Any summer visitor to Italy cannot fail to see all the publicity for the annual sagras and festas. They are a fabulous opportunity to join the locals and enjoy typical food of the area very cheaply. When I first moved to our village of Pieve di Compresseto, near Gualdo Tadino, I was a tad …
A Frighteningly Good Halloween Pumpkin Risotto Recipe
Save time and surprise your dinner guests with this pressure cooker main course! Halloween may be a rather low key affair in Italy where I live, but that doesn't mean that there aren't some devilishly delicious local recipes that can easily be adapted for the Fall festivities. No vegetable …
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Orecchiette Pasta with Broccoli, Olives and Anchovies
A delicious and healthy Mediterranean diet recipe! I first discovered orecchiette pasta with broccoli and anchovies whilst on holiday in Apulia (Puglia) several summers ago. This fresh pasta is shaped into "little ears" or "orecchiette" which are perfect for holding tomato sauce, or in the case of …
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Savoury Escarole Pie – Torta rustica di scarola
When I first moved to Italy I was surprised to learn that escarole, the broad-leaved and slightly less-bitter version of the endive salad vegetable, could be cooked. Known as scarola in Italian, this winter salad leaf is the main ingredient of theSavoury Escarole Pie - Pizza di Scarola or Torta …
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Pasta with Black Cabbage and Spicy Tomato Sauce Recipe
A delicious and nutritious vegetarian Italian winter warmer! One of the joys of shopping at the green grocer or vegetable markets rather than supermarkets is that one is so much more aware of which vegetables are in season. Buying fresh, locally grown produce at the right time of year is healthier …
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The Italian Bread Myth
Come on, admit it, British bread is much better than this Italian stuff... I have finally discovered something that I miss about Britain; a nice fresh, soft loaf of Mothers' Pride bread. Processed, probably filled with all kinds of weird modified, life-threatening chemicals, but doesn't it taste …
Food of Italy…Buon Appetito!
The pleasures and love of Italian cuisine are known the world over. Italian cookery and recipes vary from region to region, and on the whole it is very healthy and nutritious, using natural ingredients that are in season. Most traditonal and 'speciality' dishes as we know today, are on the whole …
Italian coffee – something for everyone
Espresso, caffè latte, cappuccino; there would seem to be as many types of Italian coffee as there are pastas. And just like pasta, Italian coffees are an art form accompanied by hundreds of customs and traditions. Whether it's a corretto coffee thrown back like a shot of alcohol, a cappuccino …
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10 Reasons Why the Mediterranean Diet is Good For You
Low in Saturated Fat Physicians and nutritionists the world over all agree that a diet that is high in saturated fat can have very negative consequences on a person’s health and wellbeing. Indeed, a diet that is high in saturated fat can cause a person to suffer heart disease, can lead to cancer …
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Introduction to Italian Wine
Each year, it is not uncommon for Italy to find itself at the top of a number of wine-related lists, not the least of which ranks it as the largest producer, exporter and consumer of wine in the world. This fact is all the more impressive when you consider that Italy is not a very large country - …