Vancouver blues It’s October and in Vancouver the weather has changed like a light switch from glorious sunny summer to low thick clouds and dark rainy mornings. It’s cold and wet and with the rain come the blues and the need to nest and be cosy seems as natural as the geese flying South for […]
Tagliatelle con Zucchine e i Loro Fiori
West End farmers market The farmers market has finally started in the West End of Vancouver and we had our first walk through of the season a few weekends ago. It was a perfect day with the sun shining. A nice spread of veggies (organic and conventional), honey, preserves, farm fresh meat, even some tasty artisanal potato chips were […]
Simple crostini toppings
Simple crostini toppings The holidays can be overwhelming with all the shopping that needs to be done and socializing that is expected but it doesn’t need to be that way. If you’re hosting a get together, plan something simple but elegant like a cocktail party. If you don’t have a well stocked bar you could […]
Making fresh pasta at home
Making fresh pasta at home Too often in America we eat without thinking, we buy over packaged, prepared foods and don’t always think about what we ingest. Some people eat strictly for fuel, not for enjoyment. In Italy, if you’re not eating, you’re talking about your next meal and it’s quite normal to spend a […]
TROFIE WITH PESTO, GREEN BEANS AND POTATOES
This dish comes from Liguria, home of pesto. Having potatoes and pasta in the same dish might sound strange but once you taste it you will see that they go well together in this recipe. We’ve also made this with the addition of crispy pancetta, it goes against tradition but is delicious nonetheless.
SLOW BRAISED CHICKEN IN A PORCINI SAUCE
Chicken and porcini On our whirlwind day trip up to Florence we took in the Mercato Centrale with tons of tasty treats to choose from, beautifully displayed to attract customers. One thing that was plentiful were dried porcini mushrooms. A tip for anyone looking to buy top quality dried porcinis is to make sure they […]
LUMACHELLE
Lumachelle Orvieto has become our go to town for the weekly market, dinners out and meeting up with friends. The town is best known for its incredible white wine, Orvieto Classico, but also has had an amazing history since Etruscan times. If you’re nearby and your itinerary does not include Orvieto you are definitely missing […]
MEAT CANNELLONI
Cannelloni has been on my mind for some time now and finally on a chilly Sunday I took the time to put a batch together. Like lasagna, once you have all your ingredients prepared, the assembly goes quickly and is fun. Using pre-made tubes and trying to fill them is a total pain so use […]