Arriving into Napoli was a bit of a hustle. Our bus squeezed its way through the overly crowded city streets, maneuvering past people and cars double-parked on both sides. My mind was fixated on finding the best Sfogliatelle, and I did, quite a few. For dinner we ate some of the most flavorful pizza I…

I’m feeling a bit spoiled because we had a wine tasting during our class with a Sommelier from Bari. We also enjoyed a three course lunch with wine to pair (no spitting allowed). We learned that Italy is keen on producing Green Wines, those that are organic, biodynamic, and natural wines. We also reviewed the…

At the dinner table it’s common for us to say “may you please pass the cheese,” and in those exact words, it refers to a cows milk cheese. If you are eating any other type of cheese you must state the name; for instance “may you please pass the Pecorino Toscano.” As silly as it…

Carnevale is celebrated largely in Veneto on December 21st to February 13th before the no meat streak of Lent begins. It’s a necessary time to make all things fried, sweet and heavy like frittelle di zucca (fried quenelles of pumpkin and raisins) or frittelle di carnevale (fried dough with raisins and pine nuts rolled in granulated sugar). I…

It almost sounds as if  I’m writing the foreword to a romantic story when I speak about how I went to Florence, ate pasta and bought myself flowers. Some of that statement is true, but not all, I did not buy myself flowers. I actually did spend the weekend in Tuscany, touring Florence and the…

Emilia Romagna is one the greatest food regions in Italy because it’s subdivided into provinces that are famous for specialty food items like balsamic vinegar, parmesan, prosciutto, and mortadella. It all makes sense once you realize that geographical locations make up many of the Italian foods. The best balsamic vinegar you will ever try is the…

I cannot say that I have ever tempered chocolate before. Maybe when I was in high school I tried to pour melted chocolate into a mold and call that tempered, but now I know the real deal. No wonder chocolate is such a crafted confection; it takes a lot of patience and efficient effort to…

Nothing is more exciting than going to a pasta factory and taking away a goodie bag full of free artisanal pasta. Benedetto Cavalier pasta factory has been in business for one hundred years cranking pasta in a very special way. The machines, I think, are practically old fashion, running their current life of forty years.  Lovely…

We have traveled up north to find ourselves in a rut full of yummy fried things (again), and some other simple hearty dishes too. A cuopo is a cone full of fried foods usually fish or vegetables and sold as street food in Italy. Since we were making various fried items we thought to make…

This is the week where we venture off to some other parts of Europe that we would never expect to get a taste of. I am finding the ingredients and flavor combos from Italy’s northeastern regions to be some of my favorite food. Friuli Venezia Giulia is described as a “double region” because it borders…