Recipe for Sicilian Sardines "a Beccafico"
Filed Under Destination Features, Food History, Kitchen Tips, Recipes Italy
Sicily is one of our most popular destinations, and it's no wonder when you consider the amazing and diverse gastronomy that you will find on the island. The coastal areas obviously will give you more fish and seafood dishes, including a lot of different preparations of one of the Mediterranean's prized fish: the sardine. In the US sardines are found in tins, and not exactly considered a gourmet food. But… Read
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Melanzane alla Parmigiana (Recipe for Eggplant Parmesan)
Filed Under Food History, Kitchen Tips, Recipes Italy
What is "parimgiana?" You will see this word on recipes and menus in Italy, but what exactly is it? In a nutshell, it means it is a dish made with a tomato sauce and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (or a similar substitute). When you see "alla" incuded in the name of an Italian dish, it generally means "in the style of." Some classic examples, besides melanzane alla parimgiana, are pasta alla norma,… Read
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Recipe for Moroccan Harira (Chickpea and Lentil Soup)
Filed Under Food History, Kitchen Tips, Recipes Morocco
Harira is one of my favorite Moroccan dishes. There are many variations but they all include legumes (usually lentils and chickpeas), tomato, onion, turmeric, and herbs. It is sometimes thickened with egg or a slurry (a mixture of flour and water, called a tedouira in Moroccan cuisine), although it will thicken on its own if left overnight. Harira is a dish traditionally served during Ramadan, but can be enjoyed throughout… Read
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Five Things You Didn't Know about Champagne
Filed Under Destination Features, Food History, Wines & Spirits France
Everyone loves champagne. This exquisite sparkling wine is known the world over as the wine par excellence for celebrating. But it's much more than that! Check below for 5 things you might not have realized about this famous bubbly. But before getting to those, let's recap what makes champagne champagne, and not just another sparkling wine. What Makes Champagne Champagne A sparkling wine has 3 basic rules it needs to… Read
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The Foods of Molise: What to Eat and Drink in Molise
Filed Under Destination Features, Food History, Travel Tips Italy
When clients ask us where to go for an ultra-authentic cooking vacation in Italy, some place off the beaten path where they can experience authentic Italian life and flavors, one of our first answers is Molise! Molise, as we have noted elsewhere, is so little-traveled by tourist, and so unknown even by Italians from other reasons, that it is jokingly said "not to exist." But it does exist, and it… Read
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Recipe for Casunziei: Beet-Filled Ravioli from the Dolomites
Filed Under Destination Features, Food History, Recipes Italy
One of the more unique recipes for ravioli that you will find are Casunziei ampezzani, named for the town of Cortina d'Ampezzo in Dolomites of the Veneto region. This half-moon pasta can be filled with a variety of seasonal produce, but is most often filled with a mix of beetroot and potato, making it very colorful. It is served dressed with a butter and poppy seeds, giving it a very… Read
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