I adore cooking and shopping but not the cleaning up. Luckily my husband Andrea, does that part for me. We function as a team. When the heat arrives in summer, less time spent in our tiny kitchen the better. The King of Summer in our house is the Pomodoro. We love the variety. Italians have…
Water Salad from Puglia- Acqua Sale
It’s been so hot this month that cooking has been a real sacrifice. I try to wait until it cools down enough and to find recipes that are quick and easy or something I can stick in the oven or stove top and walk away. Since losing all work when Covid broke out, I was…
Summer Peach Clafouti/Frangipane Mashup
Summer markets bring us the best of the season. Right now I just can’t get enough of fresh fruits. Starting with the cherries in June. Right now we have several kinds of peaches, plums and apricots. Most of the time, we end a meal with a simple piece of fresh fruit. At home, it’s not…
Finally Sunshine!
The constant rain was a little too much. It did turn the hills a beautiful green. The seasons are changing now in the markets and just in time. Now red is coming into season! My favorite time of year, both food and drinks! We see the poppies in the wheat fields in the hills as…
Summer Dining -My Pork Bruschetta
August came in with a BAM! We have been so lucky to not have had killer heat until now. But summer also brings beautiful fields like this near my home in Certaldo. Sunflowers always bring a smile to my face and we can’t help but jump out for silly foto-ops. In Summer in Italy it…
Culinary Inspirations- Always Learning
My cooking in Tuscany is seasonal. Dishes that bring me great joy when they come back into season. The anticipation of a fresh peach or tomato. Often, it is also repetitive cooking regionally. Not being Italian, I don’t feel the obligation to always cook Tuscan, nor Italian. Summer is when I really like to travel…
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…
Macedonia- Italian Fruit Salad
This was one of the great dessert recipes I taught for the college students I taught while they were on their study abroad programs. We made a mixed fruit bowl, but it started as a simple way to finish a meal. Cut a piece of fruit into your wine glass and add a spoon or…