Pumpkins are so fall! Not only do you have left-overs from halloween,but the hills are also covered in various shades of gold, rust and green which are all pumpkin inspired. I adore pumpkin in soup, risotto and gnocchi. Try pumpkin gnocchi served with traditional balsamic vinegar and shaved parmesan cheese! The lovely elixir like qualities…
Florence – Wine Bars- Casa del Vino
wines by the glass- price on bottle One of my regular places for a light lunch or snack is Gianni Migliorini’s Casa del Vino. Located behind the open air market onVia dell’Ariento. It is a place where, if you can get it,you eat and drink elbow to elbow with the locals and if you…
Simple Sicilian Pleasures
“I love you princess” If parmesan cheese is the “King of Cheeses” Fresh ricotta, candid and white is the Princess! Ricotta Re-cooked Nothing is more splendid than eating fresh ricotta on it’s own. Savory or sweet. Sheep are everywhere and sheeps milk ricotta will win you over right away. It is served at almost every…
EAT DRINK SHOP- Prato
Living in Florence often feels like living in Disneyland without free bathrooms! I actually LIVED downtown Florence for 24 years, just moving full time to my place in the countryside this May. Living in Florence often feels like living in Disneyland, with over 500,000 tourists a day coming into town, often really running through. Been…
Torino- Mon Amor- Part One
The Grande Madre church, on the river. Full of mystery- Is that the Holy Grail in her hand? Torino is a city of mystery and magic. Everytime I visit Torino I fall more and more in love. It is a city like San Francisco to me, great downtown, fabulous food and wine, great bar-caffe life,…
Pesto lasagna- to die for!
Todays food memory- Pesto Lasagna, San Fruttuoso near Camogli , Liguria Staying home for summer vacation is a real vacation for me. Time at the computer and watching the Olympics in my pj’s. Eating watermelon, plums, cantalope and grapes.Gorging on fruit; the flavors of the seasons. Thinking of past vacations and memorable meals. On a trip…
Nocino- Nocillo
A local liquor, made both in Tuscany, Emilia Romagna and in Campagna with unripe walnuts, picked on June 24th,St John the Baptist’s day. He is the patron Saint of Florence and during the old pagan calender June 24th was the summer soltice! The walnuts are picked before they form the shell on the inside so…
Signs of Summer
BorgoVino Borgo San Lorenzo and here are two of the new kids at our house ( 2 of the 9 kittens!)