Sitting at the wooden table in the living room, I still need a sweater when the night falls. Next to me there is a glass pretending to be a vase with a withered branch of mimosa that comes from my father-in-law's garden. I can't throw it away: despite having lost…
In the last five months we've been traveling through Tuscany and outside our region for our book tour. It has been a whirlwind of emotions, with a frequent question: which is the recipe that represents the quintessence of Tuscany, the one you should try at least once in your life to understand the true spirit of…
Growing up I would not have thought possible to find fascinating that bowl of greenish soup that represented part of our dinner at least four times a week throughout the year. The minestrone would come straight from a bag from the freezer, always the same brand as mum loved that…
Some time ago I realized that I was not able to focus anymore, I could not remember what I had to do. I strove to be present to myself, but most of the time after five minutes all my intentions would vanish. It was like writing on the seashore. I would draw…
My last blogpost about my recent thoughts on life and creativity helped me to put a new spin in my writing and photography endeavours. I have a little notebook where months ago I started scribbling down ideas, recipes I wanted to share with you and themes I would have loved to talk about. Pulses were…
Home is here, in the Tuscan countryside. I am deeply rooted in this house that was built by my great-great-grandfather Tommaso in 1926, where my grandmother and my father grew up, where mum learnt to cook, to grow vegetables, to love over the time the country life, so different from the one she was…
I am sitting on the balcony, my feet firmly stamped on the terracotta tiles, warmed by the afternoon sun. Our balcony faces west, I always say this to everyone when they visit or when they sit at the table after a cooking class. From my balcony I've seen some of the most beautiful sunsets of…
I have spent many words in the praise of Elizabeth David, a British food writer who helped Britain rediscover good food in the 60's. She is still one of the finest examples of how to write about food. Her writing is warm, sensual, essential, elegant. Elizabeth David had an adventurous…
I’ve written my first acceptance speech, sitting at my tiny desk in the living room with a stained apron, dreaming to wear a red dress and high heels and to stand in front of some of the best food writers, bloggers and editors of our time. I am sure I would have cried, I’m emotional.