Seasonal Recipes

Symbol of Naples’ patisserie, the babbà has very peculiar and, indeed, ancient origins! It reached Naples from Paris, city were the chefs of bourgeois families were usually sent to improve their culinary skills. But Parisians didn’t invent it because, according …

Finally the summer heat has yielded a delicious crop of tomatoes – plump heirloom, sweet cherry, meaty San Marzano. I wait patiently all season for the tomatoes to arrive and once they do, I simply cannot get enough.  They are …

I stopped by the local farmer’s market this weekend and found myself in front of a beautiful basket of freshly picked arugula.  Memories of a beautiful Tuscan steak, perfectly cooked, sliced and laid atop a bed of simple arugula and …

Aompany coming? Impress your guests with a spectacular timballo di riso, a Sicilian dish named after the mold in which it is typically made. The preparation can be a bit time-consuming but the result is worth the effort – a …

When you travel around Italy you will quickly notice that, in every single region, there are culinary traditions locals are not only proud of, but also genuinely consider the best, if one was to compare them with those of the …

A traditional Sicilian pasta recipe which I absolutely adore is pasta con le sarde – pasta with sardines. If you have a keen eye though, you’ll notice that in my photos I used fresh anchovies instead of sardines. This was simply …

The word biscotti in Italy refers to what Americans know as “cookies.”  Many Italo-Americans use the word biscotti when they refer to a specific type of cookie, that is, those finger long cookies with almonds. These are known as Cantuccini …

With rain forecast for the next few days, and as 1st November is a public holiday here in Italy, why not spend some time in the kitchen making a traditional Tuscan slice known as castagnaccio. It is very easy to …

If there is one reason to be be excited that summer is ending, it’s the appearance of freshly baked schiacciata con l’uva in the windows of local bakeries in Tuscany. If you have visited Florence or the Chianti area of …

Cotognata is a sweet jelly made from quince  and commonly known in English as quince paste. In Spain it is called membrillo. The quince is a special fruit, it is large and irregularly shaped and not eaten raw because of …