In Proust’s book À la recherche du temps perdu – which I admit I have never read – the protagonist eats a madeleine and this awakens his childhood memories. Oh, les madeleines, tiny French pastries with a delicate buttery lemon flavour, elegant and refined. My madeleines are instead bracioline al pomodoro, crumbed and fried beef slices that [...]

Posted in Family recipes, Meat, Tuscan Recipes 15 Comments »

Let’s be honest: there’s no dish like a roast chicken to celebrate a family get together. I am always slightly proud, a little feeling that warms me up from the inside, when I roast a chicken: you can smell it as soon as you open the door, a well known tempting aroma that welcomes my [...]

Posted in Meat 9 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 11 Comments »

I wish I had enough words to thank you for your comments, e-mails, laughs and moved tears on my last post. I knew I would have found support and friendship in you, but – believe me – I was not expecting such a cheerful feedback! The crisis and the redemption desire sadly are common issues in these [...]

Posted in Autumn, Main Course, Meat, Tuscan Recipes, Winter 15 Comments »

As I am writing this post I still can feel the heady smell lingering here. Go figure, until a few years ago truffle for me was just a creamy and rather anonymous spread  on toasted bread bought for special dinners. An aberration, I know, but as we usually say in Italy: no one was born already [...]

Posted in Autumn, First course, Pasta, Winter 10 Comments »