Archive for 'Food and Wine'

If you have found a vacation rental in Italy and are planning your trip, you probably have certain images and ideas in mind. No doubt, you are most likely looking forward to a different pace of life, relaxing and taking it easy and the best thing for that? Italian wine, of course! Just imagine it, sitting out in one of our stunning rentals, a glass of wine in hand, a setting sun and a wonderful view to enjoy.

For those interested in learning more about Italian wine, tasting it and finding some of the best wine to bring home, just take a look at our list of some of the best wineries and vineyards in the country that are open for visits, tours and tastings!

Pignoli are Sicilian cookies; a type of macaroon typical to Sicily that is popular cookie throughout all of southern Italy, as well as in Sicilian communities in the US. There are many relatives and similar cookies that can be found through Italy and is also quite like the panellets served on All Saints Day in Catalonia. Made with almond paste, they belong to the amaretto family of biscuits.

These delicious crescent or round biscuits are golden in colour and are studded with golden pine nuts, which are also called pignoli and for which they were named. Moist, soft and chewy, they are, sadly, usually reserved for special occasions such as holidays like Christmas. This is due to the fact that almond paste and pine nuts are the primary ingredients and both are relatively expensive. However, they can still be found with relative ease in bakeries and food stores throughout Sicily. Just find a vacation rental in Sicily and you can try them for yourself.

Spaghetti alla Puttanesca is an Italian pasta dish that is said to have been invented in Naples in the mid-20th century. The name literally means "spaghetti in the style of a prostitute" in Italian but don't get too carried away! While the etymology of the name once linked the dish to courtesans of old who were said to favour it as it was quick to make in between appointments, or because it smelled good enough to lure clients in from the street, neither of these two stories seem particularly convincing.

Caponata is an eggplant (aubergine) salad dish from Sicily that consists of chopped fried eggplant and celery seasoned with sweetened vinegar, with capers in a sweet and sour sauce. There are all sorts of regional variations but the original is, indeed, a Sicilian dish. The scholar, Alberto Denti di Pirajno, suggested that the dish was born aboard a ship as a mariner's breakfast, due to the large amount of vinegar used, which would have acted as a preservative. Giuseppe Coria, an authoritative voice on the history of Sicilian cooking, meanwhile, suggests that its name comes from the Latin word “caupo” (tavern) and was, as such, originally a tavern food for travelers. Sicilian food authority Pino Correnti believes that its name is derived from the Catalan word “caponada”. Despite the lack of clarity around the exact origins and invention of the dish, it is to originally be of Spanish origin.

Genoa is an often overlooked Italian gem, a stunning city on the Italian Riviera that is rich in culture and history, has a lovely Old Town and an endless list of things to see and do. In this final post in this series, we have the final installment of our ten reasons why you really do need to make time to visit this incredible city. Just find a villa in Liguria and visit Genoa for yourself.

9. The Doge's Palace

Between 1339 and 1797 the then Republic of Genoa, a state of the Holy Roman Empire, was ruled by the Doges of Genoa, who resided in the Doge's Palace. A striking and elegant building, it is one of the architectural gems of the city. Altered many times over the years, it is now a public building that can be visited and you can also take organised tours of the building's historic tower and prisons.