I moved to Italy expecting great food. I had no idea that it would be something as simple and fundamental as olive oil that would forever alter my tastes. New olive oil is impossibly green: It is a greenness that you can taste. New olive oil still has the flavor of the earth that the […]
Category Archives: Italian Food
I would love to be able to grow my own basil, but I kill every green thing that has the misfortune of crossing my doorstep. There’s something about the daily watering that makes something in my brain click and go “Whoa. Plant. Look. That’s a major commitment that you seem to be looking for. I’m […]
Cacio e pepe is a Roman dish, it is also the best “macaroni and cheese” that you will ever eat. This is the dish that reminds me of home, even though making comparisons to Kraft dinners is probably sacrilege. Cacio is a Roman cheese, and pepe is simply black pepper. Throw that on top of […]
Recently, we had a craving for pizza. There are no shortages of great pizzerias in Rome, but we decided that the only thing that would do was a trip Naples. A 9 Euro train ticket and a 2 hour ride later, we were standing in front of Da Michele. Da Michele is not a highly […]
Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your eyes- and your extensive knowledge of all things Italian. What IS this: All the holiday fairs means lots of candy stands and this fruit is mocking me from the stalls. Every vendor I meet, I ask “Come si chiama in inglese?” What is it called in English? “Non esiste.” […]
How to eat panettone, Italy’s favorite Christmas cake
Favorite thing about December in Italy so far? Clementines. They are EVERYWHERE. In every store, at every fruit stand and even growing on trees lining the streets of Rome. My main man at the Vittorio Emanuele market has these babies on sale for 0.80 Euro a kilo. I’ve been eating them like candy. Sorry they […]
I have just returned to Rome after a lovely visit to a working farm near Pienza. We sampled salami and prosciutto and were then introduced to the piggies. “Pre-prosciutto.”