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Have you ever heard your parents or grandparents saying that something they cooked was meglio il giorno dopo,  “better the day after they had made it?” Just like me, I am sure you did and, if you like cooking, you …

Take your pick. Any of northern Italy’s “lake region” lakes are not going to disappoint. Not even one of the smallest of the lot, the often-overlooked Lago di Orta.  Tiny Lake Orta lies furthest west of Italy’s famed lakes, the …

Fall is approaching, even though the high temperatures don’t always make it feel like the new season is here. Still, the calendar is clear: the equinox on September 22 is near, and with it comes the gradual shortening of the …

Some look back at her role as Ambassador of the Made in Italy in America; some others appreciate her entrepreneurial spirit; many experienced first-hand her philanthropic work. Everybody knows her as the woman who has touched not only people’s lives, but …

It is well known that the number seven holds something magical. It is a symbol of hope, a bearer of good fortune, and in the Christian religion, it represents perfection and completeness: seven are the days of creation, seven the …

When I was a kid, my mother used to make salame dolce quite often: it was usually filled with homemade jam or Nutella, and just a dusting of icing sugar to make it prettier. It was, hands down, one of …

Un Fernet? Our grandparents may have offered it at the end of fancier dinners… But what’s the name we associate the most with this bitter, yet oddly satisfying spirit? Definitely Branca!  Fratelli Branca Distillerie, commonly known as Branca, is one …

Palazzo Ducale, or the Doge’s Palace, is one of Venice’s most prominent landmarks, a symbol of the city’s immense power and prestige during the height of the Venetian Republic. For centuries, it served as the residence of the Doge — the …

End of summer is fast approaching, yet the beautiful landscape of the wine country and the warm weather around the San Francisco Bay Area don’t seem to suggest so.  Sundays mean, for many, a glass of wine and a relaxing …

The Italian expression perché mai (pehr-kai mah-ee) is a versatile idiom used to convey surprise, disbelief, or skepticism.  Literally translated as “why ever” or “why on earth,” it often appears in rhetorical questions or exclamations, emphasizing incredulity or seeking further …