August is a long, slow month in Umbria. Most of the world seems to be somewhere else. Italians flock to the beach and everybody else believes it’s not a good time to be here so it’s very quiet here on our magical mountain. Every evening at sunset we sit on the terrace with a glass… Continue reading cold wild-fennel and cucumber soup
If you ask a food writer who is worth her(his) salt what “authentic” Italian food really is, she will tell you that “authentic” in food does not exists. However, millions of people visit Italy every year not only for its many cultural treasures but to experience the true, original Italian cuisine. So often I have… Continue reading Umbrian-style panzanella salad
It’s 1901 and Luisa Spagnoli – the daughter of a fishmonger – opens with her husband a small confectionery business in the center of Perugia. She will become one of the most eminent business persons in Italy, founder of the Perugina chocolate factory. The women’s fashion clothing brand which has her name still, after almost… Continue reading chocolate hazelnut bacio gelato
This recipe is the gastronomic demonstration of the Aristotelian pronouncement that “there is no great genius without a mixture of madness”. Tuna on veal is pure genius. As crazy as it must sound to some of you, a fish based sauce on beef is a marriage made in heaven, it totally works. In fact, it’s been… Continue reading vitello tonnato: veal in tuna sauce
I fell in love with colored pasta this summer. May be because I have had so many adorable children taking part at our cooking classes. They love surprises. I have had giggling babies who obviously did not cook but seeemed to enjoy every minute of the action. One slept peacefully in a sling on the… Continue reading green ravioli with zucchini, ricotta, lemon-butter and honey
I spent my youth in a huge house overlooking my hometown Perugia. My parents where civil servants and in their free time took care of the large garden, the olive trees and the pets. To be precise, my father took care of breeding the pets and my mother fought against the proliferation of pets. We… Continue reading chicken alla cacciatore a.k.a hunter style “in bianco”
Eggplant. It’s been good to have you through this cruel summer, the hottest and dryest in decades. Sweet, firm, smooth, full of the flavor of Arabian nights. We did a lot of nice things together, hot things. But now it’s over. This is the last time. In a short while you will be spongy, seedy… Continue reading roasted eggplant ricotta dip with fresh zucchini salad
