Italians enjoy drinking coffee in the morning whether it is a homemade  espresso or one had in the local bar – and it is always a moment of wellbeing.  During a work break or after dinner, coffee makes simple moments during the day a real pleasure. And as an extra bonus, coffee has many […]

A few weeks ago, Monica wrote a terrific post explaining about all the different types of Radicchio  – and what better way to use radicchio than in an awesome pasta recipe. This is a local dish as this type of radicchio is grown in the province of Treviso, which is the area where I live. A  pretty plant, […]

According to the legend, lemon plants were introduced into the Lake Garda region in the XIV century by the Franciscan friars. The first lemon houses (limonaia) arose on the Brescia (west) side of the lake, mostly in areas of Gargnano and Limone while some were built  on the Veronese coast, where the main centre for the […]

Radicchio is like a religion in the province of Treviso, where I live. Called the “winter flower” because the traditional five month growing season is from November to March, it’s found absolutely everywhere.  There are always local festivals, fairs and events (this year there are 11) based around this beautiful vegetable. The red radicchio of Treviso, […]

Apples are a very popular fruit grown in Trentino Alto Adige, near where I grew up in the North of Italy, bordering Austria and Switzerland. With many varieties of regional apples flourishing, Apple Fritters are a very typical and traditional dish of this area.  In South Tyrol, these pancakes are served as an accompaniment to […]

Given the price of pine nuts (pignoli), these cookies wouldn’t really be in the budget recipe category. BUT…they take no time at all to prepare and they’re so good that when you take into account what your time is worth, making these is a BARGAIN! (If you live near a Costco in the U.S., they […]

Pan fried chicken cutlet, similar to fried Austrian wiener schnitzel, is a simple and traditional plate found all over Italy. I  prefer this oven cooked version to the traditional one as it’s lighter and healthier –  then you can enjoy the recipe more than once a week!  Perfect as a second course and ideal with roasted or fried potatoes […]

My friend Sal is a terrific cook – let me correct myself…he’s an exceptional, awesome and outstanding cook! He’s one of those laid back suburban, golfing, kind of guys who not only knows his way around a kitchen, but when he’s in it, amazing things happen. The second oldest of 5 brothers whose parents were […]

Wild Mushroom Soup with Toasted Croutons   Print Using a mix of mushrooms adds character to the flavor of the soup. The nail-shaped Chiodini mushroom (“chiodo” means nail in Italian) grows around the bases of trees on the Montello hillside in the province of Treviso. The Chiodini season lasts only two months-September and October. This […]

Linguine with Roasted Butternut Squash, Walnuts and Fresh Sage   Print Butternut squash is abundant in the fall and this pasta with butternut squash, tossed with extra virgin olive oil and roasted, is truly amazing. Here’s a recipe that takes maybe 30 minutes from start to finish…really. And you can shave 5 minutes off that […]