During Carnival in Italy, fried desserts are everywhere—it’s part of the tradition. Occasionally you can find some sweets where you can get away with baking, like these tortellini dolci, yet for other desserts like lattughe, fried crispiness is a crucial factor.
Instead of proposing one of my usual lighten-up recipes, this week I’m spotlighting my mother-in-law’s traditional Carnival recipe. (Thank you Patrizia!) Depending where you are in Italy, READ MORE
In Italy, the famous Carnevale season kicked off and will end February 9th, known as Martedì Grasso or Fat Tuesday, which is the last day before Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent. The word Carnevale comes from the latin word carnem levare, which means to “eliminate meat”. During Carnevale, food is often consumed in grand quantities, before starting Lent and a period of fasting that lasts until Easter.
The typical Italian desserts that are eaten during Carnevale are READ MORE
It’s 2016! And, with the new year :: nuovo anno a lot of new detox recipes are coming soon, but before I get to those, here is a super delicious whipped mandarin mascarpone recipe to finish off those leftover pies, cakes and, if you’re in Italy, panettone. CONTINUE READING
Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without gingerbread cookies :: biscotti pan di zenzero . The problem with a lot of recipes is that the gingerbread cookies turn out too hard, have too much spice or are too sweet. This recipe is the perfect compromise: crunchy on the outside, soft in the middle and has the perfect balance of flavor, not too sweet nor too spiced.
I made this recipe for an event at Smeg in Milan, Italy last week. They were a hit among the kids and the moms that stopped by the store for an afternoon cookie break. And, we packaged up another batch in cute red bags to give away at the evening Christmas party where I also made CONTINUE READING
This is a classic American apple pie recipe; well, kind of. In most traditional apple pie recipes you’ll find white sugar, white flour and thinly sliced apples :: mele. But, what kind of pie do you get when you use light cane sugar, a mix of whole wheat and all purpose flours, and chunk the apples? This is what I wanted to find out.
Apple slices or chunks. Does it really make that big of a difference? I mean, come on, we’re still using apples, right? Yet, just think for a moment about eggs and all the different way eggs :: uova taste based on whether you scramble them, poach them whole or fry them over easy. The way the eggs are prepared changes the READ MORE
Although summer tried to hang on, autumn has officially arrived bringing an array of beautiful colors and cool temperatures. Finally I can use my oven once again after shunning it during the hot and humid summer that kept me out of the kitchen. It’s the perfect moment to make these delicious dutch cocao squares that Paolo Folloni from Forno di Mario (Mario’s Bakery) in Correggio shares with me in this video recipe {in italian}. Continue Reading