Following friends on Twitter and Facebook keep me up to date with what’s happening all over the world. Today, much to my amazement is the International Day of Italian Cuisine and they are celebrating by making Pesto- all around the world. Am I the only person thinking that it is an odd choice?Pesto in Winter? …
Charcutepalooza- First project- Duck Prosciutto
What secrets hold a bowl of salt? I have a fascination with home curing of foods. Recently, I wrote about the olives I am making for my husband and now I am doing duck breasts for the Charcutepalooza project. An easy quick meat to cure, but the duck breasts I can buy here are much…
Salt-Cured Fresh Olives
After all the sweets and indulgences over the holidays, I am glad to get back to setting up my savory pantry. When I was at the market last week, I found some fresh black olives to preserve “sotto-sale”. One of the oldest ways of preserving food in the world, salting. One of the benefits of…
Aggiunge un Blogger a Tavola- invite a blogger to your table
Some of my friends are amazed how much time I spend on the computer. I live in the middle of olive orchards and participating in online social networking as been a lot of fun and an educational experience for me. I don’t spend a lot of time reading blogs or participating in “Events” online, but I…
Xmas Countdown- Fear of Xmas
I am so glad that I don’t have a huge christmas, actually my husband and I really don’t get caught up in any of the holiday rushes here in Italy. I now have a Fear of Xmas- and try to keep my head while others around me are losing their’s. It is fabulous to be…
First Snow- First Tuscan Hot Chocolate
The first snow has covered the hills where I live and blocked me in my house. To me. that is a sign it is time to make myself a cup of Tuscan hot chocolate. Those of you that have had cioccolato caldo here know it is really more like a pudding and thick enough to…
Panforte for Xmas
Christmas seems to being back memories of the never ending fruitcakes with green and red candied cherries with a candied pineapple ring on top? In our house, my mom made English Plum pudding which was incredible, it probably had a whole bottle of whiskey poured into it as it aged in our garage. ( I…
Gift of Time- Sugo Toscano
In today’s hectic world, it is overwhelming to me the time people spend working and getting to and from work. I understand how little time is left for cooking and why simple quick food is necessary. I also adore quick and easy, but sometimes we deserve more. Having the time to make a simple Tuscan…