Sometimes it is worth to stop, even just for a coffee and a biscuit. Sometimes it’s worth to pause in order to better understand where to go and orient the compass toward your North Star. Sometimes it is worth to stop and spend some quality time with friends. I’ll get back in a few days [...]

Posted in Desserts 4 Comments »

Before marrying your grandfather and going on our honeymoon in the South of Italy, in the Basilicata region, to visit my in-laws, Grandma told me, I had never heard of pasta and… pasta and potatoes, pasta and fava beans, pasta and beans… We used to eat pasta, soup or broth, but we had never had [...]

Posted in Family recipes, First course, Pasta, Vegetarian Recipes 17 Comments »

Siena, outdoor location shots, winter. The Sienese people, the University students and the few tourists that in this time of the year are forced to pass through the tiny shadowy back lanes usually tuck their hands down in their pockets to find some warmth and hide their face in a wool scarf of to protect themselves [...]

Posted in Desserts, Tuscan Recipes, Winter 15 Comments »

During winter, when the snow covers my small herb garden outside in the farmyard, the memories of the fresh herbs bunches picked from the pots just before cooking are very far. On Sunday, though, I did a little magic, inspired by an ancient herb garden, that of the Benedictine monks of the Glastonbury Abbey, Somerset, England. On [...]

Posted in Autumn, Meat, Winter 9 Comments »

I knew that sooner or later I’d have to talk about Carnival. As I have already mentioned, Carnival parades, more or less successful fancy dresses and colourful confetti that will sneak into your dresses worse than the sea sand into your swimming costumes, well, they are really not my cup of tea. The Carnival is the last obstacle [...]

Posted in Desserts, Family recipes, Tuscan Recipes, Winter 10 Comments »