These are sad time we're all going through. We're in the middle of spring, a time for rebirth and celebration and Easter is right around the corner, but all we see is sadness due to COVID-19. A virus that just a few months ago didn't even exist has taken the lives of thousands of people in my beloved Italy, and all over the world. Words can express the sadness I feel seeing images of empty streets in Italy.
Being homebound, I turn to the only place I find solace, in the kitchen. I am in good company apparently seeing as items such as flour, yeast and eggs are in high demand. I have about 15 lbs of flour at home right now and I am using them judiciously. Yesterday, I prepared some Italian sponge cookies to go with coffee. Because these days, nothing is as comforting as a steaming cup of coffee with a homemade cookie or two. These are super light, only call for a few ingredients and are super easy to prepare. They don't have butter or oil, so I'm tricking myself into thinking they are healthier than other cookies! The need for only a handful of ingredients also makes them that much more appealing. 
ITALIAN SPONGE COOKIES
Ingredients
5 large eggs, separated 1/3 cups sugar 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted 1 teaspoon baking powder zest of 1 orange or 1 lemon Sanding or confectionary sugar - optional Directions - Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. 1. With the mixer on high, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, about 4 - 5 minutes. Place the beaten whites in another bowl and return bowl to the mixer. (no need to rinse the bowl in between uses.) 2. With the mixer on high, mix the egg yolks and sugar. This step is very important and you will want to mix for about 10 minutes, until mixture is light and fluffy and pale yellow. 3. Once the yolks and sugar are beaten, gently fold in the whites using a rubber spatula. Mix gently as you don't want to deflate the mixture. 4. Once eggs are incorporated, add the sifted flour, baking powder and zest and again, gently fold in the ingredients using a rubber spatula. Make sure you mix from the bottom, where flour tends to gather and remain unmixed. 5. Using a medium cookie or ice-cream scoop, scoop out the cookies and place them a few inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets. I topped mines with sanding sugar but you can skip this step and just add some confectionary sugar. Bake for 15 - 18 minutes, until bottoms are golden. Tops will remain somewhat pale. Makes 20 - 24, depending on the size of your scoop. 
Egg yolks and sugar need to be beaten for at least 10 minutes, no skipping on this step.
This is what they should look like after they have been beaten for 10 or so minutes. Pale yellow and light.
Whites have been beaten to very stiff consistency.
The sifted flour, baking powder and zest are set aside, ready for when needed.
Gently folding in the whites with the yolks.
Adding the flour mixture on top and gently fold in. Don't be too rough, you don't want to deflate the batter.
Well mixed and ready to be scooped into cookies!
One tray is ready for the oven!
Plated and ready for coffee!
Looking for more easy recipes? Be sure to check out my cookbook: The 5 Ingredient Italian Cookbook on Amazon! Published by Rockridge Oress, the book delivers 101 recipes all using just 5 main ingredients or less! You can find it by clicking here.
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I have been making jam crostatas for over 20 years now. If there's a recipe I feel I have perfected, it's the crostata. It never lets me down, and anyone who has ever tasted it, loves it!
It's all about the crust, once you have a handle on that, the filling is up to you and you can get creative. See pics below of various fillings.I've made this crust and topped it with all sorts of jams and Nutella. But the most decadent of them all is definitely with ricotta and cream. You see, you can make it with just the cream, bake the crust and top it with fruit, and that's great. Or you can make it with just ricotta, and that's great too, bake it and you got yourself a great old fashioned ricotta tart. But combine the cream WITH ricotta, and my oh my, you got a desert worthy of being served for parties, holidays and even as a birthday cake! It is a bit of work, sure, but the satisfaction of biting into a piece of this with a great cup of espresso is worth it! Ingredients Pastry Cream: 1 lemon peel 2 1/4 whole milk 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar 5 egg yolks (save the whites for an egg while omelet) 1 teaspoon vanilla 4 tablespoons flour, sifted 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese Ingredients for the crust: 11 tablespoons butter, at room temperature for several hours 2/3 cups sugar 1 large egg 1 large egg yolk 2 ½ cups flour Zest of 1 orange or 1 lemon 2 teaspoons baking powder Dash of salt 1 to 2 tablespoons milk (only if needed, see step 3 below) Directions for pastry cream: 1. Wash the lemon and with a pairing knife gently remove the peel (as if peeling an apple), making sure you don’t remove the pith of the lemon (the white part under the peel) as that is bitter. 2. In a medium saucepan, bring the milk with the lemon peel to a light boil. 3. In the stand mixer, or using the handheld mixer, mix the egg yolks and sugar until well blended, add vanilla. 4. Sift the flour over egg mixture and blend. 5. Remove the milk from the heat. With the mixer on low, slowly add about one cup of the hot milk to the egg mixture. Slowly continue adding all the milk. (You do this slowly as you don't want to scramble the eggs with the hot milk.) 6. Transfer the mixture back to the saucepan. With the heat on low, gently cook the cream for several minutes until it thickens up to pudding consistency. 7. Transfer cream to a bowl, place plastic wrap directly above it to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until you prepare the crust. Directions for crust: PREHEAT OVEN AT 350 Degrees F. 1. Mix soft butter with sugar. Add egg and egg yolk and mix well. 2. Slowly add flour, it will look dry and crumbly but it will come together nicely. Add the zest and baking powder and a dash of salt. 3. If dough appears dry, you can add 1-2 tablespoons of milk. You should only need to do this is your butter is not soft enough, or you are using smaller eggs. 4. Invert crust on a slightly floured surface and work the dough until it comes together in a nice round ball. 5. Cut about 1/3 of the dough and set aside for topping. 6. Press the remaining 2/3 of dough into a 12-inch pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray for baking. (If you are not confident about being unable to remove the crostata from the pan after baking, use a tart pan with a removable bottom) 7. Poke the crust with a fork at least 12-15 times, this will prevent any air bubbles from forming while baking. 8. When the pastry cream is cooled, remove the lemon peel and add 1 cup of ricotta to the cream and gently fold together. 9. Evenly spread cream and ricotta mixture over crust. 10. With a rolling pin, roll out remaining dough and cut 8-10 equal strips of dough about ½ inch wide. Top the crostata with strips. 11. Bake crostata for 45-50 minutes, until firm and the lattice topping is golden. 12. Cool completely before inverting crostata in a serving dish, dust with powdered sugar. 
Here, the crostata has been pressed with my hands into the pan.
Scoring the crostata with a fork, as above, prevents air bubbles from forming while cooking.
Here it is with blueberry jam. It's so good when you use high quality jam! While the ricotta and cream one takes 45 - 50 minutes, with jam, it only takes 35.
And with Nutella? OMG! With Nutella, you only need to bake it for about 33 minutes. The filling is much drier than creamy ricotta and cream so it bakes much faster. These are all made with the same crust recipe!
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Three Wise Men on horseback in the courtyard of the Uffizi Gallery, during the historical recreation of the “Procession of the Magi,” to celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany. Image via iStock by Zummolo
Drive by any neighborhood in the US a few days after Christmas, and you’re likely to see Christmas trees at the curb, ready to be picked up by the town’s waste management team. I’ve seen my share with tinsel or fake show still on them. For many, the day after Christmas is the day they un-decorate their home, and remove Christmas from the house, as some might say. Having been raised in Italy, where the season is celebrated until January 6th, this is a sad sight for me to see.
January 6th, which is exactly 12 days after Christmas, is when Italians and all Catholics celebrate the feast of the Epiphany. This is the real last day of the Christmas season, not December 26th, as some might want to believe. If we want to get technical, the Christmas season actually starts on Christmas Day, and lasts until the Epiphany. The days prior to Christmas are actually part of the advent. While Italians and Italian Americans conjure up images of a friendly witch on a broom delivering small gifts to well-behaved children; the Epiphany of course, has a much deeper, religious meaning. 
The Parade of the Epiphany in Florence, Tuscany. Image via iStock by Darla Trevilofa
According to the Gregorian calendar, January 6th marks the day the Three Wise Men, also known as the Magi, arrive to visit the newly born baby Jesus after several days searching for him, by following the Star. It’s also believed to be Jesus’ Baptism day, some 30 years after his birth. The word itself is of Greek origin and it means “manifestation” or “to show or display” to an audience. Both the visit of the Magi and the Baptism are important times in which Jesus was displayed as being an important figure, the son of God. According to the Catholic Church, the Epiphany rejoices the adoration of Jesus by the visiting Wise Men.
So where and how does the Befana, the friendly which delivering goodies to all well-behaved Italian children, actually come into play? 
An image of the historical recreation of the "Procession of the Magi" in Florence, Tuscany. Image via iStock by Zummolo.
The Three Wise Men on horseback bringing gifts (gold, incense, myrrh) to the new born child Jesus, during the historical recreation of the “Procession of the Magi” to celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany. Image via iStock by Zummolo.
Christian folklore tells us that the Three Wise Men approached a friendly older woman asking her for directions as to where they might find Jesus. She did not know, but as they were in for a long journey, and she being a gracious host, she welcomed them in for the night so they could rest before continuing their journey. As she kept a very clean home, always sweeping and tidying up, she was more than able to welcome in some guests.
The next day, they continue on their journey and invited the kind woman to join them in finding the newly born Prince. She turned them down, indicating far too much housework would keep her away from her responsibilities. She later changed her mind, however, and set out to find the Magi and Jesus. She was unable to find them, so to this day, every year she goes out on her broom, looking for the little baby. She enters every home with the hope of finding him, and when she doesn’t, she leaves behind small toys or candy for the children she does find. 
In Parma, a group of women dress as Befane during the town parade. Image via iStock by Glorez.
January 6th really is the end of the Christmas season in Italy. Starting on December 8th, the feast day of the Immaculate Conception, the feast of the Epiphany closes the season, much to the dismay of children all over, who by this point, have enjoyed several weeks of time off from school, overdoing it on sweets, being spoiled by relatives they might not see regularly, as well as receiving not one batch of presents from Babbo Natale , but one also from La Befana.
When children and adults alike think of the Befana, it's typically an image such as this, a friendly old woman on a broom. Image via iStock by Corrado Baratta Photos.
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Ready to make your 2020 Italian Travel Dreams come true? Consider joining us in one of our Culinary Adventures! CHIANTI: MAY 1 - MAY 8, 2020. Click here for all trip info on this great adventure! AMALFI: MAY 10 - 17, 2020. Click here for all trip info on this great adventure! EMILIA ROMAGNA: MAY 19 - 26, 2020. Click here for all trip info on this great adventure! SICILY: SEPTEMBER 1 - 8, 2020. Click here for all trip info on this great adventure! CHRISTMAS in TUSCANY - SPECIAL CULINARY & MARKET TOUR: DECEMBER 10 - 17, 2020. Click here for all trip info on this great adventure! 
For breakfast, I'm typically a toast and jam with a cup of coffee kind of person. It's boring and predictable but gets the job done at 5.30AM. I will say it gets boring fast. To mix it up a bit, I do sometimes splurge on various options that are a bit more on the sweet side. Perhaps it's the Italian in me, since most Italians love starting the day with a cornetto, I'm going to blame my upbringing for my sweet cravings!
Breakfast breads are one of my favorite ways to start the day as it somehow feels better to have something called "bread" for the first meal. But let's be honest here, breakfast breads are really just coffee cakes and desserts disguised as "bread." That said, this is the time of year where I do treat myself to breakfast that consists of things like these homemade breads, crostata, a few biscotti, or some homemade anisette toasts. This tiramisu breakfast bread is definitely one of my favorite ways to start the day. It's got a nice kick of espresso, it's not overly sweet, and with the delicious spread to go with it, it just hits the spot with a delicious homemade cappuccino. What better way to start the day than with this "bread"? It's got all the flavors of a tiramisu, except in a baked form. 
Seriously, when these are some of the ingredients, you know it's going to be good!
Ingredients for the bread
1 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda 1/4 Teaspoon Salt 8 Oz Mascarpone Cheese 3/4 Cups Sugar 2 Teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract (or Vanilla Bean Paste) 2 Large Eggs 1/2 Cup Buttermilk 1 Tablespoon Cacao Powder 1 Teaspoon Instant Espresso Powder 1 Tablespoon Water Sugar crystals - Optional Ingredients for the espresso spread 8 Oz Mascarpone Cheese 3 Tablespoons Marsala Wine or Freshly Brewed and Cooled Espresso 2 Tablespoons Powdered / Confectioners Sugar Dark Chocolate Shavings - Optional Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a standard loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray, set aside. 2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and set aside. 3. In a larger mixing bowl, cream the mascarpone cheese, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy, about 2 - 3 minutes. 4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. 5. Alternately add the flour mixture and the buttermilk to the creamed mascarpone mixture, starting and ending with the flour, until fully combined. Do not over mix. 6. Divide the batter in half. 7. In a small bowl, add the cacao powder, espresso powder and water. Mix well using a fork or very small whisk. Batter will be the consistency of Nutella spread. Add this mixture to one bowl containing 1/2 of the batter. Mix well until combined. 8. Spoon batters in prepared pan, alternating the plain mixture with the espresso/cacao mixture. Swirl batters together with a skewer or knife. Top bread with sugar crystals, if using. 9. Bake bread for 50 - 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from pan and cool completely before serving. 10. While the bread is baking, prepare the espresso spread by creaming together the mascarpone cheese, marsala wine and sugar until all the ingredients are well blended. Top with dark chocolate shavings, if using. Tip: The spread will need to be refrigerated if not used all at once. 
I'm pretty much addicted to this stuff. Use it in place of vanilla extract. The same amount will do.
This is the cacao, espresso powder and water mixture. I still have a few small lumps in there, need to keep stirring!
Here are my batters, divided in order to create a marble effect in the baked loaf. Yes, my spatula says "I love baking" - and I do!
Here's the loaf ready to go in the oven. I brought back these lovely sugar crystals from Italy that I just love. They're hard to find here in the US, so you can skip this step completely if you cannot find them, or add a few tablespoons of course sugar, if you like.
This is the incredibly delicious mascarpone spread. I'm not going to lie, I could just eat this by the spoon!
How good does this look? The spread is not at all overly sweet from the espresso powder and the bread is delicate. This is one great way to start any day!
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Ready to make your 2020 Italian Travel Dreams come true? Consider joining us in one of our Culinary Adventures! CHIANTI: MAY 1 - MAY 8, 2020. Click here for all trip info on this great adventure! AMALFI: MAY 10 - 17, 2020. Click here for all trip info on this great adventure! EMILIA ROMAGNA: MAY 19 - 26, 2020. Click here for all trip info on this great adventure! SICILY: SEPTEMBER 1 - 8, 2020. Click here for all trip info on this great adventure! CHRISTMAS in TUSCANY - SPECIAL CULINARY & MARKET TOUR: DECEMBER 10 - 17, 2020. Click here for all trip info on this great adventure! 
A delicious looking turkey is ready for the table!
Growing up in Southern Italy, my mother, who had been raised in the U.S. years prior, would often tell my sister and I stories about Thanksgiving. “There’s always a giant turkey,” she would explain to us, and everyone expresses what they are thankful for. I must admit, in hindsight, my eight or nine year old self didn’t much grasp the concept of this holiday. For one thing, whole turkeys are rarely seen in Italy, so I had never seen one, let alone stuffed! Picturing one roasted was a bit hard! And why a day to say thanks? Can’t it be said every day? Despite my somewhat hesitation towards the holiday, I was very much looking forward to it in 1988, our first year in the States. My mom, whose heart had always longed to return to Boston, was very excited about it, and eager to teach us what this holiday meant. It was, and still remains, her favorite holiday after all, and it would soon become mine as well.
Gaining some popularity in Italy as La Festa Del Ringrazziamento, Thanksgiving still remains very much an American holiday, as American as it gets, really! And rightfully so. History suggests that the Pilgrims and Puritans, having settled in modern day Plymouth, MA from England, were celebrating a particularly good harvest. To celebrate a period of fasting and lack, a feast was born, one lasting several days! And what better way to celebrate than with food and family? I guess they had a lot in common with Italians!
I am often asked if my family and I eat turkey on Thanksgiving. I think they expect me to say no, but of course we do! After all these years living here, our cultures have fully blended and “the giant turkey” my mom used to talk about in Italy gets an Italian makeover. Our sides, or contorni, are traditional Italian dishes, (sorry cranberry sauce, no room for you at our Italian table) and the meal typically ends with an Italian dessert or two. I apologize in advance to the pumpkin pie lovers reading this.
Here are a few ideas on how to “Italianize” your Thanksgiving table this year. 
Looks great, but don't let it spoil your big meal!
Antipasto Plate
There’s nothing I love more than a good antipasto plate, to be displayed on the coffee table or kitchen counter and to be nibbled on while the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is on in the background and the main meal cooks. In this picture, you can see that we have prepared a platter of cheeses, cured salami, mixed olives, roasted peppers and some pickled mushrooms and artichoke hearts. This is not cooking but just assembling and it's delicious! Add a few Parmesan crackers add a little glass of vino and you have the perfect snack while the turkey cooks. Nibble at these, but don’t let it spoil your main course! 
All dressed up!
“The Giant Turkey”
Oh, what would Thanksgiving be without the star of the table? To give your turkey an Italian twist, very generously season it with traditional Italian herbs and spices. In this image from last year, we created a buttery paste by blending one stick of room temperature butter with dried oregano, rosemary, fresh basil, parsley and crushed garlic. The paste is then "gingerly" rubbed underneath the skin. This creates a super moist layer and ultimately helps in preventing the from drying out, particularly the white meat. The top is then rubbed with a similar paste and additional dried herbs are added on top. Place the bird on a bed of onions, carrots, celery, lemons, and we added some inexpensive white wine at the bottom of the pan to prevent burning. This gives it a bit of flavor, especially when preparing the gravy with the juices! The bird is stuffed with citrus fruits and fresh rosemary, which add flavor and moisture. You can remove and discard them after the turkey is cooked. The juices that remain in the pan after cooking create a very delicious gravy.
Contorni
The options are limitless with the side dishes! If you will be serving a pasta dish, allow me to suggest a side of orecchiette with sausages and broccoli rabe. Avoid heavy pastas like lasagne or stuffed shells, these will likely be too fulfilling, when so much other food will be served. A lovely mushroom risotto also seems fitting for Thanksgiving! See our recipe here. But if you’re thinking of skipping the pasta all together, why not opt for stuffed mushrooms instead. Very traditional, at least in my household, stuffed mushrooms are our go-to side on Thanksgiving. Since the oven is already turned on, place the mushrooms on the top rack and cook for about 20 – 25 minutes, during the last 20 – 25 minutes of your turkey’s cooking time, or while the turkey is resting. See the recipe below for stuffed mushrooms. Another Thanksgiving classic on our family’s table is sauted broccoli rabe, without the pasta. Simply sautéed with garlic and a high-quality olive oil after they have been par-boiled. In this image, we’ve added a can of par-boiled cannellini beans, which have been drained and rinsed. 
A beautiful display of chestnuts was spotted on the streets of Bologna, ready to be roasted!
Chestnuts
Nothing like ending the Thanksgiving meal with some freshly roasted chestnuts. It’s peak season during this time of the year, and roasted chestnuts are another must on my family’s Thanksgiving dinner table. They go down very nicely (too nicely!) with a nice glass of wine! If you missed my previous post on how to roast chestnuts, be sure to check it out here. And now, for desserts! 
Dessert plate
I’ll apologize again to all the pumpkin pie lovers. We are, after all, trying to Italianize our Thanksgiving, so a nice berry crostata and some anise cookies are a must. My family also loves these hazelnut butterballs! Perhaps these are our favorites! These go well with an espresso or digestive, which you will definitely need after all the food you will be consuming. That and a nice, long walk! But first, the required post-turkey nap.... Happy Thanksgiving! or Buon Festa di Ringrazziamento!
Stuffed Mushrooms
Ingredients 8 large stuffing mushrooms 2 garlic gloves, thinly minced 1 tablespoons chopped parsley 3 – 4 tablespoons olive oil 1/3 cup fresh bread crumbs (plus extra for topping) 1/3 cup grated parmigiano cheese (plus extra for topping) salt *dices of chopped cured salami (optional) Directions
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Ready to make your 2020 Italian Travel Dreams come true? Consider joining us in one of our Culinary Adventures! CHIANTI: MAY 1 - MAY 8, 2020. Click here for all trip info on this great adventure! AMALFI: MAY 10 - 17, 2020. Click here for all trip info on this great adventure! EMILIA ROMAGNA: MAY 19 - 26, 2020. Click here for all trip info on this great adventure! SICILY: SEPTEMBER 1 - 8, 2020. Click here for all trip info on this great adventure! CHRISTMAS in TUSCANY: DECEMBER 4 - 11, 2020. Click here for all trip info on this great adventure! 
While growing up in Italy, we would often drive by a plot of land about 20 minutes from our home. "We used to own this land, " my mother would say, "and it had all kinds of trees: olive, chestnuts, apples, pears, plums, figs, so much fruit." She would reminisce over this land and the bounty it provided, and the recipes and dishes that came from so much "free" produce. While owning land does offer a "free" bounty, it's never without hard work.
Over time, that land was sold and it was never family-owned during the time I lived there. Eventually, we did own another plot of land, but the trees there were mostly olive trees. I have such fond memories of going there and picking olives, by hand. We'd bring a picnic basket full of salumi and crusty bread, some vino for the adults, and after a morning picking olives, we'd break for lunch. My sister and I would often complain, whine and moan pretty much the entire day other than lunchtime! The things we take for granted when we don't know any better! It's uncertain if this recipe was born out of that original plot of land. My mom has been baking this apple cake "forever," and it's one of our family's fall favorite. We sometimes substitute the apples for bosc pears, but since we went apple-picking yesterday, we stuck to the original version. It's light, fragrant and the perfect match to a hot cup of coffee or tea. 
The apple pieces should be fairly small for even baking.
Incorporate apples by hand, not the mixer.
I had some lovely sugar crystals I brought back from Italy, but you can add regular sanding sugar or some cinnamon mixed with the sugar.
Delicious and quick! This makes a great hostess gift now that the holidays are coming up!
Ingredients
Non-stick Cooking Spray 1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature 3/4 cups granulated sugar 3 eggs 1/2 cup milk (whole/2%/skim) citrus zest (from 1 lemon or 1 orange) 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour - sifted 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 4 apples of your choice (gala, granny smith, red delicious) Optional - the below are optional toppings to the cake: 1 - 2 tablespoons sanding sugar 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon mixed with 1 - 2 tablespoons sanding sugar Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9-inch or 10-inch round pan by spraying it with nonstick cooking spray, or cover with a thin layer of butter and flour the pan. Set aside. 2. With the mixer on low-medium, start by beating the softened butter together with the granulated sugar until the mixture is well mixed and incorporated. 3. Add the eggs, one at a time, the milk and lemon or orange zest. Mix well after each addition. 4. With the mixer on low, add the sifted flour and baking powder. Also add the salt. 5. Peel the apples, cut them into very small cubes and add them to the mixture and incorporate them using a rubber spatula, not the mixer. 6. Arrange the cake batter in the prepared pan. Spreading evenly. Add the sugar crystals or some cinnamon sugar, if using. Bake in a preheated oven for 38 - 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out dry. 8. Remove from the oven and let it cool completely before removing from the pan. (If you serve the cake warm or hot, it will appear undercooked, so best to cool completely before serving.)
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Ready to make your 2020 Italian Travel Dreams come true? Consider joining us in one of our Culinary Adventures! CHIANTI: MAY 1 - MAY 8, 2020. Click here for all trip info on this great adventure! AMALFI: MAY 10 - 17, 2020. Click here for all trip info on this great adventure! EMILIA ROMAGNA: MAY 19 - 26, 2020. Click here for all trip info on this great adventure! SICILY: SEPTEMBER 1 - 8, 2020. Click here for all trip info on this great adventure! CHRISTMAS in TUSCANY: DECEMBER 4 - 11, 2020. Click here for all trip info on this great adventure! 
The colors of Amalfi are simply incomparable.
The SS 163 road in Italy is perhaps the most scenic, the most picturesque, the most dramatic, and certainly the most thrilling. SS 163 is also known as The Amalfi Drive. And it’s the road that connects all the towns on the Amalfi Coast.
Kissed by the sun and like a balcony overlooking the turquoise sea, the Amalfi Coast is one of Italy’s top destinations, and for good reasons. Adored by the celebrities and commoners alike, the picture perfect destination boasts seas and mountains, delicious cuisine and scenes like none others, even for beautiful Italy. Attracting artists from across the globe, the Amalfi Coast is easily Italy’s most scenic stretch of coastline and has been pulling in the creative types for centuries. A World Heritage Site since 1997, one look may make you believe that you have found heaven on earth. With some 5 million visitors annually, one look from above any of its many cliffs will easily stun even the most well-seasoned traveler. 
If you're ever lost in Amalfi, just look for the Duomo of Sant' Andrea.
Thirteen coastal towns make up what is known as the Amalfi Coast, each with unique characteristics of their own. Positano and Amalfi are easily the most recognized, but don’t miss towns such as Ravello, Atrani and Minori.
The coast, of course, is no longer a hamlet of humble fishermen it once used to be. It is, however, still extraordinarily fascinating, especially in the eyes of those who visit for the first time. The most captivating feature, in fact, is its prevalent vertical development. The houses cling on to one another, almost clinging to the rock that slopes gently down the sea. 
No caption needed, but one of the most recognized location in the world, Amalfi.
For fame and frequency, Positano is second only to Capri as far as visitors go. A major tourist destination, crowded during the summer months, any of the towns in the Amalfi Coast are best visited during spring and fall, when the coast demonstrates its best to all the visitors, minus the thousands of visitors flocking to it during the summer months.
Positano is famous all over the world for the handcrafted production of sandals and clothes, and walking through its narrow streets full of boutiques and shops is truly a gratifying experience. Shopping in Positano is a must-do activity. The many shops range from local crafts to luxury boutiques, all overlooking the waterfront, of course. Also worth visiting is the Church of Santa Maria Assunta, with its dome soaring in the middle of the city. 
The dome of the Church of Santa Maria Assunta in Positano will always guide you back, if lost on your way.
Amalfi shares with Positano the reputation of the most important place on the Coast. Which of the two is most beautiful remains to be decided. You can be the judge of that for yourself when you visit. A small town rich in history and art, it has long been dominated by the long staircase to the Cathedral of Sant’ Andrea. Also not to be missed is the paper museum. Among the other things to do in Amalfi, we recommend sampling the local specialty: the limoncello, produced with the lemons of the Coast.
Immediately after Amalfi, Ravello is the ideal destination for those who want some time away from the crowds. Located more than 300 meters above sea level and offering magnificent views, Ravello boasts a cooler climate that is certainly welcomed during sightseeing and walking. As for the things to see, Villa Rufolo and Villa Cimbrone are a must. The first, hosts a series of high-level musical events, especially during the Ravello Festival. Villa Cimbrone, on the other hand, is now a 5-star hotel, with an extraordinary panoramic garden. Defined as one of the most beautiful and evocative place in the world, the gardens of Villa Cimbrone are a must-see stop. Open all year round, you can enjoy a breathtaking view across the entire coast. The “Terrace of the Infinite” describes this incomparable natural balcony, adorned with eighteenth-century marble, from which sky and sea are so vividly blue that it is not possible to distinguish them. Also worth a visit is the Cathedral, which dominates the square of the same name. The best season to visit the Amalfi coast is definitely spring. The advantage of April, May and June is that the days get longer, the climate becomes milder, everything blooms, and perhaps most importantly, there is no heat and the crowds of summer. 
Villa Cimbrone is beautifully adorned with statues throughout the garden.
Are you ready to experience Amalfi for yourself? We're going in May 2020 for a culinary & culture tour and want you to join us! See below link for tour info. Space is limited!
The scent of lemons in Amalfi can be spotted everywhere!
Images courtesy of iStock.
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Ready to make your 2020 Italian Travel Dreams come true? Consider joining us in one of our Culinary Adventures! CHIANTI: MAY 1 - MAY 8, 2020. Click here for all trip info on this great adventure! AMALFI: MAY 10 - 17, 2020. Click here for all trip info on this great adventure! EMILIA ROMAGNA: MAY 19 - 26, 2020. Click here for all trip info on this great adventure! SICILY: SEPTEMBER 1 - 8, 2020. Click here for all trip info on this great adventure! CHRISTMAS in TUSCANY: DECEMBER 4 - 11, 2020. Click here for all trip info on this great adventure! 
I mean, how cute is my tray?!
Oh October.... The month in which my stand mixer comes out of hiding and back to its permanent location on my counter. I admit, it gets a few months' rest during the summer, mainly because I'm generally in Italy and frankly, I don't bake nearly as much in the summer. Summer is all about no-bake cheesecakes, nutella & mascarpone pie, semifreddi (a delicious concoction of frozen deliciousness) and puddings. But come October, and it's about the biscotti, the crostate and other cookies and cakes. Not to mention, it's time to start testing new holiday recipes!
And then there's pumpkin.... By late August, it's pumpkin lattes, pumpkin this, pumpkin that... But unless it's October, I'm not ready for pumpkin anything! And just when I thought I couldn't tolerate one more pumpkin recipe, I get inspired to create pumpkin biscotti! They go great with a latte, are super easy to make and last at least a week in an airtight container, if you don't eat them all before, that is! I started making these last year. I started playing with a traditional biscotti recipe, and this is the result. I recently served these after a cooking class and the students loved them. Try making them yourself and a super easy treat that goes so great with coffee and tea! 
Just a few ingredients are needed!
How easy are these, mix everything in one bowl!
Pumpkin Biscotti
Ingredients 4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature 2/3 cups sugar 1 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 large egg 1/2 cup canned pumpkin purée 2 cups all-purpose flour coarse sugar for topping Directions:
Ready to go for their second bake!
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Ready to make your 2020 Italian Travel Dreams come true? Consider joining us in one of our Culinary Adventures! CHIANTI: MAY 1 - MAY 8, 2020. Click here for all trip info on this great adventure! AMALFI: MAY 10 - 17, 2020. Click here for all trip info on this great adventure! EMILIA ROMAGNA: MAY 19 - 26, 2020. Click here for all trip info on this great adventure! SICILY: SEPTEMBER 1 - 8, 2020. Click here for all trip info on this great adventure! CHRISTMAS in TUSCANY: DECEMBER 4 - 11, 2020. Click here for all trip info on this great adventure! 
And just like that, after almost 7 weeks, I am officially back to Boston from Italy!
As always, returning from Italy, especially after almost two months, takes some readjusting. Today, I had one of those "last week at this time" moments. You know the ones, when you come back from being away, you start thinking what you were doing "last week at this time." Please tell me I am not the only one that has these moments?
When I look back at my many pictures of this past summer, I am just so overjoyed, my heart is so full.
The trip started with some time in Calabria, my native region. While the first few weeks definitely included some beach time and some downtime, it didn't last long! Soon thereafter, I was planning for the Puglia and Sicily culinary & culture tours, and also researching, researching and researching some more for my new 2020 Calabria tour. I'm really happy to report that after years of trying to meet the right people, the right location, the right everything, the Calabria tour for September 2020 is coming along nicely. It takes a long time to make these decisions, to make sure I make the right partnerships, so I can offer a quality program. And I'm happy to report, that I have done just that for Calabria 2020. But I'm getting ahead of myself! Let's talk about the recent tours: Puglia and Sicily! 
After a full year of planning and organizing, the Puglia and Sicily trips took place the first two weeks in September. In Puglia, we stayed a few days in Lecce, where we got to know this city well by staying right in the city center and enjoying a guided tour, visiting Piazza Duomo, Piazza St. Oronzo, Porta Napoli and many more historical sites. The baroque art is overwhelming in Lecce, and we had to take it all in for a few days before moving on to our next destination. While in Puglia, we also visited the famous city of Alberobello, where we were welcomed inside a Trullo, the famous cone-shaped homes. An afternoon in Ostuni and Cisternino required a full battery on the camera as a picture moment was present at every turn! We also visited Gallipoli and Galatina, and were delighted to try a delicious pasticciotto at Pasticceria Ascalone, the very bakery where these delicious treats were created. They were still warm while we ate them!
We toured Otranto, Martina Franca and the stunning Polignano a Mare. We sang "Volare" in front of the Domenico Modugno statue, this iconic singer is one of Polignano a Mare's most famous former resident. And perhaps everyone's favorite activity was cooking with local mamas during our hands-on cooking class. We drank wine in local bistros and learned all about olive oil in a century old agriturismo. And just like that, our week in the heel of Italy was over. Eleven people joined me in Puglia and I cannot begin to thank them all enough for allowing me to share with them my Italy, my native land. I will treasure each of them dearly for life. See below slide show of our week in Puglia.
Immediately after Puglia, I moved on to Sicily.
From Catania airport, I traveled further south to Ortigia, the city-center for Syracuse. Ortigia is a tiny island and it was our home base for the week. Unlike Puglia, where I met 11 wonderful strangers, I knew just about everyone on this tour from either past trips, cooking classes or having met at one of my cookbook signings, so I must say, it was like reuniting with friends for the week. The week started by visiting the beautifully colorful Ortigia market. This is one of my favorite markets in Italy and it's a daily show for the locals. The stalls display beautiful produce, tempting dried fruits and nuts, and a large assortment of freshly caught seafood. Our chef-instructor introduced us to various products before taking us to her kitchen for our cooking class! We prepared arancini, a very typical Sicilian treat, and sarde beccafico, another typical local dish of sardines stuffed with breadcrumbs, pine nuts and herbs. In the evening of our first full day, we enjoyed a tasty walking tour of Ortigia, sampling various seafood dishes, parmigiana, more arancini and ending it all with cannoli. A great first day indeed. The rest of the week included day trips to Noto and Marzamemi. If you have ever been to either, you know well the beauty that is the Cathedral in Noto, among other wonderful churches in the area. After spending the morning and early afternoon in Noto, we visited Marzamemi. We enjoyed a delicious late lunch with a stunning view of the sea. We lingered for hours, drank wine under the sun and really enjoyed the breeze and each others company. Later in the week we visited Gambino Winery, on the slopes of Mt. Etna. We graciously sampled their wines, ate their delicious treats and took in the beautiful scenery. It was here that one of our travelers became speechless. He had no words for what he was seeing and was having a "moment." The scenery was so beautiful, the weather perfect, the company from our group amazing. It also happens to me often that I become speechless while traveling with my groups. I am overcome with gratitude, and I think so was he. A long, multi-course lunch on the grounds of Parco Statella, a rural restaurant in Randazzo topped off an already perfect day. But we weren't done yet, later in the week, we visited the bustling city of Catania for a delicious walking tour of the market, and the next day, we went to Taormina for our 2nd hands on-cooking class and some shopping town in one of Sicily's most visited city. See below slideshow of our week in Sicily!
Between my time spent in Calabria, for both research and vacation, and time spent on the tours, I was in Italy for about 7 weeks and it was honestly amazing being there during this time.
People often ask me if traveling to Italy gets tiring. Is it physically tiring? Sure, sometimes it is. I always say that one should be in moderate health and shape to truly enjoy traveling. But it never, never, gets mentally tiring. Even visiting cities multiple times, even when the experiences are repeats for me, it's never tiring. I ended up seeing Italy for the first time again with my travelers. I see things differently when I am traveling with someone who has never been to that location. It's like seeing Italy for the 1st time, even for me. I hope you'll consider joining me in 2020 for some amazing Italian experiences. We're thinking of retuning to Sicily next year. We rarely repeat from year to year, but Sicily is so amazing, I want to return myself and want you to join me! *************************************************************************************************************************** Ready to make your 2020 Italian Travel Dreams come true? Consider joining us in one of our Culinary Adventures! CHIANTI: MAY 1 - MAY 8, 2020. Click here for all trip info on this great adventure! AMALFI: MAY 10 - 17, 2020. Click here for all trip info on this great adventure! EMILIA ROMAGNA: MAY 19 - 26, 2020. Click here for all trip info on this great adventure! SICILY: SEPTEMBER 1 - 8, 2020. Click here for all trip info on this great adventure! CHRISTMAS in TUSCANY: DECEMBER 4 - 11, 2020. Click here for all trip info on this great adventure! 
Decisions, decisions....
How to order gelato in Italy??? Really?
Do we really need a blog post on how to order ice cream? How hard can it be? First, let's not call gelato "ice cream." I don't care what the guidebook or translator says! And yes, we do need a post, and here's why. Having a real gelato in Italy should be on everyone's must do list when traveling there. To go to Italy and not stop at a real authentic gelateria would be like going to Pisa and not seeing the leaning tower, or to Rome and not stopping at Trevi. It's practically unheard of and you would be doing yourself a disservice and severely missing out. 
Perhaps my two faves: hazelnut and zuppa Inglese - Zuppa inglese is similar to eggnog, only not really, and way better!
First, let's identify the recommended location to purchase your gelato. You have the obvious, gelateria, the bar, the pasticceria and even the supermarket. The gelateria is the place to be, where they specialize in just gelato, where you will find the largest selection, the freshest flavors and the most qualified staff to scoop you the perfect gelato. Up next is the bar. Keep in mind that the "bar" in Italy isn't selling you beer and wine, but it's essentially a cafe. Their specialty is espresso, cappuccino and morning pastry. They all frequently sell gelato, especially in the summer months. Next is the pasticcerie. They specialize in pastries, such as rum babas, spogliatelle, paragine, and so much more. They are delicious and glorious, but they do not specialize in gelato. Like bars, they might sell some gelato in the summer, but it's not the first place to go if gelato is what you are after. Next is the supermarket. Picking up some gelato at the supermarket while doing your weekly shopping is a great option. Even the mass produced, packaged gelato is of great quality and far superior and tastier than what we know as ice cream here in the US.
So.... with that knowledge, I highly suggest going to a gelateria for your best gelato experience. Bars are a close second option, and I should emphasize that while their flavor selection is perhaps smaller, the quality is still great. 
Just another day in front of Dondoli Gelateria in San Gimignano? Worth the wait? Let's go and you decide!
If you are going to go for the gelateria option, there are a few things to keep in mind.
If you are used to eating your food first, then paying for it, you're going to have to change that mentality for the gelateria. You actually pay first. For most shops, when you walk in, you will see a beautiful window displaying their goods. Tucked in some corner in the gelateria, or perhaps in full view, you will see a counter clerk sitting behind a cash register. (Yes, cashiers sit in Italy, but that's neither here nor there!) It is there that you go and pay for your treats. Tell him or her what you want and how many, pay accordingly and he/she will hand you a receipt. If you aren't sure yet what you want, it's perfectly acceptable to take a peak first, before making your way to pay. Next up, take that receipt to the clerk behind the counter to be served. Keep in mind, gelaterie in the summer get very, very crowded and Italians don't like forming lines, for just about anything! Be respectable, but do let them know when you are next (if in fact, you are). Usually, waving your receipt to the clerk will get their attention. 
All that untouched gelato waiting for you!
Next decision to make? Your vessel of choice to carry your gelato. Will it be a cup, cone or panino?
Cup requires little explanation, it's just that. Great for kids to eat while in a stroller, and an equally great option if you are a whipped cream person. Speaking from just what I have seen in Italy, I do believe this to be the least used option, this is just from what I have seen, I don't have real statistics here! Next up is the cone. Most popular cones in Italy are the sugar ones. Pointy and crisp, they are more widely used than what we know as cake cones here in the states. Some gelaterie make their own, most do not, but you will know if yours is freshly made! It's delicious and a treat in itself, not just as an option to carry your gelato. A larger waffle cone is also available. A fresh cone almost tastes like a vanilla pizzelle. But my preferred option, the most caloric option, the one that will replace a full meal, is a panino al gelato. It's exactly as it sounds. A freshly made (sometimes it's still warm when served!) butter brioche bun, cut in half and filled with gelato, topped with freshly made whipped cream. It's literally, heaven on a plate. If the bun is warm, it slightly melts the gelato a bit, soaking in all the deliciousness. It's a messy, over the top treat that everyone should experience at least once in their life. Or once a day while on vacation. You're going to want to sit down for this one. 
Selfie time with our gelato in Rome!
Once you have decided on your vessel of choice and paid for it, it's time for the most important decision: flavors. Every gelateria will have the staple flavors: coffee, hazelnut, chocolate chip, chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, pistachio, lemon and the like. If in season, many will have other flavors such as fig, cantaloupe or other seasonal fruit. If you can't tell the flavor by looking at them, don't worry, name cards are placed near by, and many are also in English. If in doubt, feel free to point to one and ask: "Che gusto e'?" Meaning, what flavor is that? It's ok to ask for a sample, if it's not crowded, even two. But don't push it, you will not be favored much by the staff if you start asking to try all 30 + flavors!
When combining your flavors, keep in mind how they will compliment each other. For example, some of my favorites include hazelnut, coffee, pistachio, lemon, banana, peach and coffee. You can see how some of these will match well, while others do not. For example: lemon and coffee? No thanks! Lemon and peach? Perfectly refreshing! Hazelnut and pistachio are also a great combo. I try to limit my selection to two flavors. I am always tempted to go for three, but find that that can be over the top, even for me. And whipped cream? Always! After all, gelato is made with much less fat than US ice creams, so I am saving on calories there, load me up on the whipped cream! Having a gelato in Italy is an authentic of an experience as anything. A delicious gelato in a great gelateria in a world-class city such as Rome or Florence (or anywhere in Italy for that matter) might end up being one of your favorite memories of the trip! As for me: Io prendo una brioche al gelato, nocciola e pistaccio, con panna! ;) 
This is a brioche al gelato. A southern Italian favorite.
Key vocabulary for your visit:
gusti - flavors sorbetto - sorbet or sherbet cono - cone copetta - cup panna - whipped cream piccolo - small medio - medium grande - large crema - cream (similar to US's version of vanilla) stracciatella - chocolate chip nocciola - hazelnut cafe - espresso cioccolato - chocolate fragola - strawberry
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Ready to make your 2020 Italian Travel Dreams come true? Consider joining us in one of our Culinary Adventures! CHIANTI: MAY 1 - MAY 8, 2020. Click here for all trip info on this great adventure! AMALFI: MAY 10 - 17, 2020. Click here for all trip info on this great adventure! EMILIA ROMAGNA: MAY 19 - 26, 2020. Click here for all trip info on this great adventure! SICILY: SEPTEMBER 1 - 8, 2020. Click here for all trip info on this great adventure! CHRISTMAS in TUSCANY: DECEMBER 4 - 11, 2020. Click here for all trip info on this great adventure! |
