Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino

Trends in food for 2023

2022-09-07T17:29:00.005+02:00

As owners of a travel enterprise, at least once a year my partners and I take a long look at target markets, study consumer behaviors and carry out a deep-dive strategy to set goals, affirm dreams and work to bring our business to the next level.

One of the important aspects of growing our experience-travel company is intercepting upcoming trends. We carry out research, monitor social media and explore industry press to pinpoint these and see how they can improve what we do.

What are the major food trends to expect and observe in 2023?

Food is an extremely dynamic, creative and inspiring sphere. One that influences hospitality, dining habits, and that gives cues to fashion, even! As we plan our course for the new year, we're open to new inclinations and happy to also bid farewell to past years' food trends, including TikTok's baked feta pasta, four-way quesadilla wraps and baked oats.

Based on our most recent studies, here is our list of 2023 food trends.

Continue reading ➔ Food Trends for 2023

American foods I can't find in Italy

2022-02-16T19:17:00.004+01:00

Technically, I am not an American expat. I consider myself more Italian. But I was raised by multicultural parents. And there are times when my American side emerges, begging for Bisquick.

Over the years I have added and removed items from my list of “The American Foods I Miss.” Some, like big-tub chunky peanut butter, Oreos or Häagen-Dazs salted caramel ice cream, are now available in Italian grocery stores. While some others have remained chimeras, only to be enjoyed after westerly intercontinental flights. I’m sharing my list here, guilt-free.

Many of the foods in the list are far from healthy. I know that. But that’s the thing about my life as a dual citizen, straddling two cultures. At a certain point, I get a little homesick for the other half of my roots. The issue arises when old favorites are unavailable or too expensive to have shipped. Life of course moves on, but those guilty pleasure cravings still pang at the gut.

Essentially, these foods were my connection to my American side, to my dad, and how the food that he ate also became my mother’s favorite guilty pleasure, a rarity on this side of the pond. They are an elastic band pulling me back, a bond with my past, my childhood, my parents. A time when I was not the adult. A delicious family attachment that is recreated with every mouthful.

Triscuits & Wheat Thins

These are probably the snacks I miss the most. Both kinds are impossible to find in Italy. My family in California knows that as soon as I land, these are part of the "ASAP" foods I request. The irony is that if you search for the names of these two products on Italian online markets, you can buy T-shirts with the logos, but not the products themselves. Humph.

Clothbound Cheddar

Speaking of cracker snacks, the obvious segue is… cheese. Montebore, Fontina, Gorgonzola, Strachitunt, Mozzarella, Caciocavallo, Robiola. I can go on for days. Cheese is my joy (and part of the reason why I have to train three times a week). Sometimes I stray beyond the Alps for some serious Gruyère, Comté, Langres and Brie de Meaux. But there are moments when all I want is Cheddar. I’m not talking about the orange blocks of processed stuff. I mean the high-quality cheddar that is sadly not that easy to find in Italy. Clothbound cheddar… I dream of you. The solution is crossing the Channel with Cheese Journeys. More on that later.

Sour cream

Continuing in the dairy universe, why is it so hard to score good quality panna acida here in Italy? Is it just Rome? Gillian, help me!

Canned Buttermilk Biscuits

My erotic dream is peeling apart the warm, flaky layers of just-baked biscuit dough. The thing is, there is no refrigerated biscuit dough in Italy. Here, most don’t even know what southern style buttermilk biscuits are! As a matter of fact, even buttermilk is hard to score in the boot-shaped peninsula. Yes, I could be making these from scratch. But the joy of popping open the cardboard jar by hitting it on the side of the counter and slicing the biscuits, only to eat them a few short minutes later… is priceless.

Concord grape products

First of all I ask for a moment of silence for Welch's concord grape jelly, which has been sadly discontinued. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches will never be the same again. Secondly, shall we mention the same brand of grape juice? The kind that leaves tongues purple and that personally hurls me straight back to summer day camp, circa 1979. Very hard to find in Italy.

English Muffins

In the breakfast realm is also the coveted English muffin. Why, oh why can't we get English muffins in Italy?! I've tried making these from scratch at home. Unsuccessfully.

Tomato Aspic

If there is one American food item that I strikingly associate with my late (very Italian) mother, that's tomato aspic. She loved receiving bootleg cans smuggled back in pre-TSA rigidity times. She'd stick her tongue out to one side––like she always did when she was engaged in a craft or focused on a manual task––peel back the lid and jiggle the tin until the whole aspic would slowly slide out. Then she'd carefully slice it with her scalpel-like knife. She'd savor it plain, or sometimes along with Persian cucumber slices. She'd close her eyes as it melted in her mouth, and smile. What I'd give to see that smile again.

Doritos, period

A survey found that Doritos are one of the most missed brands for US citizens living away from home. Although some Carrefour markets carry them in Italy, there is no wide choice. And definitely no Cool Ranch flavor. We grab the sparse Tex-Mex kind and huddle around the bag munching in silence. Only the occasional moan of pleasure.

American style breakfast sausage links

I'd be willing to do anything to get my hands on a pack of Jones' frozen breakfast sausages. The small, delicate pork breakfast sausages of my childhood. For me they were better than bacon. When the pool of maple syrup invaded their space on the plate and the slight smoked hickory notes mixed with the sweetness. Ah, bliss. Nope, can't get that kind of sausage here. And don't get me wrong, Italian style sausages are amazing, and perfect when fire-grilled and then sandwiched between two toasted slices of sourdough bread. But the American breakfast sausage triggers such sweet sensorial childhood memories.

Famous Sauce

I'm a huge sandwich fan. There's at least one day a week in which mealtime is solely made up of sandwiches (unheard of among Italian mothers). I set out stations and we build them as we eat: BLT; roast turkey, dill pickles and mayo; prosciutto and mozzarella; egg & tuna salad; grilled cheese made with Gruyère… plus anything left over from a previous meal becomes excellent sandwich fixings. I like to keep my panini simple, but once I was introduced to Durkee Famous Sauce, no sandwich was ever the same.

Available online but too expensive

Some Stars and Stripes delicacies can be found online with local e-commerce sites, but you need a second mortgage to buy them. I tried to be sneaky and order them on Amazon US but the shipping costs stumped me. The following foods I truly cannot afford buying online.

Shredded Wheat breakfast cereal

With the same mouthfeel as the first item on this list, the "woven" breakfast cereal is the stuff that cereal lovers' dreams are made of. But can you imagine paying €44 (about $50) for a 22 oz box of these frosted cinnamon minis? I can't.

Japanese Mayonnaise

While Kewpie has become increasingly popular in the United States in recent years, Japanese kitchens have stocked this luscious condiment since 1925. Compared to your average mayo, it's not only smoother, richer, and more fun to use thanks to the double nozzle squeeze bottle, but it's also packed with so much more eggy umami flavor. Kewpie mayo is not sold in Italy. It can be found online, but the price is ridiculous. In the US a 500 gram tube goes for 6 bucks on Weee!, while on Amazon Italy a 350 gram squeeze bottle goes for 12,99 Euro (roughly $15).

Milk Bone dog treats

The sound of dogs munching on crunchy food makes my mouth water. It's a weird reflex. The ultimate ASMR. My dad used to feed Milk Bone treats to his two yellow Labs and I always secretly wanted to taste them. Now I'm past that stage, but I'd love to feed my own dog a taste and see if he likes them, while I zone out listening to the sound of his jaws breaking them down. Unfortunately they are not sold in pet stores here in Rome, and buying them online is cost prohibitive. I'd rather spend that cash on healthier dog treats.

Pretzel crisps

You know I love a good cheese plate. And these flattened pretzels are excellent with soft spreadable cheeses or even the more hefty hunks. I'd love to stock my minuscule pantry with these, but paying 18 Euro for an 85 gram bag? That's 208,35 Euro per kilo (2.2 lb). Nope, I'll wait.

Now you know what to bring me when you visit.

If you know where I can source these in Italy, by all means please share in the comments!

Italian fall ingredients, dishes and food festivals

2021-09-27T10:47:00.007+02:00

The Italian countryside will soon be ablaze with warm colors, tables will be laden with comforting foods, and food festivals are gearing up to showcase Nature's best.

When it's time for the harvest of plentiful crops and brown leaves fall, chilly showers replenish the soil and procure Italians with a bounty of porcini mushrooms, truffles, pomegranate pouches of rubies, plump persimmons, bouncy new wine and cloudy green, freshly pressed olive oil.

Salads leave room to soups and flans, casseroles, fragrant loaves and rich cakes. Pumpkin, mushrooms, truffles, creamy Alpine cheeses, chestnuts and brassica greens will feature prominently in regional recipes. Risotto season is due to resume any minute!

Continue Reading ➔ Autumn in Italy, as appeared on Gambero Rosso International

Weekend in Cilento

2021-07-26T15:16:00.003+02:00

Cilento is a subregion of Campania located between Paestum and Sapri, on the border with Basilicata. A huge territory, where nature is truly wild, where the population is less than a hundred thousand, and in which rural traditions and a slow, very slow pace of everyday life are carefully preserved. Nature and sea-loving Italy travellers who don’t mind the total absence of designer fashion and yacht slips, will find themselves in a part of southern Italy that has retained its authentic charm through a low profile. Don’t get us wrong, Cilento is packed with historical and archeological destinations, wildly untamed nature and gorgeous beaches. Here are our suggestions for a magical 3-day weekend in the heart of Cilento.

Continue Reading Weekend in the Coastal Towns of Cilento as appeared on Gambero Rosso International

Be My Guest: Robbin Gheesling

2021-07-15T19:25:00.002+02:00

Welcome back to the Be My Guest series. This column showcases like-minded guest bloggers who share intimate moments with the food of the heart, here on Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino.

Today I'm happy to introduce Robbin, a passionate wine lover, firecracker and culture devotee. Robbin and I met a decade ago and have kept in touch through social media. I'm thrilled to share with you her wonderful new project.

Take it away, Robbin!

There is a curiosity of Florence hiding in plain sight. Long mistaken for religious tabernacles, the wine doors of Florence instead delivered wine to the commoners during the era of Cosimo I de' Medici Grand Duke of Tuscany. To understand their development, we must take a step back. From the 12th to the 16th centuries, the economy of Florence was run by guilds. You can think of a guild as a kind of union membership. Each guild was focused on a particular commodity. For example; silk, wool, butchers, shoemakers, and vintners. To be part of the guild, you had to demonstrate family ties to the trade. If you didn't have it, you could sell your items to the guild who, in theory, were experts and could evaluate the quality of your products. Through time, the guilds became the middlemen of commerce and the noble families of Florence grew tired of the money they were losing by not being able to sell directly to the public or shops. Eventually, the guilds were dissolved and the nobility was granted the right to sell directly to the public. How does one sell directly without a storefront? How about cutting a hole in the wall of your palace, facing the street, where anyone could knock and be served? And here the wine doors were invented.

We now know there are 179 wine doors in the city of Florence. Several exist in the countryside, but for the most part, they are a Florentine phenomenon. My fascination with them began in 2013 when in graduate school at Middlebury College. A tour guide pointed out the most famous and obvious wine door on via delle Belle Donne, 2. Here, the historical hours of operation remain in marble. However, so many are tucked in alleyways or are simply outlines of their former selves cut into the stone. I got quite inquisitive about them but many I'd asked about their origin didn't know or didn’t care. Long live the librarians! I'd asked for books about Florentine architecture at Oblate library and was directed to a single, slim, 10-year-old book about the wine doors. To my delight, there was a condensed list of addresses in the back. I immediately began scouting their locations and logging them on Google maps. At the time I completed my first in-depth photographic shoot, there were only 147 noted. My pedometer says I logged about 25 miles per day that first week! In all of that walking, I stopped several times for a snack or a drink and realized this would make an excellent wine pilgrimage for travelers to Florence.

In 2018, the owners of the restaurant Babae restored its wine door and began serving glasses of wine and bruschetta reviving its original purpose. The location was empty when I first photographed this door. When COVID struck Italy, Babae was the only restaurant using theirs for service although several had access on both sides. As Italy shut down and only take-out food was acceptable, several other places such as Vivoli gelateria began using their wine door as a method of contactless service. Coincidentally, it was discovered that the wine doors were used during the plague of 1634 also as a method of avoiding contact with those who could be sick.

I return to Florence this fall to complete the guidebook I started visualizing in 2013. There is additional photography to do as well as research into the history that is not yet known. To support my return and my new work, I have created a Kickstarter campaign where the guidebook can be pre-ordered. Immediately available is a book of the original photographs as well as prints and posters. I look forward to seeing you in Florence where we can have a glass of wine together from a wine door.

Thank you Robbin!

Ciao Mamma

2021-04-13T17:08:00.005+02:00

This will not be easy. When I need to work through a struggle, I write. But this time it's impossible to organize my thoughts and navigate in this tempest. The reason is that my north star, my beacon in the fog, my rudder are gone. She has flown away, and I am lost.

I'll let these few photos do the talking.

The majority of these happy moments with my mother are captured at the tables, enjoying great food. Drinking wine. Laughing and loving.

Ciao Mamma.

Join me in the Casa Mia kitchen

2021-03-03T10:53:00.001+01:00

Cook with me! Below are the online live hands-on cooking lessons I'm teaching in March. Sign up before they fill up! Click on the photos to sign up to the class.

For all your kitchen needs

2021-02-22T13:16:00.005+01:00

Be my Guest - Ellen of An Italian Dish

2020-12-22T12:34:00.002+01:00

Welcome back to a series that is dear to my heart. Be My Guest showcases like-minded guest bloggers who share intimate moments with the food of the heart, here on Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino.

Today I hand over the baton to Ellen. Her Italian food and travel themed blog, An Italian Dish, is a labor of love. In it she shares her love of naturally vegetarian Italian dishes, recipes, travel tales as well as some stories from her genealogy research.

Take it away, Ellen!

The season of gift giving is upon us, and I think back to one of the kindest, most thoughtful life-altering gifts I have ever received. It happened many decades ago, when I was a horribly adolescent 15 year old girl. You know that age, when we spend our junior high years trying to find an identity, flailing about in a sea of confusion. The gift given to me by my Nana altered me on a cellular level and still reverberates in my heart to this day.

Nana was raised in the North End, Boston's Little Italy, where her parents had immigrated from southern Italy during the migration at the turn of the century. Life was full of hardships, so in her mid-twenties, Nana moved out to California. She left her Italian side behind except for her yearly trips back to Boston to see her paesani, her siblings, cousins, and friends.

Nana’s gift--when I was 15, she brought me to the North End where I met dozens of cousins, aunts and uncles I never knew existed. For the first time, I was wrapped in a blanket of Italian love and my Italian identity was born. We attended the Feast of Saint Anthony where I ate zeppole and walked down the streets of my ancestors.

Now, all these years later, I put this love into my blog, An Italian Dish. It’s a place to share travel stories, recipes and to pay tribute to my family.

This year, I created an Italian Christmas Cookie ebook called Traditional Italian Holiday Cookies & Tasty Treats. The ebook features classics like biscotti, pasta frolla, Sicilian Fig Cookies, Krumiri, and Mostaccioli that are near and dear to my southern Italian relatives.

To learn more, to receive my ebook or to subscribe, visit here.

You can follow Ellen and An Italian Dish on Instagram, or Facebook. vg

Guest on the Dear Food Podcast

2020-09-06T08:31:00.001+02:00

Dear Food is a podcast created by and intended for food lovers. You can imagine how thrilled I was when the creator, veteran Hollywood host and producer Ashley Chaney, asked me to be a guest on the show's maiden voyage!

The claim is, "If food makes you feel happy, comforted, and loved, this show is for you. Whether or not you know how to cook, Dear Food speaks directly to your soul."

When Ashley asked me to be the first episode guest, she made it clear she wanted us to talk about Italian food and droolworthy descriptions of my favorite flavors, but mostly about the importance of how some foods connect to personal history and identity.

"Italian food is not just food. It's eating, sitting down with the family, with friends or loved ones or by yourself and making that moment the most important moment of the day."

You can play the full episode and enjoy all the others on Apple Podcasts to fill up your plate with conversations about the foods that make us feel something; and you'll be transported to kitchens around the world, to hear the stories behind our favorite dishes. Happy listening!

Live Eggplant Parmigiana Class!

2020-08-24T20:21:00.001+02:00

Join my online cooking class!

I've always dreamed of having you over for dinner. Now's my chance to make that dream come true and your chance to travel virtually to Italy, straight to my kitchen in Rome!

Are you following me on Instagram and Facebook? Then you know that in 2015 I co-founded an independent tour company called Casa Mia.

Given the current situation, Casa Mia has shifted its attention from in-person food tours and cooking lessons to online experiences. The format however is the same: lessons are held in the comfort of our homes, and recipes are geared for the home cook, like us.

We launched our live interactive online cooking lessons when Italy was in lockdown and it's been a huge success. Our classes bring people together, bringt smiles and a taste of Italy to kitchens far and wide. My partners and I cook, bake and whip up our favorite recipes, live via Zoom. These recipes are the ones we know how to make with our eyes closed, the ones we feed our loved ones, the ones that evoke the sweetest memories.

Our lessons are fun and adapt to all kinds of cooks. We even organize private classes if you prefer learning one-on-one, or if you want to host a fun virtual party with friends and family who are far away. We can also arrange special lessons geared for kids!

Some examples? In April, when the Roman countryside gave us its purple bounty, I taught participants how to cook Artichokes 3 ways. the following month I demystified the local pasta classics and shared all my secrets to perfect Carbonara & Amatriciana. With my business partner Gina, I hosted several Wine & Cheese Pairing lessons. I even made Tiramisu in 2 ways; and as the summer season hit, I taught Italian food lovers across many continents my favorite summer staples, like Pomodori al Riso and my mother's Eggplant Parmigiana.

The latter was such a success that a waiting list formed, and many other people requested I offer the lesson again.

This is the time: the eggplant, basil and tomatoes are at their peak. Once you sign up you'll receive a confirmation with a link + password to join the live Zoom class, and a shopping list via email a week prior to the lesson.

Sign up here and don't miss the chance to cook, laugh and drink a glass of wine with me on Sunday, September 20th! Aprons on at 3 pm Eastern, it will be evening here in Rome.

I hope to see you!

Let's cook together! Join our interactive online cooking classes

2020-06-01T10:00:00.001+02:00

How long has it been since you last took a cooking class?

I started this blog Aglio Olio e Peperoncino as my virtual kitchen, sharing recipes and travel journals. During these months of lockdown my business partners with Casa Mia Tours and I took that concept one step further and decided to open our actual kitchens, inviting you in to cook with us.

Like many other businesses, our travel planning company immensely suffered the new reality. All of our clients' bookings were canceled overnight. With heavy hearts we had to call off engagements with guides, cooks, drivers and service providers that rely on the work we hire them for, all across Italy.

This new reality however has given us the gift of spending more time in our homes and in our kitchens. At a time when social distancing, fear and adapting to a new normal has shifted our habits and changed our lives, we felt that the next best thing to traveling to Italy was going there virtually, recreating the convivial warmth and flavors typical of the Italian culture.

Our live interactive online cooking lessons create a connection, a warm feeling of closeness across continents, at a time when closeness is not an option.

We offer simple interactive cooking lessons as a way to bring the universal us together. Classes are geared towards home cooks like us, and are open to all.

In this unprecedented moment, we look forward to welcoming you into our kitchens, tying on aprons, and getting to know you virtually, until we can do it in person.

Below is a summary of our June calendar.

A word of advice: book your online live cooking classes fast, because spots are selling like hotcakes.

June lessons, pairings and beyond

June 4, 2020 : Roman Classics, by popular demand – Learn to make Gricia & Amatriciana with Carolyn. The simple combination of Pecorino Romano cheese and guanciale – cured pork jowl – form a delicious base for most Eterna City pastas. ONLY A FEW SPOTS LEFT!

June 5, 2020 : Italian dolce : Tiramisu 2 ways taught by me – Boost your dessert game by learning two versions of Italy's most popular dessert. This is a fun, easy and safe lesson that's also suitable for the young foodies in the family. ONLY A FEW SPOTS LEFT!

June 11, 2020 : Fresh Pasta – Cavatelli al Pesto taught by Carolyn – you'll combine water and flour to make cavatelli, a delicious vehicle for a vibrant, herbaceous pesto. LAST FEW SPOTS LEFT!

June 13, 2020 : Cheese & Wine Club – Summer in the Italian South led by me and Gina – During our interactive wine & cheese pairing lesson we taste 3 summer wines (a white, a rosé and a lightly chilled red from southern Italian regions) paired with 3 cheeses made in different styles and with an assortment of milk types

June 14, 2020 : Sunday comfort – Neapolitan Ragù aka Sunday gravy taught by Gina – During our 90-minute live interactive cooking lesson, we’ll enjoy a morning coffee while preparing the base of the legendary Neapolitan ragù

June 20, 2020 : Fresh Pasta – Lemon Ricotta Tortellini in Brown Butter Sauce taught by Carolyn – Stuffed pastas aren't as intimidating as you may think. At the end of this class you’ll not only have a delectable dinner, but also acquire the knowledge and confidence to create a variety of stuffed pastas. ONLY A FEW SPOTS LEFT!

June 23, 2020 : Sicilian specialties – Caponata taught by Gina – quintessential Sicilian salad/stew consisting of fried eggplant, celery, tomato and olives in a sweet and sour sauce. Learn to master densely flavored caponata and discover a number of variations

June 26, 2020 : Complete meal recipes – Pomodori al Riso taught by me - Learn to master rice-stuffed tomatoes, a classic Italian complete meal, or piatto unico, made with Arborio rice baked within the hollowed-out plump heirloom tomatoes.

You can find details and book your spaces for our group virtual online cooking classes here.

Email us if you'd like to book a private lesson just for your family/friends.

I look forward to seeing you in my kitchen in Rome!

Guest on the Ciao Bella podcast

2020-05-21T12:30:00.001+02:00

I was thrilled when my friend Erica Firpo invited me to talk about my passion for cheese on her Ciao Bella podcast. I naturally steered the conversation towards blue cheese.

You can play and download the full The ABCs of Italian Cheese episode below:

Bella Ciao!

2020-04-26T11:39:00.001+02:00

April 25th. In Italy this date marks the liberation from Nazi-fascism. Festa della Liberazione is a public holiday, schools and businesses are normally closed and people get the day off. On this day we normally go on a picnic, or take a walk in the park. We snack on the first fava beans of the season, pairing them with sharp aged pecorino romano. We snooze after a few glasses of wine. We each celebrate the recurrence in our own way. One thing that's common on venticinque aprile however, is signing "Bella Ciao!"

"Bella Ciao!" album cover

Younger generations may know the song from La Casa de Papel. People my age and older know it's actually the anthem of anti-fascism.

Partigiani in the mountains, along the Gothic Line

"Bella Ciao!" was originally a protest folk song of the mondine women, protesting against the harsh working conditions in the paddy rice fields of Northern Italy, in the late 19th century. The song was later modified and adopted as the hymn of the anti-fascist resistance by the Italian partisans between 1943 and 1945 during the Italian Resistance against Nazi German forces occupying Italy. The author of the modified lyrics is unknown.

Valentino Petrelli / Public domain

It's a song we all know the words to. My friend Laura's mother would sing it to her as a lullaby. I used to hum it to myself when I was racing down the dark corridor in the big house where I grew up.

"Bella Ciao!" is a song about Rememberance and Courage. It's a song of Resistance, of Sacrifice. It's a song that talks about the invader and of death.

A new kind of invader has recently entered our lives. It has broken our courage. It has us locked us into our homes, divided us from family. It has ruined our life. The enemy, silent and faceless, has taken away our jobs, our freedom. It has taken many, too many lives. This year there were no picnics, no naps in the park. We sang "Bella Ciao!" from the window, confined in our homes.

Banner in Bergamo: "Freedom is like air: you realize its value when you're short of it.
Thanks to those that resist. Now and always."

In addition to the difficulty of living in lockdown, I personally am still in shock for having lost someone I knew to the new invader. Matteo was an old love and for the past 17 years a dear, dear friend. He was a romantic, an artist and an epicure. Matteo was handsome, witty, smart, talented, kind and gentle. Anti-fascist to the core, he was dearly loved. He leaves behind one big incredulous and heartbroken family spread across Bari, Sydney, Puerto Rico, New York and Rome. Yet, he died alone in an ICU unit in New Jersey, unconscious. A true partisan fighting in a battle that he lost in only 4 weeks.

It was surreal singing "Bella Ciao!" this year: a song about freedom as prisoners. I opened the window at 3 pm and sang. Shyly, a little choked. Then the somber remembrance of the victims of Nazi-fascism––with every word I uttered––turned into a loud, hoarse scream against the cruel new invader that took the life of so many, including my friend's.

"Bella Ciao!" is the hymn of the partisans who helped liberate Italy from fascism 75 years ago, giving their life for freedom. From now on "Bella Ciao!" has a new, added significance: it's also the anthem of all those that are still fighting against the faceless enemy, and I will continue singing it in remembrance of those victims defeated by the new invader of 2020.

The New York Times "36 Hours in..." column

2020-04-03T10:50:00.001+02:00

It was one of the bad days.

One of the days during lockdown when you can barely get out of bed. Sink full of dirty dishes, laundry piled high in the bin. Those days when not even food picks you up.

I dragged myself to the computer and, like every day, braced myself to read the news.

In browsing The New York Times' Travel section for some escape therapy, I spotted a call for entries.
The paper's popular 36 Hours series was launching their first ever reader-generated itinerary. The first with no actual traveling
Without thinking I filled the fields in the contact form and sent without even doing a spellcheck.

I've always dreamed of having my writing published in The New York Times. The Holy Grail of journalism and reporting.

Lesson number 4,937,583,262,543 that I learned during quarantine: dreams do come true. Even on bad days.

36 Hours in… Wherever You Are ~ a weekend of traveling you can do from home.

Italy on pause

2020-03-16T13:03:00.004+01:00

This is actually happening.

Italy is in lockdown. Zona Protetta, as Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte defined the country: a protected area.

"The country needs the responsibility of each and every one of you, it needs 60 million little big sacrifices. Let's keep a distance today to hug each other more warmly and to run faster together tomorrow. All together we will make it through."

The day after the decree was issues with hashtag #iorestoacasa (I'm staying at home) as national directive for people to stay put and help stop the contagion from increasing, the World Health Organization elevated the outbreak to pandemic.

I have to keep reminding myself, this is actually happening.

The perception abroad, given the media coverage––both domestic and foreign––is of Italy's deserted streets and monuments, hoards of people fleeing home from Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna and Veneto aka "red zones" where the contagion and casualties are higher, and general hysteria at the supermarket.

It's a lot more than that.

Being here and living this surreal situation feels more like the country is on pause.

We are living in one of those strange nightmares. The ones where time is prolonged and everything feels unknown, like a heavy burden. Trying to run away from the monster with lead in your legs.

What exactly is a lockdown? And why are we in it?

What: Lockdown means the entire Italian population is asked to stay home and only leave the house for absolutely necessary errands like buying food, going to the pharmacy and taking a short walk with our kids and pets. Italy is essentially shut down at least until April 3.
We don't congregate, we keep 3-ft social distancing and we wash our hands much more than usual.

Why: We are closed off from the outer world so that we don't infect others and put countless people at risk, and by the same token we potentially avoid contracting the virus from others who may be infected. That's because coronavirus is sneaky, its symptoms appear after a 2 to 14 day incubation period.

A monumental effort. But necessary.
I feel proud that I'm doing this for our elders, our community and our country.

We can no longer go to the bar for espresso (or a grappa, or both). It was tough enough grabbing a coffee while maintaining the 3-ft distance between barista and other customers, given our average personal space is much smaller than the rest of the world's. Now I miss my cornetto like it's crack.

Buses are still running, but the few I see driving by are always empty. We can no longer visit museums, watch a match at the football stadium, attend a concert. We can't hug our aging relatives. We can't go to the gym. We can no longer do impromptu pizza night with friends. We'll hold off on going to the cinema, theater, ballet, getting manicures, haircuts. You'll just have to accept my grey roots showing.

No more day trips to the lake or the countryside. In order to leave our region of residence, we have to carry a signed self-certified declaration stating the reason for the transfer. Work and emergencies are permitted, trespassers without the signed form (or a not good enough reason) outside of their region/province will be fined up to €290.

Don't think martial law. Just strictly applied rules.

The general feeling is of melancholy. A strange new sadness.

So many questions are flooding our minds.

Will my family and I stay healthy?
Will cancellations continue to pour into our mailboxes?
Will I have to homeschool my teenage son who in June is supposed to take a major final written and spoken exam to advance to high school?

We're so used to multitasking and going about our busy daily routine that all this "spare time" is also, quite frankly, driving us a little nuts. But we Italians are also creative, resourceful and never forget our sense of humor.

Lack of work and restricted activities are obviously causing everyone trouble. The travel industry is on its knees. People's livelihood is at risk.

My heart goes out to Venice, my beloved Venice. After the acqua alta in October, now this.
Forza Venezia, we can do this!

As soon as the quarantine lifts, and when it will be safe to travel again, I personally will go to Venice and support its artisans, guides, gondoliers, restaurateurs, bartenders, hotel managers and the general population with my presence, my money, my love. I will do the same with my friends in Bologna, Parma, and other gravely affected areas.

This suspended time will furthermore allow us to do all the things we had previously put on the back burner in the name of fast-pace stakhanovism.

Little sister and I will teach our 82 year old mother (who lives 2 blocks away) to use Skype and Facetime, so we can do video-calls.
I'll make it a habit to check in with family and friends more regularly.
I'll have more time for writing.
I can polish off the book pitch.
Get free pet therapy with our new puppy.
I'll beat my son at scopa.
He will defeat me at Monopoly, as per usual.
I'll finally have the time to read, work out, and do nothing––rare commodities for self employed entrepreneurs…

We will beat this.
We'll find solidarity, our sense of compassion and community––all at a distance.
We'll wash our hands for 60 seconds humming the alphabet or "Tanti Auguri a Te" twice.
We'll try not to touch our face.
We'll stay at a safe distance from others.
And we will make it through this moment.

We will resume complaining about traffic and crowds.

There is a silver lining to all this (because I always try to see the glass half full).
The air smells amazing. Smog levels have dropped. In the early morning when I take the dog out for his first walk, the dawn smells of flowers and springtime. Reminds me of when I was 17.
This is not going to last forever.
We reach out more and talk to each other on the phone/FaceTime instead of messaging.
Banding together as a community and following the rules feels empowering.
It will be fun to declutter
There will be time to learn a new language... Russian is high on my list.
We Italians, so famous for our love of sharing food, have made no visible effort to raid shelves and panic buy. We've left enough for everyone.

If across the web you've been seeing photos of handwritten sticky-notes and rainbows on banners hanging outside windows, you may be wondering what Andrà tutto bene means.
Literally: "Everything will go well."

What makes a good Italian coffee bar good?

2019-12-16T19:10:00.000+01:00

Given how picky and demanding Italians can be regarding food, furiously sending back a dish if the carbonara has even a hint of heavy cream, it's curious how patient they are when it comes to espresso, sometimes settling for pretty awful brews. Why is that?

Are we Italians just impatient?
Have we gone too long without heavy-duty caffeine, so anything will do?
Do we not want to make a fuss, since a bar is far more public and intimate than a restaurant?
Maybe it's steadfast loyalty to our neighborhood barista—a loyalty that can be deep and wide and sometimes last decades.

Romantic notions aside, no one should ever settle for a bar that fails to cut it, whether because the coffee is mediocre or the morning pastry too dry. A bar holds a crucially important, practical, and cultural role in daily life—in that way at least kin to an American "watering hole." If your local bartender can't mix drinks, there's trouble in Dodge.

But how exactly do you go about rating an Italian bar? What makes a good bar good?

Continue Reading →

Italian restauant no-no's

2019-10-03T17:00:00.000+02:00

Pet peeves are personal by nature. They make waves at a gut level. Restaurant peeves develop over time and usually stick with you. It pains to report that some Italian restaurants—no matter how fine their food—manage to unhinge diner patience to the point of ruining the experience of guests who don’t know what hit them.

My own patience is limited. To me, a reputation for good food is blunted by an unpleasant atmosphere.

Collected here is a brief list of no-no's that can drive restaurant-lovers away, sometimes for good.

The acchiappino: In tourist-jammed cities (Rome, Florence and Venice) a hawker is often added to the payroll to reel in passers-by. He's known as an acchiappino, a "customer catcher."
You've seen his kind standing outside the entrance waving a menu and flirtatiously trying to lure you in using any means necessary ("Good morning, bonjour, guten tag, hola…pasta-pizza-tiramisu?") Anyplace that needs someone to convince me to enter isn't worth my money. Arrivederci.

Continue reading "Don't you dare" as appeared in The American Magazine in Italia

Ten (and a half) years of blogging

2019-09-02T19:16:00.000+02:00

It's come to my attention recently that I missed the 10 year anniversary of this blog. So much for the resolution to keep it updated with original content and being strict about sticking to a publishing schedule after a 2-year slump!

On January 24, 2009 I published my first post. It's been a decade of huge change and I feel I owe much of that life overhaul to this blog, Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino.

Why I began a blog about Italian food and lifestyle

I started this blog because I felt I owed it to my son. He was going to grow up in a single-parent family with an Italian mom, the least I could do was keep a record of all the great dishes my nonna and my mother made for me (both women raised their daughters as single moms).
After starting, and becoming obsessively consistent with my blog writing, I soon understood that the recipes were a bonus, what readers were most interested in were the personal stories, the intimate reflections, the journal entries.
I was mildly intimidated by the technology and, as I expanded my professional engagements, worried about the time sink. But I felt the urge to write, it was––in a moment of deep professional change––the best therapy I could ask for.

My first post was how a bowl of Minestrone saved my psyche after a demanding rainy Sunday. For the first two years, I blogged twice to three times a week and had a blast. I wrote mostly posts that revolved around the sensorial or emotional allure a certain dish or food gave me, these posts almost always ended with a recipe. Later I slowed down to one blog post per week, then I started linking to blog posts and articles published on other platforms, like The American and Casa Mia. Now I'm down to two posts per month. If any.

From that very first entry, to the present, I have written 470 posts. Some were hugely popular, others nobody read. Some I changed the title to (but still kept the crazy URL), and some I've removed altogether. Overall, the engagement––that initially skyrocketed over the course of only a few months, and that has somewhat endured despite my hiccupping entries––has been mind blowing.

The posts my readers loved the most on Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino were:

Carbonara recipe (48 comments, 5,839 page views)
Ossa dei Morti recipe (45 comments, 6,221 page views)
Arrosticini (40 comments, 8,046 page views)
Gluten-free Rome (35 comments, 55,422 page views)
Italian fish and seafood names, translated (35 comments, with whopping 107,669 page views)
Italian superstition (33 comments, 23,229 page views)
Parmigiana di Melanzane recipe (30 comments, 27,540 page views)
Gnocchi from scratch recipe (30 comments, 10,673 page views)
La pasta! (29 comments, 54,661 page views)
Orecchiette alle cime di rapa recipe (28 comments, 36,112 page views)
Frico, soft and brittle – recipe (13 comments, 21,118 page views)

If you look at the posts listed above, what's interesting, is how over time page views grew, compared to the number of comments, which intead slowly dwindled. In the past readers not only commented but many wrote long answers that resembled letters, or posts themselves. That's not counting spam comments, often in other languages, and linking to some form of product or service...
This was all happening before there were so many different social media outlets like Facebook where the comments turned into a virtual room where people opened conversations and sometimes actual debates.

Blogging's Changed

Life, new job opportunities, a growing child and a million other reasons account for why I slowed down my blogging, and thus engagement. But I feel I should also take into account the fact that blogging, in itself, has changed.

Now with Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and Pinterest, it's our job to engage and grow our audience on all platforms, which personally is a big challenge. Podcasts and videos have also replaced the longform written word.

Many bloggers have assistants(often virtual) to help with posting, photography and video, content development, answering emails, newsletter compiling and other chores. But for most food and lifestyle bloggers, it's still a single person hobby.

As for me, my ten (and a half) year-old blog about the Italian food and lifestyle continues to be a place where I love to engage with my readers. Thank you for joining me over the years! I'm grateful you're still here, even though I've not been consistent.

Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino is still my favorite way to communicate with you.

If you feel the same, please leave a comment letting me know what topics you'd like me to write about; what recipes you'd like to see here; and how you feel about blogging and blog-reading ten years after first landing on this site. I'd love to hear from you. Grazie!

9 delicious chilled dishes for beating the heat

2019-08-22T17:44:00.000+02:00

The sun is high on the zenith, days last longer, there's sand in the car. Besides sporting ridiculous amounts of linen and hitting the rooftops for aperitivo, Italians respond to high summer with an array of refreshing cold dishes that bring lots of flavor to the table.

In addition to an endless search for the best scoop of gelato and the perfect slice of watermelon, the Italian summer menu includes creative pasta and rice salads, chilled soups and cold meat dishes, plus a fine assortment of cold vegetarian options featuring ripe summer produce. Here are a few of my cool summer favorites:

Continue Reading "So totally cool" as appeared in the American Magazine in Italia.

20 regions, 20 cheeses

2019-05-23T09:33:00.000+02:00

President and statesman Charles de Gaulle wondered how it could ever be possible to govern a country––his France––with more cheeses than calendar days. The mystery of Italy's proverbial governance difficulty is thus solved: it must be the cheese's fault. Counting IGT, DOP, PAT and other EU quality appellations, we're looking at approximately 520 varieties of recognized Italian cheeses alone, to which hundreds more should be included if we consider all the so-called "fantasy" cheeses, i.e. those subject to the cheese maker's free interpretation, milk type, technique and aging. Experts maintain that this grand total is close to 4,670.

If schedule and wallet hamper a journey to Italy to taste local food specialties in their various regional birthplaces, you can always travel across the 20 Italian regions on the symbolic cheese pilgrimage route logged below. Note however, that given the vastness of the Italian cheese scene, per-region product inclusion is vastly incomplete.

Ready to travel through Italy via its representative northern, central and southern cheeses, region by region?
Continue Reading → Italian Cheese: 20 reasons to love cheese in every region as appeared on the Dievole Blog

I also contributed another article on Italian food misconceptions for Dievole, go check it out!

Polarizing foods

2019-04-05T17:25:00.003+02:00

Everyone has their own food aversions, but there are some foods it seems people either love or hate.

There are certain universally loved foods that everyone can agree are delicious. Think pizza and gelato, for instance. Certain others, however, are a bit more polarizing: for example, when it comes to ingredients like gorgonzola or anchovies, some people either love them or detest them.

Food elicits passion, both negative and positive. The foods that most strike aversions are the pungent, stinky, bitter, slimy, or excessively fermented. This love/hate antagonism can divide households and spoil budding relationships.

For coherence's sake I have expressed my own personal disinclination or enthusiasm for the universally polarizing foods listed below.

Continue Reading → Controversial comestibles as appeared on The American Magazine in Italia

The flavors of Sicily in Rome

2019-03-21T20:04:00.001+01:00

To welcome spring, my partners and I are kicking off a series of Sicilian food and wine events hosted in Rome. If you love Sicilian flavors, and you'll be in Rome April 2-3, you should seriously consider attending!

The April 2-3 events were made possible thanks to partnerships with Casa Mia Tours, Chef Linda Sarris, aka The Cheeky Chef, and Sicilian food and wine sponsors. I can't wait to introduce them to you!

Check out the program of events:

Tuesday, April 2, 2019 | Sun, Sea & Soil Aperitivo

Join us for a Sicilian aperitivo at ProLoco Trastevere on Tuesday April 2, 2019 at 6:30 p.m.

Three of the most important ingredients in Sicilian cooking are sun, sea, and soil. Chef Linda Sarris from Palermo will cook up delicious Sicilian appetizers such as freshly made panelle (organic stone-milled chickpea fritters with lemon and fresh mint); fried anchovies and wild field greens; tomasini di russello (savory dough made from ancient grains filled with ricotta, sausage, and wild fennel seeds); Sicilian bruschetta topped with pesto trapanese, caper paté and sun-dried tomatoes. There will also be a tagliere featuring Sicilian cured meats and cheeses, like salame Nero Ibleo, and prized Ragusano cheese. Sicilian wine pairings and Sicilian amaro will be served. Signature cocktails will be available for purchase.

SICILIAN APERITIVO April 2, 2019 ProLoco Trastevere – Via Goffredo Mameli 23 – 6:30 p.m.

Tickets are available for purchase on Eventbrite ~ €25 per person, includes 2 glasses of wine, amaro and appetizer buffet.

Wednesday, April 3, 2019 | Sicilian cooking lesson at Casa Mia

Join a Sicilian cooking lesson in Rome on April 3rd, 2019. Aprons on at 6 p.m.

Thanks to the many cultures who have called this island their home, Sicily's layered food history is filled with ingredients and cooking techniques that you don't see in other parts of Italy.

In the kitchen, Chef Linda Sarris will teach guests about the importance of seasonal cooking with high-quality products and share her own simple recipes that you can recreate at home.

Following the lesson, guests will enjoy a dinner together, sipping Sicilian wines.

The four-course menu with wine pairings will feature an antipasto of organic stone-milled chickpea fritters with lemon and parsley; a first course of organic busiate pasta made from semola di grano duro, cauliflower, passolina raisins, toasted breadcrumbs and pine nuts. Our main course will be calamari stuffed with artichokes, capers and mint. No meal is complete without dolce, and no Sicilian meal is complete without hand-made cannoli with ricotta cream and candied orange peel.
Dishes will be paired with natural Sicilian wines, also poured throughout the cooking class.

SICILIAN COOKING LESSON Via Fabio Massimo 107 – Aprons on at 6:00 p.m.

Tickets are available for purchase on Eventbrite ~ €75 per person.

Our event sponsors are:
Porta del Vento (sicilian wine from Camporeale)
www.portadelvento.it | @porta_del_vento_winery

Paesano Authentic (pomegranate amaro, artichoke amaro)
www.paesanoauthentic.com | @paesano.authentic

Azienda Agricola Biologica Di Giovanna (organic extra virgin olive oil)
www.di-giovanna.com | @digiovannawine

Molini del Ponte (chickpea & russello flour, busiate pasta)
www.molinidelponte.com | @molini_del_ponte_drago

Our event partners are:
ProLoco Trastevere
Etnella

I hope to see you there!

Spend a week with me

2019-02-27T18:15:00.002+01:00

A few weeks ago I announced that Casa Mia, the food tour company I co-founded in 2015, has crafted week-long food and culture tours.

Availability is limited to the first 15 guests to confirm booking. Spots are selling out fast, so if you want an exclusive opportunity to experience the food, wine and beauty of Rome with me, you should seriously start thinking about reserving your spaces.

In partnership with Pranzo Tours––a tour operator with extensive experience in Italy travel planning––we're offering customized 7-day Rome tours whose focus is the food, wine and culture of the Eternal City.

During our week-long tours, you could have the unique opportunity to explore the Eternal City from a food and wine perspective in the company of trusted locals (including myself), spending a week dotted by delicious food, wine and cooking activities.

All planned out for you. All you have to do is sit back, sip and enjoy.

Days will be full of different activities, with plenty of tasting, drinking, cooking, learning Italian, eating and laughing. There will also be downtime to head off on your own to explore the city.

Yes, there will be gelato.

Every detail has been carefully planned to give travelers the most authentic and delicious experience possible. First, is the timing. Our week-long culinary tours are scheduled in early May and late September, when Rome is less crowded, figs and artichokes are in season, and airfare is affordable.

Accommodations have been secured at a historic 4-star hotel in the center of Rome. The price for the week-long food and culture tour includes all accommodations, ground transportation, meals and ingredients for cooking classes, wines during meals, tours, and tastings, and city taxes.

No hidden costs. Only enjoyment. And lots of food.

Tour Highlights

Welcome dinner at Rome's best pizzeria
Farmer's market tour & cooking class with lunch
Winery visit & wine tasting day trip
Full-day cheese pilgrimage
Guided olive oil tasting
Breakfast at Rome's best pastry shop
Exploring the local cocktail and amaro scene
Testaccio market tour
Cacio e pepe, amatriciana & carbonara extravaganza
Lots of espresso, wine, gelato and more...

May is right around the corner, so reserve your spots before they sell out!

To learn details and pricing for our customized seven-day culinary adventures––which include guided excursions, authentic cooking classes, shared intimate dinners and opportunities for individual exploration––CLICK HERE.
I look forward to meeting you in Rome.

The foods I most hated as a child

2019-02-19T19:36:00.002+01:00

Funny how all the foods I used to hate as a kid are now my favorites, and the ones I owe most of my livelihood to. Let me explain. I don't sell food, nor am I in the restaurant business; but I do make a living by writing about and starring in TV entertainment featuring many of the foods I most detested as a child. Coincidental?
If it's true that our palate evolves every seven years, it all makes sense.

Continue reading From reviled to revered as appeared on The American Magazine in Italia