What do you do with leftovers? This is a question that I admittedly don’t ask myself very often, given that R and I generally tend to clear most of what’s put in front of us. That said, it happens – especially when we have guests. The other day, we had some of R’s family over…
Tag: Italian
New life, new start.
I’ve not been around much I know… sorry! Many, many things have changed since I last wrote a post on this blog. I changed my life some time ago now, leaving corporate marketing to become an English teacher and freelance translator. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made, and has led…
Limoncello
Limoncello… this quintessentially Italian, sweet, aromatic liqueur is incredibly easy to make at home. Who would have thought? All you need is: 1 liter of food grade alcohol (if you can’t get this then strong vodka like Smirnoff blue label may work but it won’t be the same) 5 or 6 organic lemons (sfusato amalfitano…
Chestnut and Chocolate Calzoncelli
Calzoncelli are traditional Christmas pastries from Southern Italy stuffed with a cream of chestnuts and dark chocolate and fried… Incredibly calorific and incredibly delicious! They tend to be made in batches and fortunately they keep for quite a few days. You will need (makes 50) For the pastry… 1kg of plain flour 300g of caster…
Broccoli rabe and Sausage
Salsicce e friarielli from Naples This is a classic “piatto povero”. A simple dish that was cooked by poor people around the capital of Campania when food was scarce. The dish has remained true to its roots in its simplicity and can be found in restaurants and in pizzerias across the region. It’s simple and…
Roast wild boar in rich red wine gravy
I’m just going to come right out and say it: as a rule the Southern Italians (from this area at least) don’t know how to cook game. The meat ends up strongly gamey, tough and dry. The only exception to this is ragù di cinghiale which is a rich pasta sauce made with tomatoes, herbs…
Ricotta and Pear
Ricotta e pera dalla Costiera Amalfitana Combining creamy ricotta, sweet pears and light fluffy nutty biscuit what could be better than a traditional ricotta and pear cake? A tradition of the Amalfi Coast this sweet delight was made famous by one of Italy’s top pastry chefs Sal de Riso – we visit his café regularly…
Wordy Wednesday – E is for Esprimerti
Express yourself! This is what esprimerti means and if you have been learning Italian in a classroom you can probably order a meal and get train tickets, ask directions and talk about your family… but can you express your emotions? Can you express how you really feel? By this I also mean… do you know…
5 ways Italians are different to the British
It can’t be that different, I hear you cry. Both European countries, only one hour of time difference, essentially both “Christian” countries… surely the differences are minimal? Well there are similarities, and culture shock going from the UK to Italy of vice versa is surely not as great is it would be between say the UK and…
Wordy Wednesday – D is for Donna
Not the name. The word donna in Italian means woman. The etymology is simple, from the Latin domna meaning lady or mistress. There are no particular historic connotations of note. However… Italian society is notable for its lack of equality. The statistics speak for themselves. Circa 20% of women in Italy are unemployed in comparison…
Driving in Italy – the real rules of the road
The main rule to keep in mind when driving in Italy is that there are no rules. Or rather, there are, just don’t expect anyone to stick to them. They are more like… guidelines. Which, much like those emanating from the European Union, are routinely ignored. Most people will tell you “don’t drive in Italy” and…
Wordy Wednesday – C is for Ceramica
Ceramica, Ceramic. Practically synonymous with the Amalfi Coast, and in particular with Vietri, the first town on the coast after the city of Salerno. The town is linked to Cava dei Tirreni (a quarry turned city) and the art of ceramic deveoped from there. Vietri is now covered with colourful works of art in ceramic…
lovefromitaly 