Traditions

“Salute!” — the clink-clink of glasses resounds like church bells throughout Italy as the late afternoon begins to dissolve towards evening. It’s aperitivo time – that glorious hour or two (or three) when the busy-ness of the day is set …

Salted cod, known as ‘baccalà’ in Italian, is a fish that has enjoyed extreme popularity in much of the Mediterranean. You would think such a staple food was available locally, but actually cod has never been seen to swim those …

Photography is an incredible versatile form of visual expression, yet there are instances when only painters, with their brushes, charcoals and colors, can truly capture the essence of a place or the soul of a person. There is something so …

Any trip to Southern Italy is never complete without browsing through dozens of ceramic stores from the Amalfi coast, to Puglia and throughout the islands. There is a saturation of maiolica artist studios, each with their own decorations and interpretations …

While I write, I’m sitting in my own house in the hills of the Langhe, a good feet of snow outside. It’s that time of the year when the scent of mandarins’ peels burned on the stove fills homes all …

Did you know the United Nations considers pizza Napoletana a cultural heritage? In December 2017, the Art of the Neapolitan Pizzaiuolo, lovingly transmitted from generation to generation, has been selected by the United Nations, UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and …

When I was a child, Carnevale was the occasion to don some improbable outfit, usually involving satin gowns and glitter or, depending on the mood of the year, a musketeer hat and a plastic sword. Possibly already nodding to what …

We hear Tuscany and, of course, we think Florence, Siena, the leaning tower of Pisa,  Lucca’s medieval walls. If idyllic settings and wine are your thing, then it’s all about the region of Chianti, and the towns of Montepulciano or …

Even in the time of the Ancient Greeks, Calabria’s s soil and climate had already proved ideal for growing long, thick and sweet licorice roots. Skilled expertise and then an industry grew up around licorice in Rossano, a beautiful hill …

This is the story of a dish whose origin is rooted in people’s own heritage and centennial tradition. It is the story of a dish that was born to be rare and precious, because prepared only and exclusively to honor …