Dining Out

Seeing as I am a food-obsessed individual who’s been living in Bologna for nearly 6 years, it’s probably no surprise that many people ask me for advice on where to eat in town. (As I mentioned in my post about the Antica Trattoria della Gigina.) When they do, I generally propose places that serve Bolognese cuisine. I also recommend the kind of places that I prefer – spots that are comfortable, traditional, serve great food, and won’t necessarily break the bank. Another priority is to make sure that the pasta is handmade. (As it should be in a city famous…

If you have traveled to Italy or other parts of Europe, you may have come across guinea fowl or guinea hen (faraona in Italian). I first encountered it in Italy and found it to be utterly delicious. Although it’s not very common in the USA, it’s something that I think many people would adore if they tried it. If you like chicken but are looking for something a little different, that’s leaner and that has even more flavor, consider trying it. Searching for an Italian guinea fowl recipe? This simple and satisfying recipe could be just what you’re looking for.

Pasta e Patate con la Provola is a Neapolitan classic, straight out of la cucina povera, or poor man’s cooking. I do not feel poor however when I eat it, I feel damned lucky! It is a hearty, scrumptious, and comforting dish normally served in winter. Nonetheless, it is freezing in Bologna right now which gave me the perfect excuse to make it today! Yippee for silver linings. I didn’t make it this winter so am mighty satisfied to have squeezed it in before it truly gets too hot to make it. If it’s cold wherever you are, this recipe might…

If you have been lucky enough to visit Italy, it’s likely that you have already visited Rome, Venice, and Florence. Say that you decide to come back though. Where should you go next? In my opinion, I think you should consider Turin. It’s a beautiful city that has a lot to offer. Picture France and Italy having a baby! While there are many reasons to visit the city, below I give you my top 10 reasons to visit Turin.

It may not surprise you to hear that we have had more guests since moving to Italy than we’ve ever had in our entire lives… People seem to want to come to Italy. Go figure! One of the most frequent questions I get from visitors is, “Do you have any restaurant recommendations?” As a consequence, I have written many an email with a list of my favorite spots. I thought I would make my life easier and hopefully yours, by writing about some of the eateries that stand out to me. Today I’m going to talk about the Antica Trattoria…

My family and I are visiting Spain for the first time this summer and I’ve been researching for months to ensure that we get the most out of our trip. I want to make sure that we see the sights we need to see and, importantly for me, eat well while we’re at it. It occurred to me that I see many visitors in Italy eating inferior food at touristy places and I thought it might be useful to give some tips on how to avoid that. You do want to eat well while in Italy, don’t you? Isn’t that…

In The Search for Risi e Bisi (Part 1), I described my quest to find and eat this iconic Venetian dish, in Venice. It should have been easy, right? It ended up being quite a challenge! Risi e Bisi, a humble yet elegant dish of fresh spring peas and rice is a cross between a soup and a risotto. Even though it’s a very traditional and seemingly important recipe, it’s nearly impossible to find in restaurants in the city.

Background So what is Risi e Bisi, and why on earth would I be searching for it? Well, according to every Venetian cookbook that I own, (and I have a boatload), Risi e Bisi is an iconic Venetian dish.  It’s a simple rice dish made with broth, risotto rice, fresh spring peas, and maybe a little pancetta. You hear about it everywhere – in travel guides, cookbooks (in English & Italian), food magazines, blogs, cooking shows, you name it. It’s important, I tell you, it’s everywhere… Except, well, in Venice.

My husband and I just had our 10th wedding anniversary this week. (Holy moly!) That coincided well with our daughters’ 8th birthday, Easter and her Easter vacation. To celebrate these very important occasions in style, we decided to go to Rome for the holiday. We spent a week there on our honeymoon, so for sentimental reasons, it was perfect. It’s also my happy place.

You hear of people falling in love with a person or place at first sight. I did – with Italy, 15 years ago. It got its hooks into me fast and hasn’t let go yet. My first trip was to Venice in April of 2003, and then, because I loved it so much, I came back in December of the same year to visit Florence and Rome! I hit the big three quickly. They are all stupendous in their own unique ways and are usually a traveler’s first stops, and with good cause. However, if you are lucky enough to come back and you…