Your Inner European is Italian! Passionate and colorful. You show the world what culture really is. Who’s Your Inner European?
Caro Diario….A Kind of Hush
In one of my favorite Italian movies by Nanni Moretti, Caro Diario ( Dear Diary) he is driving around Rome on his old Vespa in August…an empty Rome. It is rare to have silence in a big city, but I think the quietest day in Florence is the Sunday after Ferragosto. EVERYONE is gone.No cars,no…
Continuing the Feasting
Ferragosto means food! Everyone is out, picnicing or having a lunch celebrating summer and either the beginning or ending of vacation with friends! We joined our friends at a local trattoria which is hidden off the main road. Talk about hidden treasures! I had eaten ages ago at La Fattoria at the Tavernelle off-ramp, right…
Ferragosto.. It’s a Party!
For Italians, Ferragosto celebrated August 15th, is a sacred holiday.In Catholic countries, it is the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and many large celebrations are held around this holiday, including the Palio in Siena. But as is true for most religious holidays, they are based on Pagan celebrations! We celebrated with the famed butcher…
Pure Summer
Nothing says summer like vine-ripened tomatoes, and there is no better way to enjoy them than right off the plant and onto toasted Tuscan bread. Most people think of bruschetta pronounced (brusKetta) as the chopped tomatoes marinated with basil and oil on bread which has been toasted and rubbed with raw garlic. Here is Florence…
Bonsai Olive with Cat
bonsaicat,jpgOriginally uploaded by divinacucina. Two years ago for my birthday, my friend Gianna and Stefano who have a hot air ballon company in Tuscany gave me a bonsai olive tree. Not much happened, but this year, I will have a olive harvest!I almost died with the amount of olive pollen that was produced this year,…
My olive
olivefruit Originally uploaded by divinacucina. My first Bonsai Olive….which will be a full sized olive, although the tree is bonsai. I will check to see how his progress is going compared to the olives in the orchard near by.
Wine with Friends
100_4438 Originally uploaded by divinacucina. Life is too short to drink bad wine! Last week when we stopped by the Casa del Vino to buy wine for class,my friend Giacomo was there and introduced us to Baron Marco Ricasoli Firidolfi, his family created CHIANTI.. who better to advise us! Needless to say we drank well…