As it’s getting closer to the official start of the Christmas season, we’ve decided to write a little something on the various different Christmas traditions in Italy, to complement our growing list of Christmas recipes (Italy doesn’t have one particular ‘Turkey Dinner’ equivalent). While every region, and often different cities within those regions, has its [...]
Spaghetti Carbonara is one of the simplest, tastiest, and most popular pasta dishes in the Italian cooking repertoire. In our house it’s a regular proposition when there’s little time, or scarecely anything in the fridge – which is not to take anything away from this hearty dish. What are the origins of Spaghetti Carbonara Well, [...]
Panettone, alongside Pandoro, is a christmas staple throughout Italy (and in various parts of the world where Italian emigrants settled, in particular Argentina, Brazil and other parts of Latin America). It’s a type of light bread sweatened with candied fruits, raisins, and lemon zest – and in variations chocolate or custard. Where does the name [...]
By law, in Italy, you can only sell ‘novello’ wine from the 4th of November onwards every year – the new wine fresh from the wine harvest is one of the treats of Autumn when it comes on to the market. What is Vino Novello? In simple translation it’s New Wine – appropriate, but [...]
This recipe, Pollo alla diavola,is one that we got from friends in Tuscanny – though the recipe is found, with variations, in various regions in Italy. Ingredients for Chicken alla diavola One chicken one lemon salt pepper olive oil How to prepare Chicken alla diavola Cut open the chicken, removing the breastbone, and flatten out [...]
This is a traditional recipe in a number of places along the Romagnolo coast – in particular around Rimini and Bellaria. It’s one of those dishes that, because it was associated with poverty – both polenta and clams were traditionally the food of the poor – had fallen out of favour, disappearing from many menus. [...]
Barolo is a powerful dry red wine from the Piedmont region of Northern Italy. It has a long and illustrious tradition, taking its name from the small town of Barolo (founded, probably, by the Celtic tribes that inhabited the Italian peninsula from Rimini Northwards, before the Roman expansion). Local statutes, dating back as far as [...]
