Many people flock to Sardegna for the perfect blue skies and spectacular coastline, opting for seafood in the Mediterranean heat but I think this is a mistake. They are overlooking the tradition of this pastoral island and the unique culture of the Sardinians. We stayed at a farm hotel (agriturismo) near Alghero called Sa Mandra,…
Happiest sheep in the world?
Sardegna may be home to some of the happiest sheep in the world, thoughtfully grazing overlooking some of the most spectacular coastline in the world. This is reflected in the cheese. The morning we went to the farm of Sa Mandra in Alghero, they were churning the ewe’s milk to make ricotta. First they put…
The idyllic family holiday destination
We took the boys and my father on a tour of northern Sardegna and found it to be, like many places in Italy, extremely family friendly. The location was potentially even more appealing to us because living in a large metropolis like Hong Kong, we were sensory deprived. Our ears were full of the sounds…
Sardinian winery visit: Tenute Soletta
Wine as an industry in Sardegna is relatively new and dates back less than 30 years. Previous to this there was no science behind what was served with meals, whatever grew on the land was made into wine. Today a whole generation of winemakers have emerged using soil analysis and modern techniques to create export…
Scotland’s more exotic cousin?
Before coming to Sardegna, I had always heard of the pastoral heritage of the island influencing the meat-laden cuisine, leading to a vision of a tropical Scotland in my mind. I had not expected the raw beauty of the arid vegetation, called the macchia mediterranea, contrasted against some of the most striking coastline in the…
Follow these 19 rules to bake cakes like a pro
Ingredients: Temperature: The ingredients must be at the proper temperature indicated in the recipe. Cold eggs can cause the batter to separate (to warm cold eggs, place them in warm water for 10 minutes). Cold butter will not combine well (to warm butter, place the butter between two sheets of parchment paper and roll with…
Food for thought: How to make more hours in the day
Do you feel like you are always on the back foot, trying to catch up with life? Are you letting things slip, like forgetting to pay a bill, buy a key ingredient for dinner or give your son the materials he needs for his school project? Do you feel like your family is never eating…
Follow these 14 rules to bake bread like a pro
Why is bread from a bakery so much better than bread baked at home? Ever used a recipe to bake bread only to find that it looked nothing like the picture? Imagine if you could bake bread using flour, water, salt and yeast and come out with consistently great bread, no matter what season….
How to make perfectly moist cakes every time without an oven
A friend told me that she was baking cakes in her rice cooker because she didn’t have an oven. It is relatively common in Asia to not have an oven and I thought this a poor substitute. I imagined the cakes to turn out burnt and hard on the bottom and undercooked and still liquid…
How much do you know about Easter?
Tradition Easter is a traditional religious holiday to celebrate the day that Christ rose from the grave after the crucifixion. During the Easter week there are religious processions throughout Italy, often with participants wearing traditional dress and carrying palm fronds or olive branches (a reference to the palm branches a symbol of goodness and victory…
