La Buona Tavola

Every time I make meatloaf I have to think of my friend, AnnMarie. A sophisticated American-Italian journalist from New York, she told me that her mum would serve meatloaf only to close family. Apparently, she did not consider it presentable …

If you consider Italy’s ancient culinary tradition, it’s quite astonishing that the recipe for tiramisù is not 500 years old. I actually remember my first tiramisù, when it became popular in the early 1980s. Classic coffee tiramisù had just been …

I only ever cook sweet peppers in the summer when they are in season. They are thick fleshed, sweet, and flavorful, in contrast to their sad winter counterparts. In Italy, as the weather turns cold in the fall, they become …

I like to think that pasta is in the Italian genes – we consider it the mother of all foods. Pasta is a prominent memory in many moments of our lives. That tiny star-shaped pasta in your baby soup. Using …

Don’t ask an Umbrian to be on a diet after the holidays. We rural folks don’t do diets, especially if they don’t include pork and a glass of red wine. And besides, the Umbrian winter is too boring for salads. …

Towards the end of October, chestnuts finally make their irresistible appearance on our markets in Umbria. This humble fruit has been a staple of the Mediterranean diet for millennia. Near Mount Etna in Sicily, there is a chestnut tree which …

This is a healthy, warming, and attractive-looking soup. I often prepare these types of soups when I am in need of a light and but comforting meal full of color and aroma. This soup is also perfect as a healthy …

Fall is magnificent in Umbria. Wisps of morning mist envelope the fields like a veil. Later in the day, the sun is mellow, the light is golden, the leaves on the trees a rainbow of orange and reds. This is …

Umbrian stringozzi, also named strangozzi, umbricelli, or ciriole are rustic noodles similar to Tuscan pici, but thinner. They are suitable for pasta sauces that pair well with spaghetti, for example norcina, carbonara or cacio e pepe. Stringozzi are delicate and …

If you had to define Italian cuisine with one, single adjective, what would you chose? Personally, I’d go for “simple.” Simplicity is key in many of our most famous recipes, just as attention to using quality ingredients is. But I …