As you may have seen from this week’s video, on Saturday I attended the annual white truffle festival in Città di Castello, the area around which is renowned for the quality of its truffles. A facebook friend of mine recently asked me ‘Why are mouldy old lumps scrabbled from the autumn ground the source of […]
All about truffles: white truffle risotto Read More »
In 1439, a council of the Greek and Roman churches was called at Florence. According to legend, during the meeting, the Bishop of Florence proudly served his local communion wine to one of the Greek bishops who proclaimed, ‘What lovely wine! It’s xantho! (yellow)’. The Florentines, mishearing the greek adjective as santo (holy), took this as a
Holy wine!: How Vin Santo is made Read More »
Italians like their recipes and ingredients to have an origin. Knowing where something comes from give a sense of tradition and authority very important in Italian cuisine. Thus salsa amatriciana  comes from the town of Amatrice, parmigiano-reggiano, is named for the twin provinces of Parma and Reggio d’Emilia, and risotto alla Milanese, comes from the city of Venice.
Panina di Subbiano: Saffron and sultana bread Read More »
At 43 degrees north, 650 meters above sea-level, and almost perfectly halfway between the two Italian coasts, Caprese Michelangelo enjoys four, very distinct seasons. So, after one of the hottest summers on record, we are now halfway through autumn and preparing for, perhaps, two weeks of forced hibernation, when the snows come in January.
Winter warmer 1: Tuscan sausage, brussels sprouts, and walnuts Read More »
In the 1970s and 80s my parents seldom went to a restaurant alone, but usually took my brother and me along. For an Italian family, there was nothing unusual in this, but we were an Italian family living in England, so I will always feel lucky for the way that my parents included us. In
Crostate di mele … why apples are no longer forbidden fruit Read More »
Although I live in Tuscany, I was born far to the north in the city of Venice. I am very proud of this fact, and that for most of my life I have been greeted with admiring and impressed faces when I answer the question ‘Where in Italy are you from?’ According to tradition, the
Risi e bisi … a dish fit for a doge Read More »
