We are going to jump down to the heel of the “boot” into Puglia. I have been obsessed with the idea of going to Puglia since I read Matt Goulding’s Pasta Pane Vino. If you have read it, you know that the second chapter is about the Dicecca brothers and their fresh mozzarella, burrata, and […]
Although we still have several regions to “visit,” we are going back to Abruzzo first. When you search for Abruzzese food, one dish that always comes up is cif e ciaf. According to one article about cif e ciaf, it is not so much a dish as it is an approach. Typically, it involves tough […]
If you’re following along from the last post, we have just left Reggio on the ferry to Messina. Sicily is at the top of my list of places to visit again, and yet somehow I have not managed to get back (yet). This is another place that my one visit was so long ago that […]
Moving further south from Campania, we head into the far southwest portion of the boot – Calabria. Frutti di Mare isn’t necessarily particularly Calabrian, but hearing the words always reminds me of Calabria. The town of Scilla in Calabria is the location of the mythical monster “Scylla.” As I understand the legend, navigating the strait […]
While the “return” to Rome was merely virtual for now, we did have a return to something closer to normal – our first small gathering with guests in far too long. To celebrate the occasion, we took inspiration from the food and apertivo culture of Rome. The last time we were actually in Rome, we […]
I have not traveled in Valle D’Aosta, but in my effort to “see” every region of Italy through food while we’re still not traveling, I went looking for recipes from the region. Everything that I found seemed to include beef, or fontina cheese, or both, which makes sense given the location. Because I felt like […]
I have not actually been to Abruzzo – yet – so this post is purely virtual travel. I really want to get this one “right,” to the extent that any Italian regional food has a “right” way to cook it, because I have a dear friend from Abruzzo and one day I hope to visit […]
I am sure I have absolutely nothing new to say about Florence. What could there possibly be that has not already been said? Yet, even knowing that, I have a lot to say, and there will be many things that I leave out (to be used in another post someday, hopefully). Florence was the last […]
Assuming that this isn’t the first Auntastasia post you have read, you have probably figured out that I love Italy. But Italy is far from a monolith, and there are some places that I might love a little more than others. Siena is one of those places. I have often said that I would retire […]
When I think Piedmont, my first thought is always wine. My second thought is truffles. I am very fond of Piedmontese wines – and who wouldn’t be – but I do not pretend to have the kind of expertise necessary to write about them. I will say that this pasta dish goes quite well with […]