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First, a bit of Italian geography – the 57 mile long Sile River in northern Italy flows through beautiful countryside, the historical city of Treviso, and empties into the Venetian Lagoon. The Venetian Lagoon is an enclosed bay in the Adriatic Sea where the city of Venice is situated among 118 other islands and archipelagos. […]

Travel, Wine and Cocktails

A Day on the Venetian Lagoon

Fritto Misto

If you’re on Facebook and follow Ortensia Blu (you do, right?) you’ve seen lots of really nice photos and videos from my trip to the gorgeous Prosecco region earlier this month. And if you’re not on Facebook, I don’t want you to feel left out so I’ll catch you up on a few things. First of […]

Food Production, Travel, Wine and Cocktails

A Glass of Prosecco Awaits You

Le Volpere Prosecco

My mother went on vacation to California and she brought me back a lemon. That’s it…just a lemon…nothing else. And I was happy. Very, very happy.  She picked the lemon from a friend’s organic lemon tree in Berkeley, then packed it in her suitcase and schlepped it home. (I’m pretty sure she did some other […]

Dessert, Recipes

Iced Triple Lemon Biscotti (from Ciao Biscotti)

Lemon Biscotti

I really don’t know where to start talking about Limone, a charming village tucked away on the western shore of Lake Garda. We could begin with the beautiful, relaxed setting framed by the mountains towering above… Or I could tell you about the luscious, tangy, smooth, simple Tagliatelle al Limone I thoroughly enjoyed at a restaurant on the lakefront. […]

Lake Garda, Main Dish, Pasta, Recipes, Travel

Linguine with Lemon and Living Longer in Limone, Italy

Linguine with Lemon

If you invite me to your house for dinner, I will eat anything you prepare. Really. If you’re going through the time and effort to prepare a meal, I will wholeheartedly enjoy every bite. Dietary restrictions, food allergies and food aversions are not a part of my life, which probably makes me one of the […]

First Course (Primi), Gluten Free, Main Dish, Recipes, Seafood

Risotto with Shrimp, Scallops and Asparagus (Risotto con Gamberi, Capesante e Asparagi)

Risotto with Shrimp and Scallops

A few months ago, Monica sent me a bunch of Italian cooking magazines from 15+ years ago that her mom had lying around. They all had such beautiful pictures and I don’t care what anyone says, the photo is what entices me to make something, especially a recipe I’ve never made, nor seen before and most […]

Dessert, Recipes

Torta alla Melagrana (Pomegranate Cake)

Pomegranate Cake

From Laney Would you like to know the first thing I tasted made by Liz Benedettini Larkin…with her dark hair, big smile and very Italian name? Scones! Yup, scones! You see, Liz is known around these parts as “The Scone Lady” because she bakes these amazing scones and sells them under the name of Mrs. Larkin’s […]

Bread, First Course (Primi), Main Dish, Recipes

Piadina {Guest Post by Liz Benedettini Larkin}

Piadina

If you’ve followed my blog for a while, you know about our planned five day October adventure to tour the stunning Lake Garda region of Italy. And if you’re on Facebook, you saw just a glimpse of this incredible trip with our group of nine adventurous and extraordinarily nice people. With almost 1,000 photos on my camera and […]

Lake Garda, Travel

Postcards from Lake Garda

Salò, Italy

Homemade giardiniera is beautiful, colorful, tasty and very easy to prepare. It’s always ready for use and can be stored for several months. I serve it in combination with sliced or boiled meat, or simply use it to dress a rice salad. Giardiniera will always be appreciated by your guests because it is a genuine product made with your […]

Appetizer/Antipasto, First Course (Primi), Recipes, Vegetables

Giardiniera – Sweet and Sour Vegetables {by Cristina}

Giardiniera

It’s not news that I love to cook…and love to eat even more. It’s sort of like a chicken and an egg thing – do I like to cook because I like to eat or do I like to eat because I like to cook? It really doesn’t matter, but one of the things I […]

Appetizer/Antipasto, First Course (Primi), Recipes, Vegetables

Four Cheese Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms (and Cooking with Daniel at ICE)

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

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