When I started this blog, I decided to call it Chestnuts and Truffles because these are the two major local products here in this corner of Tuscany. In fact the name Marrone di Caprese Michelangelo, (marrone being a cultivated chestnut) is protected in Italy with a DOP status. I could easily have called it Chestnuts […]
Zuppa di marroni al tartufo: Chestnut and truffle soup 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 »
Centuries ago, the Sicilians developed a way of packaging sunshine and transporting it to the colder north of Italy. They created burnished yellow balls, pregnant with the zest of the south and as sharp as the rays of the midday sun. I’m talking, of course, about lemons.
Zuccotto al limone … della Robbia on a plate! Read More »
How a trip to meet my family resulted in tasting a now popular, but then unheard of dish for the first time.
First contact with a classic 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 »
