Archive for 'Recipes'

  

Monday, November 13, 2017
Vincisgrassi
It looks like lasagna but it isn't lasagna; at least not in name. Vincisgrassi is a typical dish, and one of the most eaten regional dishes, of the Le Marche region of Italy and while it is very similar to lasagna: don't call it that! Vincisgrassi has its own distinct history and is an important symbol of Le Marche cuisine together. There are countless variations from all over the region and from household to household but, no matter what variation you manage to get your hands on, if you have found a vacation rental in Le Marche and are exploring this scenic and fascinating region, you cannot leave without tasting a portion of Vincisgrassi! Like a lasagna but richer and with more ingredients, it is the perfect comfort food to give you the energy to traverse the region.

The origins of the dish are, however, swamped in a bit of mystery. There are two legends about how it was created and both are passionately disputed to this day. The first story actually also has two versions, both of which date back to the period of Napoleonic rule, when the region had been taken over by Napoleon's troops.     Read More
Posted in: Central Italy, Food and Wine, History, Recipes, The Marches

  

Friday, October 27, 2017
Hot Chocolate
I will admit something in writing that horrifies most Italians I meet: I don't like coffee. I know, it's sacrilege! When I lived in Italy, people couldn't accept this and tried again and again to make me see the error of my ways but no matter how it was made, I couldn't be convinced. I took a sip or two and couldn't drink any more. Eventually, the mother of the family I was staying with took it upon herself to introduce me to a very chocolatey coffee drink in Turin, telling me that even babies liked it and, maybe, it could be my stepping stone into the world of coffee. She was so excited, I didn't have the heart to say no.

As I expected, it wasn't for me. “Monica,” I said, “I don't think this is for me. I don't really like hot chocolate either, so it's like combining two things I'm not a fan of.”

This horrified her even more. “You don't like hot chocolate either? You've never tried Italian hot chocolate, have you?”     Read More
Posted in: December, Events, Food and Wine, November, Recipes

  

Friday, September 8, 2017
Focaccia
Focaccia is a delicious flat oven-baked Italian bread that is similar to pizza and is topped with herbs and other ingredients. It is an incredibly popular dish throughout all of Italy and is thought to have originated with the Etruscans, but today it is widely associated with Ligurian cuisine. The long line of coastal towns in this region meant that a large number of local variations were born in Liguria such as the biscuit-hard Focaccia di Camogli, the oily softness of the one made in Voltri and the Focaccia col Formaggio ("focaccia with cheese") made in Recco, near Genoa. Other variations are available all throughout the country but, if you're interested in or love focaccia, Liguria is the place to be. Just find a luxury villa in Liguria and try out as many as you can get your hands on!

For now, while you plan a trip, here is a basic recipe for the kind of standard focaccia that most are familiar with to help whet your apetite.     Read More
Posted in: Food and Wine, Liguria, Northwest Italy, Products & Specialities, Recipes

  

Friday, August 11, 2017
Pignoli
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.     Read More
Posted in: Food and Wine, Main Islands, Recipes, Sicily and Sardinia

  

Friday, August 11, 2017
Caponata
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.     Read More
Posted in: Food and Wine, Main Islands, Recipes, Sicily and Sardinia