Short pastry and crostata were the first sweet recipes I tried when I was just a child. During my long summer breaks, I used to spend my whole time with Chiara, a classmate from the elementary school who soon had become one of my best friends and my summer joyride mate. We used to ride [...]

Posted in Autumn, Baked Good, Chocolate, Desserts, Pies and Tarts, Winter 14 Comments »

It was summer, it was hot, it was the time of short sleeves and tanned skin, the taste of salt was not far from my memories, when I tasted a fabulous vinegar in a restaurant in Colle Val d’Elsa. It was aromatic, with an intense fragrance and an intriguing aftertaste. I spent the evening trying [...]

Posted in Autumn, Preserves, Winter 15 Comments »

Winter is approaching, with its dark and cold nights, with the wind blowing through the bare trees branches. Even Christmas is coming with long strides, along with the desire for rich and sumptuous food, food full of stories, tales, spices, and faraway travels, food loaded with fantasy, adventure and excitement. For me, Dutch cocoa is all about this. It has its own romantic [...]

Posted in Autumn, Baked Good, Chocolate, Desserts, Muffins and cupcakes, Winter 14 Comments »

Last week, looking for a meat recipe to enrichen with truffles, I went back in memories to a typical Sunday morning of a few years ago… one of the many wintry Sunday mornings spent in San Gimignano, at my grandfather’s house. While my aunt and mom were cooking, I would pick up pine nuts with [...]

Posted in Autumn, Main Course, Meat, Winter 6 Comments »

The Middle Ages is one of my favorite periods in history. I still remember that my high school Italian teacher used to tell us that was absolutely wrong to define dark that era, because it was in that very period that the culture was reborn, in abbeys, castles, and the first markets where trading resumed [...]

Posted in Appetizers, Autumn, Meat, Quick Recipes, Side Dishes, Winter 9 Comments »