Francesca Zani

      What is there to do here on the weekends? Watch the cat pounce around the courtyard, bike to the Saturday market, buy a pasticiotto from La Cometa in the center of town, enjoy leftovers from the week and drink tea while…

 The Italian persons perspective on food is of great importance. As Chef Odette say’s “you must smell everything”; you want to get a feel for the food using all of your senses. We made fish in class today and I got to make…

I am so in love with pasta. I think most people feel this way about it, but if they were in my head they may have something different to say. It’s kind of like how people have obsessions with boy bands or baby…

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…

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,…

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…

It’s been awhile since I’ve spoken about sweets, so here’s a dose of everything dolci packed into one day. The fruit here is amazing, but we can’t just eat that. And for many, fried foods are a delight, and most of the desserts…

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…

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….

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…

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…

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…

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…

I have enjoyed all the varied cuisines of Italy up until this point, but then we got to dip our Italian feet into something a bit more diverse. Trentino Alto Adige borders Switzerland, Austria, and beyond that Hungary and Germany which means the…

Small crescent-shaped Liguria curves the west coast of Italy. How else should I explain this region other than the excellent fish harvested? Red Mullet, Octopus, and Shrimp are some of the best products they offer too. Oh, and I must not forget about…

My dearest Christopher, I wish you were here to make these with me so we could eat them together again… Not too long ago when you took me to Marea for lunch, we had a surprise dessert course with a few fluffy puffs…

One day we will drink together, communally sharing the warm feeling of hot coffee, grappa, and cinnamon in our tummies. LA GROLLA DELL’AMICIZIA is this wooden carafe from Valle d’Aosta that stays true to its meaning of commensality. Its purpose is for all…

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….

There are so many ways to cook Polenta in Lombardia so it’s important I showcase at least one of- what I think- is super unique. It totally looks like a chicken nugget, but you will never find that in the cuisine here unless…

I like the thought of eating spicy food, but I can only bear the heat so much. Thinking about pepperoncino brings me memories of Chinese dumplings dipped in chili oil. Nduja sausage is melted into candele pasta- a foot long pasta that’s slightly…

So I wonder why they named this island Sardinia. Although I am sure you can find sardines in this region, they don’t play a huge role in their cuisine as they do in Sicily. The food in this region is consistent throughout. Some…

The Sicilians were first to lay their hands on the eggplant in Italy. They are called dangerous by their name mela- apple and inzana- unhealthy. Since they are a nightshade veggie just as tomatoes and potatoes are, and they have harmful side effects…

I think it’s fitting, a fairy tale meal in a castle that is. We found it hard to come up with a theme, thought thru and thru what we would do and we finally thought it be kind of charming to do an…

It’s always bittersweet leaving something behind; family, friends, pets, the comfort of your home and cozy bed. It’s always that eerie feeling leaving behind an experience, or a larger part of a lifetime… like tomorrow when I depart from Ugento, Puglia. I don’t…

Italy has a hard time keeping savory food salty. With sweet boiled dumplings and plums stuffed inside potato dough, they are so on to something many outside Europe would be skeptical of trying. Torta di Latticini alla Lucana is “technically” a savory pie with ricotta,…

After picking up my dear Christopher at the airport we spent the day in Polignamo a Mare catching fish. Not really, but we did eat some raw seafood, practically fresh off the boat! We ate at a place called Da Tuccino, best known…

Everyone says you must eat like a Roman in Rome so that means Pork Jowl, and lots of pepper and parmesan. The trio of pastas you will find on every single menu in Rome are Amatriciana, Carbonara, and Cacio e Pepe. So of…

Wouldn’t it be a bit ironic if I hadn’t spent time in Puglia learning tradition from the ones who inhabit the land? I was fortunate amongst others to take the time and watch a home cook dwindle her hands through focaccia dough, clean…

Truly delighted by the pastry shop in Brescia. The cafe vibe is just as lovely as the people and I am grateful to be here! After arriving I took a stroll down the street to scope out the work space and was granted…

I recently found out that the origins of Panettone is Milan, Lombardy and so of course I had to find a way to either eat it or make it. I never liked Panettone growing up as we would always receive one or two…

It’s not a glamorous life, but it’s a good one. The sentimental feeling of driving miles up the curvy mountains of Pontremoli, Tuscany to a village the size of a small street  where your grandmother once grew up, was invaluable. It was like I…

I can’t really explain the timing of this journey. Some students who travel abroad would say that it seemed like ages since they last slept in their beds at home, some would say it has not been long enough and they don’t want…

CULATELLO  There’s an eerie feeling walking into a salumi dungeon. The smell of ammonium almost suffocating as the mold spores from the exterior soil wraps the culatello (think of it like terroir). They hang from the ceiling and taper down on chains waiting…