It’s somehow always the one thing you can’t have that you desperately want. I remember longing daily for steamy, buttery mashed potatoes while on safari in Africa. I would imagine my daily cornmeal mush was actually potatoes (and I like cornmeal mush). Then there was the time I spent a weekend on a rice boat…
What all Italians want you to know
So let’s just say that there is one common mistake made internationally when preparing Italian food. It is the most complained of mistake amongst Italians; an unforgivable faux pas. It is also easily rectifiable. This advice does not come lightly as I do always think that whenever a generalisation is made about Italian food, such as there…
Casatiello: an iconic centuries-old recipe for Easter bread
I remember my first Easter in Italy. A group of friends had planned to go to Naples to see the museums and eat at the famous pizzerias. Afterwards we would explore the islands and the Amalfi coast. Upon arriving in Naples, we went into a bakery looking for picnic fodder and on the counter sat…
The perfect spring dish: lamb and artichoke stew
Spring is here and with it appear bouquets of tightly closed artichokes. While cleaning artichokes may seem a painstaking process for some, I love the feel of their rubbery petals and the squeaking sound they make as you snap them off. My children love it too and we make short work of what might otherwise…
Agnello di sfoglia: just when you thought mille-feuille could not get better
Easter is upon us and chocolate eggs and bunnies are popping up everywhere. Less represented in the Easter array is the spring lamb. The ubiquitous Colomba (a fluffy dove-shaped Easter cake flavoured with candied citron zest) may be the most popular Italian Easter cake. However, there is another Easter cake which shares the same origin…
Apple tart: caramelised apples with vanilla custard baked in a crisp shell
I was window shopping at one of my favourite pastry shops in Torino, Perino Vesco. In the window, I spied a tart with caramelised apples melting into a creamy vanilla custard cradled by crisp pastry. About the same time, a reader was asking me about fruit and custard tarts. By happy coincidence, when I got…
Montebianco: the most delicious cure for ski nostalgia
We are nearing the end of ski season but the memory of Monte Bianco (Mont Blanc) lives on in an edible form. This dessert was created in honour of the majestic Monte Bianco, visible even from long distances away in Italy and France. The ingredients make the most of local ingredients- their luscious cream from Alpine…
Pizzocheri: the buckwheat pasta gem from Valtellina
We are finally nearing the end of winter. The bird have returned, the sun is shining and the crocuses have sprung from the soil. Ski season is still here though and with that the bounty of the mountains in the winter….cheese, glorious cheese. In my mind, skiing is intertwined with melted cheese. Whether this is…
Bunèt: Piedmontese chocolate amaretti creme caramel
Piemonte is one of my favourite dessert destinations. Not only are they famous for their chocolate making skills but they have a mouthwatering range of desserts using local hazelnuts, almonds, eggs, cream and milk. These range from from peaches stuffed with amaretti, panna cotta, gianduia (a hazelnut chocolate spread), hazelnut cakes and biscuits, nougat, brut…
Lasagne di carnevale: It’s carnival time
I love how many Italian holidays seems to feature a lasagne somewhere in Italy. This lasagne from Naples is made during carnival. It is a rich dish comprised of layered meatballs, Neapolitan meat sauce (prepared for the quintessential Sunday family meal), sausages, ricotta, Parmigiano-Reggiano, mozzarella, hard-boiled eggs (optional) and pasta sheets; the perfect dish for…
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