Little hill town The closest town to us, out here in the woods, is a little medieval village called Ficulle. It’s a charming, well kept little hill town with a tight knit community of hard working people. Known for its potters over the centuries, Ficulle still produces a very distinct style of pottery that is […]
365 Project 2014 – week 52
Christmas, monsters and frost Week 52, the last entry of our 365 Project 2014, this week we spent Christmas with new friends, visited Parco dei Mostri (Monster Park) and woke up to a frosted pond and frozen ground. Stay tuned to see if we take on a third year of 365. Happy New Year to […]
TRUFFLED EGGS
Truffled eggs Here is a great recipe for New Year’s Day brunch. It’s as easy as making deviled eggs and you can prepare the eggs, ready to cook, the day before. We are crazy about all things truffle and love using truffle salsa as an easy and somewhat less expensive way to get our fix. […]
MINESTRA DI CECI (Umbrian Chickpea Soup)
The world’s healthiest food Chickpeas have long been considered the world’s most healthy legume and could be the world’s healthiest food. Chickpeas are in fact the seeds of a legume, usually containing two or three. They are creamy white to pale yellow with a textured surface. Most chickpeas are dried for later use and keep […]
Life at Al Settimo Cielo
Green rolling hills of Umbria Travel north out of Orvieto towards the small village of Ficulle up into the green rolling hills of Umbria and you will find us hidden deep in the forest. We have taken on a house sit at a remarkable property that resides on top of its own hill. Seven terraces […]
BEEF INVOLTINI WITH PORCINI & ARTICHOKE
Little packages As a chef I love to draw inspiration from the markets and the seasonal change. Italy is particularly good about eating in season since they are tied so tightly to the land and what is happening in the garden. In winter the hunters are out whether it be for truffles, mushrooms or wild […]
The Story of Salsiccia
Late last Friday We got up late last Friday morning, it must have been around 9:30. It was raining and we didn’t need to be anywhere so we sat and had our coffee while we checked email and caught up on news. All of a sudden we heard yelping, similar to a fox pup. I immediately opened the window […]
CARDOON TWO WAYS
Vegetarians rejoice! This week, as promised, we are bringing you two variations on one classic dish. Cardoon is vegetable you may have seen in your grocery store or specialty market but had no idea what it was or how to prepare it. It’s a vegetable I have had only a handful of times before, it’s […]