tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62552838466822514312024-03-14T02:10:16.607+01:00Cultural CommentsFood, travel, and culture in Italy and beyondNicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12490732794848162302noreply@blogger.comBlogger124125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6255283846682251431.post-88415981737939801172018-05-24T12:06:00.001+02:002018-05-24T12:08:07.659+02:00Coconut Cherry Chia Pudding
If you follow food blogs and healthy vegetarian sites, you have undoubtably seen chia pudding recipes. It's no wonder it has become a healthy snack of choice because it is simple, fast and packed with nutrition. Chia seeds have come a long way from the spreadable paste to make fluffy green 'pets'. Today, chia seeds have earned the title of "superfood" for their high protein content, soothing Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12490732794848162302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6255283846682251431.post-3181288651316167692018-02-03T18:18:00.001+01:002018-02-06T23:12:29.151+01:00Spiced Vegan Rice Pudding
This vegan, refined-sugar free rice pudding is simple, fast, and one of my favourite treats. Made with creamy coconut (or almond) milk and warming spices like cinnamon and cardamom, it is sure to warm you up on a cool day. Sweetened only with bananas and dates, there is no added sugar, but it definitely doesn't lack in sweetness!
Any time I make fluffy rice for dinner, I always make a big Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12490732794848162302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6255283846682251431.post-77289948233483302422018-01-20T20:48:00.000+01:002018-01-21T17:40:11.479+01:00Persimmon Tart
Persimmons, or kaki, are very particular fruits. They have a sweet, delicate flavour, somewhat like browned sugar with a slight floral aftertaste. Their season is quite brief, starting in late autumn and finishing before the winter frost sinks its teeth in. If you don’t live in an area where they grow, they can be hard to come by. When ripe, the plump orange bulbs swell with a golden goo Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12490732794848162302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6255283846682251431.post-19548816524167063872018-01-05T03:07:00.000+01:002018-01-18T12:20:12.018+01:00How to freeze lemons to use year-round
It's the height lemon season right now, and if you have a tree of your own, you may have more lemons than you know what to do with. Well, not worry because one of the best things to do with all those lemons is also the simplest and most healthy.
Freezing your lemons is becoming popular now that research has shown it's the healthiest way to ingest the sour fruit. Lemon water is known to Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12490732794848162302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6255283846682251431.post-55710220984949383142017-12-20T14:39:00.000+01:002018-01-22T22:23:30.417+01:00Roasted Pumpkin Gnocchi
It's no secret that autumn is my favourite season. From the chestnuts, to the mushrooms; from pears and clementines to pomegranates and persimmons; Autumn brings us some of the most savoury and sweet produce. Pumpkin is a fantastic vegetable full of beta-carotene and fibre. By oven roasting the pumpkin (or butternut squash) first, it creates a drier base for using as a thick sauce or as aNicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12490732794848162302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6255283846682251431.post-48377012720785455832014-09-25T13:36:00.000+02:002018-01-02T16:15:16.838+01:00For the Artists
What does formal education mean? What does it signify? Does it mean you are smart if you have it and stupid if you don’t?
Whatever your answer to that question is, one thing is for sure—schooling shapes every person. Like cookie-cutter forms, the school system shapes everyone to think, do and behave in a similar way. There are many options of what to study, many paths to follow, but the Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12490732794848162302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6255283846682251431.post-38925108392242851462014-04-19T16:06:00.002+02:002014-04-26T12:35:59.045+02:00Getting Validated
We all need to get validated in life, but this post is about getting a different kind of validation--train ticket validation!
When you travel in Italy, you will inevitably take a train, ESPECIALLY if you plan to visit Liguria. Purchasing your ticket can be done in many ways, whether online on Trenitalia's website, at the service window in any train station or at the many Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12490732794848162302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6255283846682251431.post-26274419726203273812014-02-09T00:02:00.000+01:002018-01-23T11:33:32.958+01:00Kiwi Clementine Tart
Although the depths of winter can leave you feeling dark and depressed, nature livens up the season with some very cheerful, colourful and vitamin C rich foods. Citrus and kiwi are two such fruits that come onto season during the winter. Did you know that the kiwi is one of Italy's biggest exports? This may be one of the least-known facts about this country. This vibrant cure for dreary Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12490732794848162302noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6255283846682251431.post-50292203718449181222013-12-30T00:11:00.000+01:002018-01-16T12:47:14.294+01:00Leftover Panettone-Part 4
This is the fourth instalment in what I call: "Leftover Panettone". In Italy, panettone is sold during the Christmas season and is the classic gift you bring to someone's home when visiting during the holidays. If you have a lot of friends and family, that can add up to some serious numbers! So it isn't unusual to have more panettone than you know what to do with. If you find yourself in Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12490732794848162302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6255283846682251431.post-41088985208064180872013-09-12T19:17:00.000+02:002014-11-29T23:12:11.408+01:00Beauty-full
Beauty.
What is beauty?
Beauty is, as they say, is in the eye of the beholder--but it's so much more than that. I am always seeing the beauty in everything I see, whether it be something really beautiful or something that most people don't even notice. And it's the noticing that we need to do more of. Nature is the most awe inspiring motivation for me. Since I was Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12490732794848162302noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6255283846682251431.post-32740727853137739912013-06-02T22:16:00.000+02:002013-07-20T20:50:36.415+02:00Brugnato in Fiore
Each year, the small Ligurian town of Brugnato [pronounced 'broon-yato'], transforms its streets into floral fan-fare. Many towns and villages across Italy will have such festivals and if you get the chance to see one, it is truly remarkable.
The residents of Brugnato were working like busy bees to transform their alleys and streets into tappetti di fiori, or carpets of flowers.
Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12490732794848162302noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6255283846682251431.post-5626898205605278672013-05-26T16:33:00.000+02:002014-03-20T01:35:49.365+01:00Elderflower Delights
Late May to Early June brings the bounty of elderflower blossoms. Here in Liguria, edler trees abound and a drive through the countryside will leave you with a landscape of these cream colored bursts of flowers.
Their aroma is nearly intoxicating and the mere sight of these delicate, adorable white blossoms, bunched together to create a perfumed umbrella is one of the Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12490732794848162302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6255283846682251431.post-71271766196422548382013-02-23T02:39:00.000+01:002018-01-23T10:33:09.811+01:00The Italian Spring?
It’s no surprise why the Italian economy is in trouble. Like many of it’s European counterparts, Italy has been subject to credit rating downgrades, hyperinflation with the switch to the euro, excessively high unemployment rates, soaring public debt and a slew of austerity laws in the works to really put the squeeze on the people. Where Italy differs from the others, however, is the gross Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12490732794848162302noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6255283846682251431.post-75666022302687497232013-01-25T12:34:00.000+01:002018-01-22T15:43:11.875+01:00Dinosaur Kale
If you frequent Pinterest or any healthy/Paleo food blogs, you are aware of the recent Kale Chip craze. Picture after picture of crunchy, curly kale looked so good to me and I wanted to try it. But that lush, curly kale just doesn't exist in Italy. I certainly haven't seen it, even after searching far and wide. What I did find, however, was a very dark veggie with long flat spears that look Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12490732794848162302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6255283846682251431.post-77983601534848640392012-10-18T12:35:00.001+02:002014-11-15T23:19:52.535+01:00Bruschetta Party
This summer, a trip to Simon Boca Negra, an amazing foccaceria in Sarzana, inspired us to make an aperitivo of varied bruschette. This is a fun and easy dinner to throw together for yourself or for a party and the possibilities are limited only by your imagination!
**Rant Alert**
While we're on the topic of bruschetta, I will share with you one of my ultimate pet-peeves: pronouncing it Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12490732794848162302noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6255283846682251431.post-87734168607069915052012-09-28T22:05:00.000+02:002012-10-18T12:30:20.147+02:00Book Review: "Inter Rail"
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mso-font-signatureNicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12490732794848162302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6255283846682251431.post-35262275353078936142012-09-24T17:53:00.001+02:002016-02-29T09:11:45.196+01:00Ricotta & Red Onion Pasta
Today was our first day of storms and rain and it made me think of this warm, autumn pasta. It is a recipe from
my mother-in-law and it quickly became one of my favorite pastas. After several continuous days of heavy red sauce, this light creamy pasta is a welcome change. It has a
very delicate flavor and I like to add fresh thyme to round it out. If you like the
sweet flavor of red Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12490732794848162302noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6255283846682251431.post-65457984855243203962012-08-10T17:22:00.000+02:002012-10-18T12:33:12.224+02:00Do You Spritz?
Aperitivo is an Italian tradition, a favorite past-time and a cultural necessity. There are many ways to enjoy this early evening social snack (it is the original Happy Hour, actually), whether it be wine or cocktails, but during the summertime, when the air is hot and your skin is tight from a day at the sea, the most popular drink is the Aperol Spritz. It is a very simple concoction, Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12490732794848162302noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6255283846682251431.post-41170154396869170602012-07-19T05:23:00.000+02:002012-11-08T00:53:43.894+01:00Spaghetti agli Scampi
Italian food is very seasonal and in the summertime, pasta with scampi is not to be missed. While my first memories of this dish were made in Vernazza's piazza Marconi so many years ago, I have discovered that this dish is surprisingly easy and much cheaper to make at home! There are a few versions of this pasta, the most common being made with a thick tomato sauce, but I find that a simple, Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12490732794848162302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6255283846682251431.post-39366473533594929322012-06-15T06:22:00.000+02:002012-09-24T23:38:00.574+02:00The Best in Vernazza
It's a known thing that to get good food, you go where the locals go. Trattoria da Sandro is no exception. Just down from the train station, the very first restaurant you come upon is Trattoria da Sandro and after being one of the hardest hit businesses in the raging landslide of October 25th, they are back in business and better than ever! (Look at that beautiful deck, my husband built thatNicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12490732794848162302noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6255283846682251431.post-91758879848425226052012-05-14T14:19:00.000+02:002012-05-14T23:16:12.957+02:00Vernazza: Six Months Later
As many may know, the Cinque Terre has been working double time to get Vernazza and Monterosso back to normality. It has now been six months since the fateful flood that took lives and destroyed these two villages. But in this brief period of time, people have come together from all over to accomplish what we all expected would take years. Today, a walk down the main roads in old town Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12490732794848162302noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6255283846682251431.post-70028673000927727792012-04-25T00:00:00.000+02:002015-04-25T14:57:08.595+02:00Italian Liberation Day
April 25 is a national holiday in Italy.
In my day-to-day business, all I have heard this week is "Mercoledì è festa" (Wednesday is a holiday) and who is going where on vacation. But does anyone ever think of what this date means to their lives? Probably not.
25 April 1945, was the day the people of Italy were liberated from their Nazi occupation and it forever changed the course of Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12490732794848162302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6255283846682251431.post-18712879014217245422012-04-18T13:27:00.002+02:002018-01-23T11:04:46.906+01:00The Best Whipped Cream Ever!
Sometimes the best discoveries are made when you have to use something up before it expires. This was the case with a tub of mascarpone cheese the other day. It was the beginning of yet another long Sunday lunch with the family and my mother-in-law didn't know what she should do with the huge tub of cheese.
If you are not familiar with mascarpone cheese, it is has the consistency ofNicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12490732794848162302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6255283846682251431.post-51687987029698598582012-04-09T18:41:00.000+02:002018-01-25T21:14:15.585+01:00Wild Asparagus!
I am a huge fan/supporter of harvesting wild food. You can see my Wild Caper and Chestnut posts as proof. Food just tastes better when it grows wild and going for a hike or hunt to find it makes it an fun adventure. Last year, when reading about Kate Little's adventures in the woods above Levanto to find wild asparagus, I was delighted at the idea of finding asparagus and determined to discover Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12490732794848162302noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6255283846682251431.post-70227943137154299702012-04-03T23:58:00.000+02:002012-04-03T23:58:22.289+02:00Fun Easter Treats
Easter is just around the corner and I thought I would post the super fun Krispy treats I made last year. I was instantly inspired when I saw the quick flashes of Rice Krispy treats shaped like eggs while my sister was forwarding past commercials on her DVR. "Oh my God!" I gasped, "GO BACK! It's Rice Krispy treats shaped into eggs and filled with M&Ms!" I am still amazed at how quickly myNicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12490732794848162302noreply@blogger.com6