Although on a misty end-of-winter day like today you wouldn’t know it, La Madera is on the slopes of a mountain called Alpe Faggeta. A respectable height of 1,510 metres (4,954 feet) makes it taller than Ben Nevis, the highest peak in the United Kingdom. This appenine hill, however, would be dwarfed by the […]
Monte Bianco: recipe Read More »
In Renaissance Venice, the period from 26 December until Ash Wednesday was one of chaos. The city was full of parties, festivals, but also of general misrule and often violence—tolerated by the authorities as a way for society to let off steam and a way to ensure good order for the rest of the year.
Fritole venessiane: Venetian carnival fritters (recipe) Read More »
0, 00, 1, or 2? Italian flour can be confusing. Put it all straight with this quick guide. Once, I thought I knew flour: plain, self-raising, strong, wholemeal—each with their own uses, each with their own consistencies. And then I moved abroad. It was while shopping in Switzerland that I first noticed alarming range
A quick guide to Italian flour 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 »
