In Italy, pasta is much more than a dish; it’s a geographical and climatic map. If you travel from the snow-capped Alps of the North to the sun-drenched coasts of the South, you will discover that the “perfect dough” changes its soul according to the land it belongs to. The Great Divide: Soft Wheat vs….
The Story: A Renaissance Obsession In early 1502, Italy witnessed one of the most extravagant spectacles of the Renaissance: Lucrezia Borgia’s wedding procession. On her way to Ferrara to marry Alfonso d’Este, she traveled with a massive entourage of 600 horses, 150 mules, and a court of musicians and aristocrats. The journey was famously slow, not just…
Wider than “angel’s hair” pasta but thinner than tagliatelle noodles, tajarin (tagliolini noodles in the Piedmont dialect) were made in the Langhe and Monferrato area farmsteads, in the Piedmont region. From the 15th century, tajarin spread throughout Piedmont, as related in early chronicles. It is a festive dish, enjoyed mainly during important celebrations. The generous quantity…
These mini savoury panettoni are a bit time-consuming but not hard to do, you can decide whatever stuffing you love. The classic recipe included prawns with cocktail sauce, smoked salmon with cream cheese and chives and lemon zest. Or cold cuts and cheeses, or vegetarian fillings. You can choose whatever filling you love. Prep Time:…
This creamed codfish version is another example of the extreme variety and richness of Italian cuisine: stockfish and salted codfish were introduced to Southern Europe centuries ago, and they were adapted to hundreds of recipes across the Mediterranean. Creamed codfish is a delicate appetiser which exalts two typical ingredients of Northern Italy, codfish (also popular…
Pasta e fagioli (pasta and beans) is a very typical Italian soup, simple, easy, yet incredibly versatile, as it is prepared many ways all across Italy. For thousands of years, beans have nourished people from every social class, but its richness in proteins allowed the survival of the most of population who could not afford…
In the trattorie of Florence I have heard shelled beans cooked in this way called “fagiouli all’uccelletto”. (Pellegrino Artusi, Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well) This recipe is a typical Florentine way to eat their beloved cannellini beans which have replaced meat for centuries. The name originates from the way small…
This risotto recipe is typical of Tuscany and Northern Italy, where asparagus is a symbol of Spring. I use a local asparagus variety that is smaller but tastier than bigger varieties. Risotto is a much appreciated first course on Italian tables, and while this recipe can be used with other vegetables, the main steps are…
The cuisine in Emilia-Romagna is permeated with sexual innuendos, expressed in its iconic stuffed pasta, tortellini. Local legends say that the creation of tortellini was inspired by the goddess Venus herself, who was spotted by an innkeeper while staying at his inn. Stricken by this vision, he rushed to the kitchen, rolled out a sheet…
This Christmas Log, also known as Swiss Roll, originates from the French Bûche de Noël. It represents the ancient tradition of burning a large log in the fireplace which started on Christmas eve and was supposed to last for the entire festive period, later replaced by this suggestive dessert. Nowadays, the different fillings for the…