June is an important month for the summer season. The Solstice has always been a day to celebrate, but all over June 24th also has magical potions being created. I have posted the recipe on the traditional Nocino liquore which is made with the green walnuts harvested on June 24th on my site. My friend…
Castagnaccio- Chestnut Love
Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, brisk chilly mornings. Markets full with kale, cabbage and artichokes. Fall brings so much to the Italian table. It was unusually warm for a long time, then it exploded.We finally got fall here in Tuscany. Italy was hit with huge storms and flooding both in the north and the…
Buglione- A Summer Stew
In my husband’s family, Buglione was always on the table in Summer. His father worked at the city’s main fruit and vegetable market in Novoli. There was was always seasonal fresh fruits and vegetables on the table. His mother was a great cook with simple seasonal produce. Summer hasn’t really decided if it is here…
Taste Chianti | Gelateria Dondoli – San Gimignano
I moved out to Certaldo around 2002 and am only 14km from San Gimignano. We don’t tend to go very often as it is such a popular tourist destination. But I know how to time visits and often can arrive at my favorite gelato place and not find a line, which is rare. The man…
Book Review: Eating My Way Through Italy
When I first moved to Italy in 1984, there were a couple of Italian guide books with an emphasis on eating in Italy. Often food is a part of a guide book, but for people like me, often the destination is all about the food. Recently I received a review copy of my friend Elizabeth…
Easter | Torta Pasqualina
Ligurian Easter Savory Tart Buona Pasqua, Happy Easter, Passover and April Fool’s Day! This year it seems like we are always having something to celebrate. Spring came in on March 21 and in Florence we celebrate Tuscan New Year’s on March 25th. This year Easter is early. April fool’s day. I am wondering how…
Seasonal Vegetables: Twice-cooked Cauliflower
At the weekly markets, you can tell the real farmers as they only have what is in season.The stands with bananas and pineapple simply buy their products and resell at the wholesale market, which makes it hard to really know what is in season. Even Italy has access now to out of season produce from…
Fig and Walnut Panforte
I have written about fig and walnut panforte before as a note on my panforte recipe on the blog, but I really think it deserves a page on it’s own. I adore simple recipes and with not much more than the figs and walnuts, this is good anytime of the year but I especially love…