5 Essential Tools for Making Handmade Pasta Like an Italian

5 Essential Tools for Making Handmade Pasta Like an Italian

HANDMADE PASTA IN ITALY

5-Essential-Tools-for-Making-Handmade-Pasta-Like-an-ItalianThe art of making handmade pasta is an important Italian tradition.  Although recipes for fresh pasta vary from region to region, (the type of flour, eggs, water, olive oil and salt are all variable elements) one commonality is that this antique practice originated in households using the simplest of ingredients and tools. Today, this tradition is waning as Italian women work outside their homes. Luckily there are many nonne, or grandmothers, who are passing down their secrets and restaurants, companies and schools that are offering pasta making courses.

I recently had the opportunity to participate at a traditional pasta making course offered by La Pasta di Bologna with a sfoglina. 

5-Essential-Tools-for-Making-Handmade-Pasta-Like-an-ItalianWho is a sfoglina?  This is the name of a person who makes handmade pasta the traditional way by using a wooden board and rolling pin. It was a fun and educational experience. I also feel quite lucky to have an Italian mother-in-law who had already gifted me many of the tools we used in the class. They truly do make a difference for making perfect fresh pasta at home.

5 ESSENTIAL HAND MADE PASTA MAKING TOOLS

5-Essential-Tools-for-Making-Handmade-Pasta-Like-an-ItalianBelow you’ll find the 5 essential tools to make handmade pasta like a true Italian sfoglina!

1. WOODEN BOARD

Although you can use a large clean work space, if you want to make pasta like a sfoglina, you’ll want to get a wooden board that is roughly 35/40 x 23/27 inches. This will give you ample space to roll out your dough, cut it into shapes and let your pasta dry. Using a wooden board is also practical, as cleanup is quick and easy and you don’t have to worry about damaging your countertop when you cut your pasta.

2. ROLLING PIN

5-Essential-Tools-for-Making-Handmade-Pasta-Like-an-ItalianIn my American kitchen, I always used a rolling pin with two handles, now I can’t live without my Emilian-style rolling pin. In Italy, I use the one that my Italian mother-in-law gave me, but when I travel to the states for cooking classes, I simply head to the hardware store and get a dowel that is about 30/35 inches long with a 1.5/2 inch diameter. I sand it down, give it a good wash and I have the best DYI rolling pin for a fraction of the cost of purchasing one in a culinary store. A handleless rolling pin really makes a difference. I find that it is nearly impossible to use a rolling pin with handles as the dough gets stuck between the pin and the handles and I can’t easily roll up and flip my dough over on the other side.   

3. KITCHEN SCALE

5-Essential-Tools-for-Making-Handmade-Pasta-Like-an-ItalianI sometimes wonder how I ever cooked without a kitchen scale. This is one item that I often pack with me in my suitcase when I travel so I am sure I have it (I’m not joking either. Mr. Italicano jokes with me that someday I’ll start bringing it to bed with me!) What’s so great about a kitchen scale? It’s precise. In flour-based recipes it makes a huge difference because each flour has a different weight depending on the type of flour, the brand and how it was milled.  If you need precise amounts, don’t use measuring cups as it will give you different results each time. Try this little trick for yourself: measure a cup of flour using the spoon and sweep method, then do it again, weighing after each. You’ll most likely end up with two different weights. Now repeat using the scoop and sweep method—you’ll have even a bigger difference in weight as this method packs down more flour and you’ll end up with a whole lot more flour even if it’s still “1 cup”. With a scale, 100g of flour is always 100g of flour. For egg pasta dough, the classic recipe is 100g of flour to one egg that is approximately 60-70g in weight. This is the right ratio of dry to liquid to give you the perfect pasta dough. 

4. DOUGH SCRAPER

5-Essential-Tools-for-Making-Handmade-Pasta-Like-an-ItalianThis is a handy tool to have when making pasta dough (and any dough for that matter) as you can easily work the wet and loose dough at the beginning without getting your hands messy before you knead the dough. It’s also a lifesaver to scrape up any flour/egg gunk from the board before rolling out the dough. You don’t want any bits or tears in your dough.

5. PASTRY CUTTER, KNIFE, AND TRADITIONAL EQUIPMENT

5-Essential-Tools-for-Making-Handmade-Pasta-Like-an-ItalianStraight and fluted pastry cutters are great for tortelli, cappelletti, ravioli and other stuffed pasta.You’ll need a sharp knife for shapes like tagliolini, tagliatelle, pappardelle, and lasagne sheets. Some traditional shapes even require specific tools; for instance, to make garganelli, you’ll its unique stick and comb.

Although I typically make homemade pasta using a stand mixer and pasta attachments {<—affiliate links}, I do appreciate the art of making pasta the traditional way with just a rolling pin and board. And, I absolutely love taking pasta making classes as a social event to meet new people, learn new tricks, and of course eat good handmade food. 🙂

Mini Farro Tarts  

Mini Farro Tarts  

Sorry for dropping off the map! Mr. Italicano, Baby Italicana and I spent over a month in the USA visiting my family ❤ and I did cooking classes and demos around Seattle, Portland and in Virginia for Caruccio’s and Smeg USA. Now we’re back in Italy, and I’ve been aching to write a recipe post, so let me get straight to it and tell you about these amazing mini farro tarts!

Besides being just extremely cute, these mini farro tarts were a huge hit with the participants at my kid’s cooking class at Caruccio’s, a beautiful new culinary event space in Mercer Island. In this cooking class each child made her own tart, filled it with a homemade lemon curd and topped it with fresh berries. Not a crumb remained!

Here is what a I love about these mini farro tarts:

  • Kid Friendly — They are the perfect recipe to make for (or with) your child. Fill them with homemade lemon curd, jam or yogurt and top them with berries for a healthy breakfast, dessert or after school snack.
  • Low in Sugar — Most desserts are pumped with sugars. This tart crust just has 1/3 cup raw turbinado sugar. Obviously, depending on what you fill it will make it more or less sugar-y, so if you are looking for a simple & healthy treat, opt for a good yogurt and fresh fruits, nuts and/or seeds.
  • Farro — I am a huge proponent of farro. It’s an ancient grain grown in Italy which is nutty in flavor, high in protein and fiber and is often suitable for people who have gluten sensitivities (but not those who have celiac disease). Just search farro recipes in the search box for more recipes. One of the brands I collaborate with and absolutely love is Poggio del Farro.

Since I love discovering new ways to cook with farro, I thought I would bring my knowledge to the USA! I created farro recipes for all of my adult classes, pop-up dinner and demo’s at Caruccio’s. Throughout the various events, we made homemade farro salad, farro beet soup, farro ravioli, farro matcha pasta, farro beet pasta, farro crostata and farro chocolate chip cookies. Participants were enthusiastic to learn more about farro, the health benefits and and the best recipes to make with this ancient grain. I was really delighted to see how curious everyone was (even kids!) to learn about farro. ❤

Cooking Demo

Adult Cooking Class

Pop Up Restaurant 

Farro also appeared in my Smeg USA cooking demonstrations at Williams-Sonoma and Nordstroms. I showed customers how to make homemade matcha farro pasta with Smeg’s 1950’s style stand mixer and pasta attachments (<—affiliate links) hence the reason I’m dressed up in 1950’s style! 🙂  

The pasta is bright in color, packed with antioxidants and I put in just the right amount of matcha to not leave any bitter taste—making it easy to pair with any sauce.At some of my demos, I also showed how to make matcha tea with Smeg’s Variable Temperature Kettle (<—affiliate link). I really enjoyed using  Sugimoto America ’s delicious organic matcha culinary and ceremonial grade teas. I’m not a big tea drinker, unfortunately I often find it too bitter, but matcha tea is one that I actually like because it’s smooth and I find it less pungent.

I’m surprised with how “italicana” I’ve become over the eight years of living in Italy.  My usual craving for a Starbucks coffee has passed—for me it’s too sugary and sweet. I usually drink American drip coffee (straight up black) or I choose to make a homemade latte with just a little added maple syrup for flavor or I’ll make a quick espresso, macchiato or cappuccino. I love how Smeg’s 1950’s style Espresso Machine (<—affiliate link) is easy to use, so stylish and takes up such little space on my countertops. In this video I show you how simple it is to make a macchiato using it!

Another simple but satisfying recipe I had the pleasure of demoing is a sparkling citrus juice using Smeg’s 1950’s style citrus juicer (<—affiliate link).  

Now that I have Baby Italicana to think about, I’ve been consuming many homemade non-alcoholic drinks. Here’s the easy and delicious recipe:

For a Sparkling Citrus Juice:

1. Squeeze some oranges or grapefruit in a glass

2. add equal parts sparkling water

3. top with a mint leaf

It’s that easy! Great for prego’s like me, for kids or to serve as a nice refreshing drink  for your family and friends. 🙂 I made these citrus juice drinks for my nieces and nephew at Lake Chelan when were there with my entire family celebrating my mom’s 70th birthday. They adored this “fizzy drink” and I love knowing that I, their auntie, was giving them something that is 100% natural. ❤

How is Baby Italicana?

This little globe trotter is doing well! She’s 29 weeks old and we’re already in the 3rd trimester! She has become a little ninja in my belly and is kicking all the time (the most incredible feeling ever). She loves her daddy and responds with kicks and high fives when Mr. Italicano taps three times on my tummy (I think he’ll soon start teaching her morse code. Hah!).  We love celebrating life moments with her. For my and Mr. Italicano’s 4th wedding anniversary we took her to a Seattle Seahawks game…

…and spent a night at Sleep Lady Mountain Resort in Leavenworth where we got married.

We took her on the outdoor stage where we said our vows, to a beautiful rock overlook where with views of the river and mountains and strolled through the rest of that magical place describing to her all of the special memories of that unforgettable day.   ❤

Mini Farro Tarts
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
These mini farro tarts are the perfect recipe to make for your family. Fill them with homemade lemon curd, jam or yogurt and top them with berries for a healthy breakfast, dessert or after school snack.
Serves: 15
Ingredients
  • For the tart:
  • 2½ cups (300 g) farro (emmer) flour (Triticum Dicoccum)
  • ½ teaspoon (1 g) baking powder
  • 2 pinches salt
  • ⅔ cup (150 g) cold butter, cut into cubes + more to butter pans
  • Zest from 1 organic lemon
  • ⅓ cup (75 g) turbinado sugar
  • 1 large organic egg + 1 egg yolk
  • For the filling:
  • Greek yogurt, lemon curd, homemade jam (etc)
  • Fresh berries
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer equipped with the paddle attachment, add the flour, baking powder, salt and butter. Mix on medium speed for 1-2 minutes.
  3. Add the lemon zest, turbinado sugar and eggs. Combine until the dough comes together as a ball. Flatten the dough into a disc, wrap with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
  4. Butter fifteen 4-inch tart pans with removable bottoms. Divide the dough into 15 pieces. Push each piece of dough into the tart pan until the dough evenly covers the bottom and sides. Pierce the bottom of the dough with a fork many times. (If you have fewer tart pans, you can take turns baking. In this case, keep the dough in the refrigerator until ready to use. You can also use this recipe to make the crust for an 11-inch (28cm) pan crostata. If so, follow the recipe in that link for tips on how to roll out the dough and fill the crostata.)
  5. Bake the mini farro tarts for 22-24 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
  6. Add your filling of choice (Greek yogurt, lemon curd, homemade jam etc) and top with fresh berries. Enjoy!

 

In this post, there are affiliate links and links to the companies I work with. These collaborations allow me to work full time on this blog. I am very selective in my choices of collaborations and products that might be of value to those who follow me. Thank you for your support. ❤

Farro Pancakes with Whipped Cream, Strawberries and Maple Syrup

Farro Pancakes with Whipped Cream, Strawberries and Maple Syrup

Cheers for homemade pancakes!

Farro-PancakesAnd, cheers to video recipes that show you how to make these fluffy little gems in just 47 seconds. Life just got good. 🙂 Ok, well, this video is in Italian so you may have to put your student cap on for a minute but don’t fear, the English instructions and measurements are below!

This post is sponsored by Poggio del Farro. I created the recipe, photos and video—which you can also find on their website along with many other delicious farro recipes. The writing and opinions are my own. 

The great thing about pancakes is that you can make them in a variety of ways: craving a savory version, just try these zucchini pancakes with basil pesto or this version with arugula, gorgonzola, pear and walnuts. Not only are these great for brunch, but they also are a fun appetizer to be eaten in their original size or you can make them mini for to serve during a  buffet. Not to be missed from the pancake line up is a simple and classic whole wheat pancake recipe as well as this special strawberry and blueberry pancake cake. Yes, I did. I made a cake with pancakes. It’s seriously so good. 🙂 The latest addition to my pancake craze are these delicious farro pancakes.  Farro-PancakesI’ve been creating numerous farro recipes lately (just search “farro” on my blog). Once discovering the many nutritional benefits of this Italian ancient grain and how easy it is to replace refined white flours, I was sold. It also has a delicious nutty taste that I adore. Check for being healthy, check for being easy and check for being delicious. I really like Poggio del Farro’s organic farro flour for this recipe. They are just now breaking into the U.S. market. Watch out for them on store shelves.  

Farro-PancakesSpeaking of pancakes, I recently held a pancake cooking class for kids in Parma, Italy at the Gola Gola Food Festival. Most of them had never eaten a pancake before. I loved how curious and excited they were to learn how to cook. It’s so satisfying to see kids at such a young age get interested in making their own food. I hope that this interest for healthy homemade cooking increases for kids as well as their parents.  I hope that through this blog and cooking classes that I can make a difference towards forming good eating habits. ❤️ Here’s to hope for a healthier generation in the future and in the present!

Farro-Pancakes

Farro-Pancakes

Farro-Pancakes

Farro Pancakes with Whipped Cream, Strawberries and Maple Syrup
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
These farro pancakes with homemade whipped cream, strawberries and natural maple syrup are a great alternative to refined white flour pancakes. You'll love their slightly nutty taste!
Serves: 8 pancakes
Ingredients
  • ¾ cup (175ml) milk (cow or soy)
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar or lemon juice)
  • 1 cup (125g) Poggio del Farro Organic Farro (emmer) Flour
  • 2 teaspoons (8g) sugar (white or raw cane sugar)
  • 1 teaspoon (4g) baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon (3g) baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon (3g) salt
  • 1 organic egg
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter or coconut oil
  • Butter or coconut oil for greasing the pan, as needed
  • Homemade whipped cream
  • Strawberries, sliced
  • Pure maple syrup
Instructions
  1. Stir the milk and apple cider vinegar together in a small bowl and set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl whisk together: organic emmer flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
  3. In a separate medium bowl whisk together: egg, melted butter and milk/apple cider mixture.
  4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until combined.
  5. Brush a large nonstick skillet with butter or coconut oil and heat over medium heat.
  6. Add ¼ cup of the pancake mixture to the pan and cook until bubbles form on the top and the bottom is golden; about 2-3 minutes. Flip and cook until golden on the bottom, about 1-2 more minutes.  Repeat. (Depending on your size pan you can also cook more than one at a time.)
  7. Serve with homemade whipped cream, strawberries and pure maple syrup.

 

 

Homemade Matcha Pasta with Spinach, Lemons and Zucchini

Homemade Matcha Pasta with Spinach, Lemons and Zucchini

Easter is a week away! What better way to celebrate than to serve up a beautiful green pasta dish to your family and friends. This homemade matcha pasta with spinach, lemons and zucchini is a great vegetarian meal and, if you want to add some protein, you can top with grilled shrimp. Either way, it’s delicious.

In Italy, Easter is celebrated with a 3-hour family lunch, where laughter is abundant, hand gestures are inevitable, wine is always flowing and there is enough food on the table to feed a small army.  I don’t eat breakfast before this festive meal, otherwise I wouldn’t make it past the first course, which sometimes is still hard to do. Portions in Italy are not small, by the way.

Just to give you an idea, here is the menu for Sunday’s Easter lunch that my mother-in-law Patrizia is hosting. It’s also her birthday. Buon Compleanno :: Happy Birthday, Patrizia!

Easter Menu

Various appetizers

Ricotta & Asparagus Cannelloni

Mushroom Tortelli with Castellano Cheese and Tartufo Butter

Roasted Lamb with Parsley and Lemon Sauce

Cooked Spinach

Roasted Potatoes

Raw Vegetables with Olive Oil, Lemon and Salt

Napoleon dessert

Colomba

Ricotta Crostata

Fresh Fruit

Marsala Aged for 35 years

Passito

Caffè

The Easter bunny does not exist in the small country town where I live in the region of Emilia-Romagna.  There are no pastel weaved baskets filled with chocolates and candies to find when you wake in the morning, nor are there Easter egg hunts at the local park.  When I first started living here, I momentarily felt kind of sorry for Italian children, but then again, they have something we Americans don’t: chocolate eggs filled with surprises.

Now you may be skeptical, I mean, in America, chocolate eggs are the norm. But, these aren’t just any chocolate eggs. These oval delicacies are both fun and melt-in-your-mouth-delicious. They come in all different sizes: from eggs the size of your palms to the size of your head to the size of an adult body. The surprises are relative to the size and cost of the egg: from small little plastic figurines, to dolls and cars to giant stuffed animals (and much more).

How to open one of these chocolate eggs: Remove the shiny wrapper, admire the chocolate that you are going to shortly devour, and smash the chocolate egg against the table to reveal a plastic egg. Inside you’ll find your surprise. Outside you have all of the chocolate pieces to eat and share. Or not. 🙂

Traditional American Easter desserts are filled with colored dyes. How else would you color your cakes and frosting pastel green, yellow and pink? Believe it or not, there are so many easy ways! I used natural colorings for my pasta recipes: matcha and spinach for green, turmeric for yellow and beet puree for pink. You can also use these natural colors for your baked goods.

Here’s the thing: synthetic dyes are bad for adults and children. According to Eating Well, “Research has also associated food dyes with problems in children including allergies, hyperactivity, learning impairment, irritability and aggressiveness.”

I was actually quite tentative to use real ingredients to color my food, I mean, wouldn’t it taste weird? The surprising answer is no. Usually the amount that you add to your recipe is so minimal that you can’t even detect what ingredient it is. For instance, in this homemade matcha pasta you can’t taste the flavor of the green tea but you get all of the antioxidants and heath benefits. Is matcha tea good for kids, you ask? I found this article quite interesting.

I had a lot of fun developing this recipe; it was also quite a challenge. It took me about three tries to get the pasta the way I wanted it, and about 8 tries to find the “perfect sauce” (see my video on youtube.) I am very happy with the result and the responses during the 2 week cooking show tour in America with Smeg USA. Over the course of 17 cooking shows and demos in Chicago and New York City, I showed consumers how to make this pasta dough in Smeg’s beautiful stand mixer , and how to make the raw spinach lemon sauce in their vintage style blender.

I used their vegetable attachment to cut matchstick pieces of zucchini in seconds. Not only was it fun, but I absolutely love showing people how to eat healthy with simple recipes. It’s truly easy when you have the right kitchen tools.

Homemade Matcha Pasta with Spinach, Lemons and Zucchini
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
This homemade matcha pasta with spinach, lemons and zucchini is a great vegetarian dish perfect for Easter and the arrival of spring. It's naturally colored and fresh in flavor. Enjoy!
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • For the dough for spaghetti:
  • 2½ cups + 2 tablespoons (400g) semola
  • 1⅛ cup (230g) water
  • 2 pinches salt
  • 2 tablespoons (10g) matcha powder
  • For the dough for fettuccine or tagliolini:
  • 3 cups (14oz, 400g) farro flour
  • 4 extra large organic eggs
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 2 tablespoons (10g) organic matcha
  • For the sauce:
  • 8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • ½ onion, skin removed and finely chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, skin removed and finely chopped
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 6 oz (180g) organic baby spinach
  • ¾ tsp salt
  • For the topping:
  • 2 zucchini, cut into matchstick pieces
  • 2-3 lemons
  • Chives
Instructions
  1. For the dough:
  2. Attach the dough hook to the Smeg stand mixer and add all of the ingredients for either the spaghetti dough or the fettuccine/tagliolini dough. Mix on speed 1 for 3-5 minutes until the mixture comes together as a ball, adding a spoonful of water at a time if the texture is crumbly or extra flour if the dough is sticky.  Wrap the dough with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
  3. Attach the pasta roller accessory to the stand mixer. Divide the dough into 6 pieces, press them into flat rectangles and flour each side. Pass one of the pieces through the machine on speed 1 on no.0. Fold the ends towards each other and pass it through again. Now turn it to no.1 and pass it through three times. Let the sheets dry for 20 minutes or until they are no longer moist but not too dry where they break. Now proceed with one of the following:
  4. For Spaghetti:
  5. Attach the spaghetti attachment and pass each sheet through on speed 1. Repeat. Hang the spaghetti on a pasta rack or broom handle lined with a clean cloth and let dry completely before cooking.  Cook time: 2-4 minutes in boiling salted water.
  6. For Fettuccine & Tagliolini:
  7. Attach the fettuccine or tagliolini accessory and run one sheet through on speed 1. Repeat. Pasta can be used immediately. Cook time: 2-4 minutes (fettuccine) or 1-2 minutes (tagliolini) in boiling salted water.
  8. For the sauce:
  9. Heat 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a skillet, add the onion and cook over medium heat for 4-5 minutes until translucent, but not brown. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
  10. Add this mixture to a blender followed by 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, water, lemon juice, baby spinach and salt. Blend until smooth, adding more salt or lemon to taste.
  11. To plate:
  12. Cook the pasta according to the directions above. Add the sauce back to the skillet. When the pasta is done add it to the skillet along with a few spoonfuls of cooking water. Stir to distribute the sauce evenly and heat over medium heat for 30 seconds. Divide into 4-6 plates, and top with zucchini, chives and ½ lemon zest for each plate. Buon appetito!

This post is sponsored by Smeg. I only work with companies whose products I use and love.

Upcoming Cooking Shows: The Easy Way To Prepare Ancient Grains

Upcoming Cooking Shows: The Easy Way To Prepare Ancient Grains

Mr. Italicano and I have just arrived in the USA! Over the next two weeks we’ll be in Chicago and New York City, where I’ll be doing a variety of “Ancient Grain Farro Cooking Shows” with Smeg USA at Williams-Sonoma, Eataly, Bloomingdales and the IHA trade show. For complete details you can check out my event calendar. I would love to see you there! I look forward to teaching you how to make nutritious meals with this superfood grain. I’ll show you how easy and quick my recipes are to prepare, with Smeg USA’s practical and beautiful 1950’s style appliances.

Every since moving to Italy, I have adapted a Mediterranean lifestyle.  I cook simple recipes made with natural and fresh ingredients that explode with flavors. During my last cooking shows, many complaints by the audience was that they are passionate about cooking but don’t have the time to get in the kitchen. I disagree. With the right recipes and kitchen tools, making homemade meals takes less time than going to a restaurant, let alone the meal will cost a fraction of the price! I talk more about this topic in an earlier post.

The art of eating well and feeling good is simplicity. When I got this basic principal down, I didn’t mind getting in the kitchen to cook because it wasn’t a strenuous task, but a way to have fun, relax, slow down and be mindful about what I was putting into my and Mr. Italicano’s bodies. Simplicity also means having a few tricks up my sleeves for our modern lives. Just like I wouldn’t go to the nearest river stream to wash my clothes (thank goodness for washing machine’s!), I also don’t waste my time mashing, kneading, rolling out, chopping and cooking every day. In fact, to keep my life simple, these are recipes that you can make once and enjoy them the following days. I also use use a blender, stand mixer, and a variety of attachments that do a lot of the work for me in rapid time. I heart technology that supports my mission to eat healthy and homemade.

I’ll be posting these recipes soon to my blog, but in the meantime here is a sneak peak on what I will be preparing at these fun culinary demonstrations in Chicago and NYC!

1. Farro Beet Soup with Greek Yogurt and Pistachios 

2. Homemade Matcha Pasta with Spinach, Zucchini and Lemons 

3. Beet Crepes with Ricotta, Arugula, Blood Oranges and Aged Balsamic Vinegar 

4. Spring Farro Salad with a Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette 

In the meantime, you can follow along on YouTube! ’ I’ll be posting frequent episodes of my day preparing and cooking at these events (and hopefully discovering some good restaurants as well!) I would really appreciate your feedback and support. Please leave us a comment on youtube! Thanks so much!

Ciao ciao!

Cindy

This post is in collaboration with Smeg USA, but all of my thoughts and opinions are my own.