Why Emilia Romagna is the Perfect Foodie Destination
Filed Under Destination Features, Food History, Travel Videos Italy
This week we're focusing on one of our favorite regions of Italy - Emilia Romagna. Home to more P.D.O. (D.O.P.) and P.G.I. (I.P.G.) products than any other in Europe (in all of Europe!), it is a food lover's dream. First, what is a P.D.O.? It is in English a product of "Protected Designation of Origin", or "Denominazione di Origine Protetta" (D.O.P.) in Italian. And a "P.G.I." is a product of… Read
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Roast Lamb for Easter Dinner
Filed Under Recipes, Special Occasions France, Italy, USA
Lamb on the Easter table is a longstanding tradition hearkening back to the Paschal Lamb sacrificed for the Jewish Passover. In modern Christian Easter culinary traditions this most frequently has morphed into a roasted lamb dish at Easter. In many countries, you roast the whole animal over a spit, and enjoy it in company! Tempting as it is to try this at home (our local Costco sells whole lambs -… Read
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How to Make Homemade Limoncello
Filed Under Recipes, Wines & Spirits Italy
Limoncello is one of our favorite liqueurs or after dinner drinks. It is wonderful tangy, fresh, and when made properly imbued with the very essence of lemons. You can drink plenty of limoncello on any of our Amalfi Coast cooking vacations, or you can learn to make it yourself on our best-selling Mediterranean Cooking Experience! Contact us for details on our Amalfi Coast cooking vacations. Scroll down to see how… Read
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Easter Traditions
Filed Under Destination Features, Special Occasions Greece, Italy
Gearing up toward Easter we thought we'd revisit some of our favorite Easter traditions and foods. it seems that there are as many traditions surrounding the holiday as there are towns in the world - and even within a single town each family will have its own customs! The Greeks certainly know how to do Easter. It is one of their major celebrations of the year. It is called "Pascha"… Read
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Sicilian Recipe for Pasta alla Norma
Filed Under Food History, Recipes Italy
One of Sicily's signature dishes is "Pasta alla Norma," a pasta dish with tomato sauce, eggplant, and salted ricotta. There is more than one account of how it got it's name, but most tie it to the opera "Norma" composed by the Italian Vincenzo Bellini (Bellini, like the pasta dish, hailed from Catania). See our culinary tours in Sicily. You can make the dish with almost any type of pasta.… Read
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Panna Cotta Recipe
Filed Under Kitchen Tips, Recipes Italy
How did you spend your Valentine's Day? Did you cook a special dinner or go out to eat? Last year my husband and I were in Florence for Valentine's Day, which would have been more romantic if we hadn't also had our two children with us - still, it was Florence, so nothing to complain about! This year we spent it packing for today's departure (Portugal! You'll be hearing all… Read
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