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Jan 5

11 Comments

What did you eat for Fish-Mas?

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Happy New Year to all of you!!

Nahhhh!!!

Now, rewind to December 24th,  2013 – Christmas Eve dinner, the so called “La cena della vigilia”.

I am still thinking about what I ate for dinner on that day. Why? Because on Xmas Eve Italians eat seafood ( and I go nuts for “i frutti di mare”). Not only they prepare delicious dishes, but they alternate their Holidays menus. Think about it: we are all stuffed and tired of eating meat based delicacies throughout our celebrations. Italians play it smart, they indulge on spaghetti alle vongole, or a great boiled sea bass, together with other frutti di mare scrumptious treats. However, on Christmas day – like most of us – they eat meat.

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Oct 15

22 Comments

God Bless the Dolomites

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There are times when you have the opportunity to see a place that is so breath-taking that anything you can write about will fall short to describe its beauty; and there are times when words won’t come out easily in writing. Combine these two things, and Houston (or may I say Bolzano??) we have a problem.

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Jul 26

13 Comments

Longing for Marzapane

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Have you ever thought: what am I going to eat for dinner tomorrow? –or- what will I be eating for lunch next Saturday? breakfast next Sunday? What will I order from the menu of a restaurant next time I go there?  Isn’t it bizarre how our love for food makes us think about our upcoming meals over time?

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Jul 9

7 Comments

Gluttony or Sloth?

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I  am a sinner. Everyone sins. All of us human beings were born sinners. In fact, in Christian moral tradition seven sins are said to be deadly:  wrath, greed, sloth, pride, lust, envy, and gluttony.

Out of these seven sins, I usually have a conflict between two of them – sloth (which refers to laziness) and gluttony, which  Pope Gregory I defined as: “seeking delicacies and better quality of food to gratify the vile sense of taste.” 

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Jun 27

11 Comments

Shredded veal salad with radishes, tomatoes, spinach and yogurt-mustard dressing

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I have a confession to make: there are some ingredients I just don’t know how to cook. This is was the case of – radishes. I used to eat radishes in salads, and sometimes as crudités pairing dips, but I never really understood its usage in the kitchen – or even how to make the most of it.

While scrolling down tweets from Food52 – a truly amazing food site- I discovered a simple, delicious recipe with grilled chicken, radishes pickles and greens from Caroline Wright, who creates recipes for Food52.

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Jun 10

28 Comments

Simply Gelato

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At some point in your life you have probably met that girl who just can’t shut up about herself: how cool she is, how she only wears designer clothing, how she knows the right people, how clever she is and – of course – how rich she is. Chances are you have also met that guy –  a colleague-who just can’t shut up about himself: who brags rights about a project he’s done – all by himself –, who boasts about staying later at work than his other colleagues, and who has the right business connections. The truth is that most probably their claims are far from reality…blah blah blah… Sounds familiar?

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Jun 1

20 Comments

A year of Joy…Ambrosina

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The picture above was taken during a sunny Spring day at Trevignano, a village surrounding Lake Bracciano. Since it was unexpectedly windy,  I took off my scarf and wrapped it around my baby girl’s neck – to protect her  (unfortunately, I could not protect her hair!!!).

It’s been a year since Ambrosina was born. There are no words to describe what it feels like to be a mother and all the joy our little baby has brought us.

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May 25

16 Comments

Give me whatever crap: Spaghetti alla Puttanesca

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Even though it’s not tomato season yet in Italy, the other day I was craving for a tomato- based pasta. To be more precise, I was searching for the recipe of Spaghetti alla Puttanesca.

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May 19

20 Comments

Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena, strawberries and cream gelato

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I don’t know about you, but when Spring arrives, I become lazy (well ..let’s put it this way…I am lazy but I become even lazier!). And yet, I am still that food snob (not foodie please!) who’s willing to travel all the way down from Rome to Modena to get the real deal: Balsamic Vinegar of Modena Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena -TBVM-, the right name for this luscious, fascinating potion.

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Mar 4

112 Comments

How to make Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe like a Roman

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It took me years to make a decent Cacio e Pepe, one of Rome’s traditional pasta dishes (the others are Carbonara, Matriciana, and Gricia).

Since Cacio e Pepe has only three main ingredients -Pecorino Romano cheese, black pepper and pasta-, it might seem an easy recipe to make – but it isn’t.

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