Or let’s grill in! It’s that time of year when half the country is still in the grasp of Old Man Winter while the other half is enjoying the budding, flowering show of Spring. Here is Alabama we have already been grilling and dining al fresco. I realize that it is a little early for …
Ah, to love~
~ The Love Apple ~ (Heirloom Tomato, Onion, Basil and Mint Tart Recipe) When the tomato was first introduced to Italy from South America – yes, the tomato is not indigenous to Italy – it was thought to be poisonous. Its odd, sometimes ugly shape and varying color really made people nervous. Eventually, as it …
A New Year ~ A New Diet
Got Fruit? With the ever increasing popularity of my book Beyond the Pasta, I have been getting a lot of response from people wanting to know about the Italian diet. Am I a dietitian? Nope, not by a long shot. But having just returned from Italy, where I spent more time with the Stefani family, …
Back to the Future ~ Viterbo bound
~ Returning to my now Italian home ~ Writing a book about real people and the real time you spent with them can be stressful – especially when you wrote it without them ever pre-reading a single syllable. Add to that the fact that there is a language barrier between everyone involved and you might …
New Year’s Greetings from Viterbo, Italy~
Start off the New Year reducing your waist ~ Italian-Style As an American I think we sometimes have the false idea that every Italian meal involves large volumes of food – nothing could be farther from the truth. Yes, Italians do eat multiple courses, but the portion size of each of those courses is rather …
La Parola del Giorno ~ Tavolo
The Word of the Day ~ Table I am sure you are thinking, “What is so special about the word “table”?” Being American, maybe that word doesn’t resonate for you, doesn’t strike a chord. I can understand that. However, in Italy, the word “table” has two meanings. Your Italian lesson: Tavolo is the Italian word …
A Sunday in Italy ~ almost
My life lately has been all about Italy – the book is out, I have started doing interviews where I speak about my time living in Italy, and recently I sent the book to the family in Italy (they received them today). This past Sunday, a dear friend here in town invited me over for …
“Beyond the Pasta” Trailer~
Below is the latest trailer for my book Beyond the Pasta: Recipes, Language & Life with an Italian Family. RELEASE DATE: September 1, 2010 by Gemelli Press, LLC. The finishing touches are being done and soon this two year process from first keystroke to published book will be complete. Stupefacente! When I started writing this …
Where’s the beef?
See and download the full gallery on posterous Discovering the Italian sandwich~ Recently a friend e-mailed me asking for a “big, fat, greasy, wet, sloppy, Italian Beef Sandwich recipe.” Sadly, I had to tell him that the only place I have ever eaten something like that is in Chicago—and never in Italy. That isn’t …
Behind the magic door~
See and download the full gallery on posterous “And behind door number 3…” Often we imagine how grand it must be to sit in a piazza eating gelato, while enjoying the rushing sound of water as it cascades down an enormous carved horse, water nymph, or sea god. But those sights are for the …