Happy New Year? I think we all love to celebrate and as an expat, I discovered new holidays to celebrate in Italy. We all have December31/January 1st as New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. My mom was raised in Shanghai, we although we are not Chinese, Chinese New Year’s was always big in our…
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…
Certaldo Alto- My Hood
I am a real city girl or so I thought. After 20 years of living in downtown Florence, the noise and air pollution got to me and we moved out to the countryside. We actually bought a tiny 1/2 of a country house to restore. Did I tell you I am NOT FRANCES MAYES? The restoration…
Sweet Home- Toscana
Flying to California a month ago, I had an epiphany. I am the matriarch of my family AND I have no HOME in California. Thirty-two years ago, I bought a one way ticket to France. Little did I know that Italy would become my home. This trip back to California was hard. I was going…
Taste Chianti- New APP
2016 has started off with a bang. Doors closing but new doors opening. I closed my teaching space to concentrate on my weeklong programs and offer “Divine Day Trips” Custom tours of the market, day trips into Chianti or lessons at your villa. I spent the past winter recreating my app, which Sutro had…
Pizza- Santarpia-That’s Amore – Florence
Florence is so lucky, master pizzaiolo, Giovanni Santarpia just opened tonight in Florence, located behind the Sant’Ambrogio market. I am not a huge pizza fan, as I find most places rush the process and make a heavy dough but Giovanni has made me a pizza lover! Giovanni’s dough is made with love. He carefully selects…
Food Rules: Cafe Life
In a recent article, it was announced that Starbucks is opening in Milano in January,in the land of cappuccino,espresso and caffe’ macchiato. WHAT? Isnt’t that really bringing coals to Newcastle? I am on FB a lot, and it was brought to my attention that Italy inspired the creation of Starbucks. On a visit to Italy,…
New Beginnings
There is nothing more that I love more than new beginnings. This year I decided to close my teaching space in Colle Val D’Elsa, after 5 years. I had a 5 year plan, which was to have a space like my via Taddea space in Florence, but in Chianti. Been there, done that. In the…