“Gelato!” When I mention food and Italy someone inevitably replies “Gelato!” Who doesn’t love a cone or bowl of that extra creamy lusciously flavoured Italian version ice cream? So when we were invited to Carpigiani Gelato University to learn the history and secrets of great gelato we jumped at the chance. About a 40-minute bus […]
Tartófla Savigno, Michelin star dining
Tartófla It didn’t take much convincing for us to board a bus early one morning to make the one hour trip from Bologna to a small town called Savigno. We were invited by Bologna Welcome and the organizer of the annual white truffle festival, Tartófla, to enjoy a day of everything truffles. Tartófla is an […]
Tales from the table: Drogheria della Rosa
Drogheria della Rosa “It opens at 8:30!” I said to Nat with a look of desperation. We had left our dinner plans way too late to cook anything and were scrambling to figure something out. Checking Google maps the closest restaurant to the apartment was 700 metres away, called Drogheria della Rosa. I was so […]
Bologna and a tumultuous first month
Guilty in Bologna I have been feeling a little bit guilty of not updating our blog as often as I would like, just a little. On previous trips, we often stopped to write, in hindsight we feel that it broke up the continuity of our experiences. This time we decided to enjoy every minute and write when we can. […]
We love Orvieto
Amazing beauty We love Orvieto for its amazing beauty and stunning hilltop views overlooking the green heart of Italy, Umbria. Our stay this time was a week, to unwind and prepare for our upcoming schedule. A quick romp A quick romp through Ottawa back home, taking care of business, a lost bag and delay in […]
Movember: men’s health month
A lifetime ago It seems like a lifetime ago since I have written something about what we are actually doing with ourselves. The truth is pretty simple and by normal standards quite boring. As we have said before, we travel on our own terms which usually means on our own dime and it takes a […]
Va Bene, capturing the flavours of traveling through Italy
VaBene A Cook Not Mad is heading to Northern Italy on another exciting tour. After logging thousands of miles, pictures and hundreds of recipes on previous trips to Italy the idea for our new book, Va Bene, was born. This trip will find us visiting some of our favourite spots and discovering plenty of new […]
Seasonal treat – Pappardelle with roasted corn and peppers
Seasonal treat One of my favourite times of the year is when I see those huge bins of freshly harvested ears of corn at the market. Corn on the cob, a great Canadian (and American) tradition that thankfully remains a seasonal treat that we can look forward to every year. It means fall is on […]