La Buona Tavola

Ingredients   2 Sticks Butter (room temperature), 2/3 Cup Granulated Sugar, 1/2 Tsp Almond Extract, Zest of 1 lemon, 3oz Almonds, 2 Cups All Purpose Flour, 1 Cup Raspberry Preserves   For the Lemon Glaze: 1 Cup Confectioners Sugar, 2-3 …

Pasquetta, “Little Easter,” Easter Monday, is as much a holiday for Italians as Easter itself. If its liturgical significance is to commemorate the women who gathered at Christ’s tomb only to find it vacated, it has become a national picnic …

Springtime is well underway here in Los Angeles! Flowers are fully in bloom mode; the few trees that lose their leaves are leafing out (most poor deciduous trees have difficulty knowing when to lose their leaves and then leaf out …

I was utterly charmed by Palermo when I was there less than a week ago. I admit to have been somewhat wary of it last time I visited. It was a combination of the bumper-to-bumper traffic; the accommodation (which although …

For an afternoon snack, an accompaniment to an after-dinner glass of wine, or tidbits for surprise guests, these biscotti are perfect. Not too sweet, and great for dunking, these little cookies bear a distinct resemblance to Sicily’s famous Biscotti di …

The numbers of exports of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese has risen of 13.2% last year, the biggest rise in a decade, the Parmigiano Reggiano consortium. The report said the rise had been achieved despite the “continued problem” of foreign imitations of …

Historically and until the present day, enormous quantities of abbacchio, milk-fed baby lamb, have been consumed in Rome and its outlying region from Easter until June 24, the feast of San Giovanni. For example, in 1629, the city alone recorded selling 165 …

The Italian Chamber of Commerce in Bari has launched an extra-virgin olive oil identification system to help tackle fraudulent production and to recognise quality oil, the project’s organisers said on Thursday.   The so-called “In Oleo Veritas” is a tracing …

Every two years Genoa hosts the Pesto World Championship. Hundred competitors from all over the world will prepare Genovese Pesto exclusively with a pestleand mortar, using only traditional, authentic and genuine ingredients. The competition is open to everyone: professionals and …

It was in a little restaurant in the hills of Tuscany where I tasted my first sformato, a light and savory Italian custard or flan.  The word literally translates to ‘unmolded’ and is great fun to pronounce, especially after a …