La Buona Tavola

Le Marche—the region of Italy on the Adriatic Coast east of Umbria—remains largely unknown to most Americans. Europeans and South Americans know about it and vacation there, but since a relatively small number of the millions of Italian immigrants that …

Italia Slow Tour in the plane of Castelluccio! We meet some people who are harvesting the lentils. The lentil of Castelluccio is a PGI product and is famous as a curative product, high in iron and protein. Harvesting and separating …

This is a very special recipe for me. In 1993, I visited my relatives near Senigallia, Italy for the first time. Lena, my dad’s cousin Fulvio Becci’s wife, prepared this dish for me. I loved it then, but had never …

Potacchio refers to a traditional style of cooking originating from Le Marche, which involves tomato, garlic, white wine and rosemary.  Variations in the region include the additions of onions and in some cases, potatoes and can be used to prepare …

Marche is an underrated region of Italy; not as famous as Tuscany or Umbria, but just as beautiful, historic, and fascinating as anyplace in this beautiful, historic and fascinating country. Comprised of four very different provinces, Marche includes forested, mountainous …

The Marche region of Italy is blessed with 180 km of fertile coastline, so the seafood available is deeply ingrained into Marche’s food culture. In a small marchigiano cookbook I purchased during our last trip to Italy, there are 10 …

When I set out to sell a publisher on the idea of writing a book about Umbrian cooking some years ago, I was asked to sum up the cuisine in a short paragraph. Having just returned from one of my …

The Bitto is Valtellina’s most renowned and important cheese, an incredible local speciality that is produced only here, high up on the mountains in the pastures. Producing this cheese requires skill, expertise, sacrifice and incredible hard work! Let’s go learning …

One look at my mom’s old meat grinder and my eyes instantly well with tears. Never fail. How can that old beast resign me to a puddle of tears with a simple glance?  Maybe I can blame it on the …

Finally home from an unforgettable six weeks in Scapezzano—the small town in the Marche region of Italy where my grandfather grew up before immigrating to America in 1911. The descendants of the brother he left behind still live not only …