Crostata ai fichi: An Italian friend once told me there are certain things you just don’t buy. One of them is tomatoes and another is figs. No matter where in Italy you live, some friend or neighbour will be growing them in their garden, and at this time of year people happily swap, or give […]
Crostata ai fichi: Fig tart Read More »
One of the things I miss most from my travels in the USA is the gourmet burger. And they are quite difficult to knock up at home. Here in mainland Europe, it’s impossible to find good burger buns. The ones sold in the shops here are weird, dry, flaky things that fall to pieces the
Burger Toscana: Tuscany Burger (recipe) Read More »
If you go into any restaurant in Tuscany and look on the menu, under antipasto you’ll find crostini. Rather akin to bruschetta,crostini are slices of Tuscan bread, lightly toasted, and then loaded up with a wide variety of toppings of which chopped tomatoes with basil is only the beginning. The usual suspects are, fresh tomatoes or tomato paste,
Crostini: Five of the best (recipe) Read More »
Last week was the fifth anniversary of my friend Steph’s wine shop, Ottimi Vini. It’s an excellent achievement bearing in mind the economic situation in the last five years and the challenges of being an English girl, in Italy, selling Italian wine. However, through hard work, determination, and an encyclopedic knowledge of wine, she’s made
Buon compleanno! Happy Birthday! Read More »
After a while in Tuscany, you do get used to pane sciocco. However, sometimes you just want a nice piece of soft salted bread to eat on its own, or to make a sandwich out of. Luckily, there are many excellent traditional breads from the rest of Italy. The other day I was putting
Focaccia ai pomodori secchi (recipe) Read More »
Five-hundred and fifty odd years since the first Renaissance, Italy is in the grip of another. This time, the rebirth is in the wine industry where, particularly here in Tuscany, producers are rediscovering old grapes and old techniques to produce some truly amazing bottles. Couple this movement with a younger generation of passionate and
Stefano Amerighi: Tuscan Vigneron Read More »
