Share Last month just as the Christmas holidays were coming to an end, I was reminded it’s Carnevale time when I saw frappe and castagnole in bakery shops. Bakery shops in Rome sure know how to move from one festivity to another without losing a beat. As I have made a commitment to eat healthy [...] Carnevale Time: Castagnole Recipes
February 3, 2012 By 2 Comments
Share Last month just as the Christmas holidays were coming to an end, I was reminded it’s Carnevale time when I saw frappe and castagnole in bakery shops. Bakery shops in Rome sure know how to move from one festivity to another without losing a beat. As I have made a commitment to eat healthy [...] Formal Italian Language: Vada a bordo cazzo
January 22, 2012 By 8 Comments
Share Formal Italian language sometimes puzzles me and the perfect example of this was the recent phrase that has got worldwide attention: Vada a bordo cazzo (Get back on board, damn it!). So much so that the t-shirts with these wording are becoming a hit. Most are familiar with this quote and if you are [...] Leftover Panettone Recipe
December 30, 2011 By 1 Comment
Share During the holidays, you see panettone everywhere in Italy! Commercials on TV, gift baskets and basically on every Italian table as the dessert for Christmas. Every year, we would also find a panettone in the Christmas box my husband gets from his company, which by the way is soft and delicious. In general, I [...] Celebrating Christmas in Rome
December 26, 2011 By 3 Comments
Share For me, celebrating Christmas in Rome starts on December 24th. Even before moving here, when we would be back in Rome for the holidays, the main focus was the Christmas Eve feast. This, however, varies from household to household. My sister-in-law’s in-laws, for example, have their feast on Christmas Day. Yes, Christmas in Rome, [...] How To Make Tortellini
December 20, 2011 By 1 Comment
Share This year for Christmas, I finally decided to learn how to make tortellini. With many months of practice in making fresh pasta, I figured I am ready to make tortellini for Christmas day. Another reason is because the usual pasta shop where we order tortellini has closed and also, since Christmas lunch will just [...] Ricciarelli Recipe: Italian Christmas Treat
December 17, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Share That’s all there is to the ricciarelli recipe? This was my reaction when I was researching some ricciarelli recipes online. I have always seen ricciarelli sold in supermarkets during this time of the year but never thought much about them as pandoro, panettone and variations of them are the main “dessert” on most Italian [...] Seafood Recipe: Potato, Rice and Mussels
December 9, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Share I knew I needed to find out this seafood recipe when I saw a picture of this dish posted on MyMelange’s Facebook Page during her visit to Puglia. It reminded me so much of paella which I love and make at home. This dish was still on my mind when another blogger, who is [...] Pumpkin Ricotta Pound Cake
December 5, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Share This pumpkin ricotta pound cake as the dessert for Thanksgiving fared better than the usual pumpkin pie. Thank goodness! Year after year, I would find myself looking at an untouched pumpkin pie. My in-laws just don’t seem to fancy it and each year, I would stubbornly continue to make it hoping they would finally [...] Italian Soup: Minestra di Ceci
December 2, 2011 By 3 Comments
Share This Italian soup is one of my favorites. Last winter, I had chickpea soup when my sister and I went to Settembrini for lunch. The combination of this soup with swordfish was unforgettable! Even a year after tasting that dish, I remember it so clearly but never had the chance to recreate it. This [...] Simple, Tasty and Pretty Apple Dumpling Recipe
November 22, 2011 By 2 Comments
Share This apple dumpling recipe is not an Italian recipe at all, and the only connection that comes to mind is that the Trentino area is renown for their apples. Even though I post mainly Italian recipes, I felt a strong pull to try this recipe and I explain why further in this post. Initially, [...] 
