Category Archives: Italian Food

When Life Hands You Lemons, Make Cake

Amalfi lemon

I have been waiting for the laundry to finish so that I can make lemon cake. This has less to do with laundry being time intensive (it’s quite simple, once I actually put the sheets IN the machine), and more with electricity. My washing machine is directly next to my oven. These appliances are found […]

Fette Biscottate: Italy’s Terrible Cracker Cookie

In a country like Italy, a place completely dead set against many incarnations of pre-made food, there remain notable exceptions. Allow me to present you with frozen pizza topped with french fries and hotdogs and fette biscottate.  I’ve written about 6 things I’ve learned after 6 years in Italy, but after 6.5 years in Italy […]

Roasted Chestnuts in Rome: A winter time snack

As I was leaving Piazza Navona, I glanced over my shoulder for one last look at the Roman square in the evening light. I spotted a chestnut seller doing the same. In the colder months (and, bizarrely, also in the warmer months now) you will find street sellers on Rome’s corners selling freshly roasted chestnuts […]

Fave dei Morti: Italian Cookies for the Day of the Dead

While Halloween is gaining in popularity, there are other Italian holidays that take precedent this week. The 1st of November is All Saints’ Day (Ognissanti), with the Day of the Dead following straight behind on November 2nd. One of the traditional foods to eat on the Italian Day of the Dead (la commemorazione dei defunti) […]