The change of seasons continually amazes me. Summer brings periods of heat so intense, I cannot recall from a few short months before what it felt like to be cold. The joy of spying the newest of seasonal produce hitting the markets just as the weather changes can sometimes overshadow the continued enjoyment of what…
Autumn is here! Wild mushrooms on toast to celebrate
Autumn is here and new varieties of apples and pears are popping up daily at the local fruit vendors. Crates full of gleaming red and green apples and pears in all shapes and sizes are too good to resist in the peak of their season. While apples are available year-round, they are picked now and…
Pollo e patate (chicken and chips): a dish everyone will want to come home to
There is this unconvincing expectation that when the children start school, free time will be in abundance. In contrast, I find September to be the most exhausting month as everyone adjusts to going to school, doing homework and the commitment to be on time, well turned out with prepared items in hand. Then there are…
Sicilian swordfish
If you are noticing a big game fish theme these past few weeks, it’s partially because we are coming towards the end of swordfish season. Swordfish are a majestic species of fish which play an important role in the cuisines of Sicily and Calabria where they are historically fished. It is highly prized for its…
A great seaside take on the traditional spaghetti carbonara
Tuesday was the pinnacle of the Italian summer holidays. The word “ferragosto” is synonymous in most Italians’ minds with the seaside. For my friends who work at the seaside, ferragosto is the equivalent of Wednesday in most people’s work week. They know that after ferragosto, the season will start to end as the holiday makers…
Seared tuna with sweet and sour Tropea onions
The month of August brings in a festival in celebration of the Tropea onion which takes place in Ricadi, Calabria. The red Tropea onion was introduced to Calabria by the Phoenicians some 4,000 years ago and has always been famous for it’s sweet flavour and crunchy texture. In addition to its culinary values, the Tropea…
Picnic season food: pasta frittata
Young children and summer holidays involve some degree of planning to keep it stress-free. I don’t know about you but summer holidays for me go something like this: kids get up, eat breakfast, slowly pull on their clothes and then are bouncing off the walls, desperate to get out of the house. I inevitably make…
Ravioli filled with burrata in cherry tomato and basil sauce
One of the greatest combinations of ingredients ever is tomato with mozzarella and basil. To think this trio was not possible until the new world was discovered (along with potatoes, corn, chillies and aubergine/eggplant to name a few more) gives a different view of what food on the Italian peninsula must have been like. Happily…
Pork, fennel and bread skewers
No smell is more synonymous with summer than smoke coming from the barbecue. Mouthwatering meat blackened by lapping flames springs to mind at the first whiff of smoke on a sunny day. Never a more primordial desire existed since the invention of fire. One of the most ingenious uses I have seen of day-old bread…
In France but still tasting Italy
Despite being in the south of France this week, I keep finding myself ordering French variations on my favourite Italian dishes: crudités à l’anchoïade is similar to bagna cauda, beignets de fleurs de courgettes are fiori di zucca (battered and deep-fried courgette blossoms), pissaladière is similar to sardenaira, nicoise salad is similar to condiggiun from Liguria and…
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