Monthly Archives: December 2009

how to make polenta

how to make polenta
I am so excited! My goal was to learn to make focaccia, pizza dough and pasta dough while living in Italy. I figured I could pick up on the nuances of certain foods simply by having the time to cook, repeat and tweak. For example, how many rounds of… [more]

Italian Christmas cookie roundup

Italian Christmas cookie roundup
Christmas in Italy is generally celebrated from December 24 until January 6. So there is still ample time for Italian Christmas cookies! Since I am in Florence for a year, there is no better time or place to uncover the requisite list of Italy’s Christmas cookie (and cake) traditions. This… [more]

5 last-minute gifts to make (from your kitchen)

5 last-minute gifts to make (from your kitchen)
It is almost too late to post about food gifts for this Christmas… except that you might want to give some last minute gifts to teachers, friends and hostesses—especially gifts that are unexpected and show how much you appreciate someone. Many of these are so easy to put together,… [more]

what you should know about Chianti wines and vines…

what you should know about Chianti wines and vines...
I love learning about Italian wine, glass by glass, region by region. I had a short writing stint (a few articles) with a travel company in Tuscany, and one of the articles I wrote about was Chianti. It was an excuse to ‘cozy up to the bar.’ Since we… [more]

radicchio made easy.

radicchio made easy.
I confess, radicchio evaded me for many years. I looked at it forlornly… knowing I needed to invite it back to my kitchen, if just for a dabble of this and that. It is a glorious looking vegetable, bursting with purples leaves and white veins, with a flavor pushing… [more]