iced coffee called shakerato, “shaken”. They take a hot shot of expresso and pour it over a shaker…
Sharing My Tuscany
What I love about teaching is the surprise element. Since we shop together to plan the recipes for our one day classes- it is always a surprise to me what we will cook. Often it is a clients dream to make fresh pasta or gnocchi or perhaps learning to recreate something they ate and loved. the…
Home is Where Your Mouth Is
As I prepare to go back to the states to deal with my mom’s estate, somehow flavors I miss while in Italy come to mind. Everyone asks what do I want to eat when I come “home”. ( Since I moved to Italy in 1984, almost half my life has been spent here- I think…