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
As you probably know Italians have a long tradition of eating vegan food. You didn’t know it? Well, think about it: spaghetti with aglio, olio and peperoncino is vegan. Minestrone is also vegan. Eating fruit at the end of a meal instead of a dessert is the norm here. And, in addition we have a variety… Continue reading garbanzo bean farinata with caramelized onions and rosemary
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
In my life there are happy peppers and sad peppers. At a first sight they look quite the same, but they are false brothers. The sad peppers are those found in the supermarket shelves in the winter, slightly fibrous glasshouse monsters devoid of any flavor and scent. I use them sometime, just out of boredom… Continue reading roasted sweet pepper rolls in tomato sauce
Do you already make spinach pie? If you don’t, you must hurry as this is the simplest one-dish dinner you can make besides a plate of pasta. I learned the original Serbian recipe from my artist friend Natasa Karanovic when we were living the bohemian life in the country of windmills and houseboats. Ah, the… Continue reading hot-water pastry spinach pie
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
After having been involved with teaching and thinking about food for over than 10 years, I am completely convinced that the art of Italian cooking is to extract flavor from food rather than adding flavor through elaboration. This is the ultimate discovery of modern Italian cuisine. Not the foams, not the rare ingredients, not the… Continue reading roasted rosemary mushroom parcels
