It really takes very little to be happy, sometimes just a bowl of hot broth and some pasta. Usually I make the Bollito Misto dinner for xmas, as it is simple to prepare and provides us with several meals. There are also other dishes I make in winter for Andrea that take a long time…
New Tricks- Farina Arsa
On my recent trip down to Puglia to meet with Antonello and Laura from Southern Visions Travel, to talk about my Guest chef week in June next year, the first thing I wanted to taste and or see, was farina arsa.Burnt wheat flour is a product of the cucina povera in Puglia. Burn wheat kernals…
Fall Favorites- Kale Bruschetta
Right now life is a little hectic. When I stop working, I have to catch up on work, if you know what I mean. End of the year paperwork, things I have let slip by. And when that happens, cooking time in the kitchen also gets cut down to quick recipes or really long slow…
Discovering Puglia- Again
Each trip I make down to Puglia, makes me want more. The Trulli, small cone-shaped homes looking like something from J.R. Tolkien. Ancient olive trees with hollows in their huge trunks. One almost expects to see hobbits or trolls. one of the many abandoned Trulli homes no, I am not thinking ” a little fixer-upper”….
Divina Cucina on the Road- Puglia
Probably one of my favorite parts of my job is doing research. I adore creating custom programs for people based on my travels. I have been down to Puglia over the years and have been dying to bring students with me to share my love for this incredible land. We came down to visit our…
Gifts of the Season- Melograno
I have always been fascinated by pomegrantes ,melograno in Italian. When in season, the trees look as if they have been decorated for an early Christmas, hanging on the thin branches like decorations along with the persimmon trees.Pomegranates seeds,arils, which glisten and look like tiny rubies, are one of my favorite ingredients in winter salads. Cut open…
Cucina Povera- Pamela Sheldon Johns
I was lucky to receive a review copy of Pamela’s new book, Cucina Povera, Tuscan Peasant Cooking. Pamela has a true passion for Italy and this book, her 16th I believe, is a tribute to the people that have taught us so much. The book is a pleasure to read. I kept it near my…
Cioccolosa!
When the chill of winter first blows into town, any good Italian knows it is time for a Cioccolato Caldo. If you have never experienced a Italian hot chocolate, you are in for a surprise. It is not that thin water thing we drink in the USA with marshmallows, but rather like drinking pudding. I…