One of the most captivating landscapes in northern Italy can be found at Lake Como. It is very close to Milan and can be easily visited on a day trip. The lake is shaped like an upside down V so it’s ideal to start at the top and leisurely make your way down closer to […]
Last week, I attended Florens 2012, the Florence Culture and Heritage Week in Florence, Italy. It was one of the most memorable conferences I have attended so far, and for several reasons. One, I got to meet the other 5 winners of Team Florens who had come from around the world, namely USA, UK, Australia […]
I was extremely excited when I heard about a “gelato for dinner” chefs event as part of Biennial Enogastronomica Fiorentina and Florence Culture and Heritage Week. If you have been following my blog regularly, you would know that I am the biggest lover of gelato in the world!
Le’Maiala is the first barter restaurant in Florence. It is the only place where you can bring items such as vegetables, fruits, olive oil or wine from home and exchange it for dinner at a nice restaurant.
Fondazione Florens has picked six international bloggers to go to Florence this November as part of the official ‘Team Florens’ including Sucheta Rawal, of Go Eat Give from Atlanta, GA! A number of Italian publications are calling Go Eat Give “one of the most influential blogs on culture in the world” and are very excited […]
We tend to undermine the role of cultures in building stronger economies. But the fact is culture leads to tourism, tourism brings in jobs, and jobs build economies. Even the idea of foreign currencies and trading them through brokers like Libertex (look at the Libertex Gebühren here) have the ability to heighten and increase the […]
When the mercury is rising, you want to eat light, healthy and cooling foods. How many times a week can you eat salad? Here is a recipe for a summery pasta entree that incorporates a lot of fresh vegetables.
In my earlier post I shared a recipe for a heavy cream based panna cotta topped with mango coulis. Now, I will show you how to make a healthier version of this delicious dessert. It is great for people on diets and those looking to avoid sugar. It is actually a diabetic friendly recipe too. […]
This Easter I decided to experiment with a couple of panna cotta recipes. If you are not familiar with panna cotta, it is a light Italian pudding commonly found at Italian restaurants. The basic panna cotta is made with milk or cream, sugar, gelatin and vanilla. Fruit toppings are then added to enhance the flavor […]
Over the past few years, I have stayed away from lasagna, even though I love it. Reason being I was trying to heat healthy when given the option, and avoiding red meats. But when my friend, Sami brought over a large pan of her homemade organic lamb lasagna, I gave it a try and was […]
It was love at first sight. We met in Rome, at a local café, while I was wandering around the cobblestone streets on a warm summer evening. I admired its smooth body, dense structure and luscious high intensity. The moment it touched my tongue, I knew that we will have a relationship for life. Since […]
It’s summer already and the mercury is rising. One of my favorite things about summer is fresh watermelon. It is cool and refreshing on a hot summer day. Watermelon is low in calories, but not in sugar and offers tons of vitamin C, A and B. In fact sweet, juicy watermelons are actually packed with […]
In the early nineties, Alisa Barry opened a small cafe in Atlanta called Bella Cucina to share her passion for cooking and eating deliciously. She started by selling sandwiches door to door to businesses in the Highlands, right from her basket. Everyone loved her Italian delicacies and wanted more. Soon after, she moved on to creating a specialty food […]
Have a lot of leftover Easter eggs and don’t know what to do with them? Well, there is good news for you! You can use your hard boiled eggs in lots of international recipes that your family won’t get bored with. Some of these are even good for entertaining. So take a stroll around the […]
The Italian language club, Ciancia met at my place last night. I have to say it was one of my most memorable evenings. Not sure if it was because of the wine, the food, or the conversations, or a combination of all of the above. I prepared some wine and cheese platters, antipasto, penne arrabiata […]
Making Gelato at home takes time and commitment. It is not difficult, but needs some advance planning. Here is a basic recipe to make your own Dulce De Leche Gelato. The first step is to make a base. This can be plain (which will be used in most flavors) or chocolate. 1. Combine 2 cups […]
I have been making my own Gelato from scratch since last summer. It is a two-day labor-intensive but very rewarding process. I have a new appreciation for it now that I am making my own. First thing I learned was Gelato is relatively healthier than ice-cream. Whereas ice-cream is made with 100% cream, Gelato […]
Revealing my secret today-I have always had a thing for Gelato! To me, it is better than ice cream. It tastes softer, creamier and richer in flavor. Moreover, some of my favorite flavors – pistachio, hazelnut, mango, fig – are more readily available in Gelato, than ice cream. This quest for Gelato has taken me […]
Dining at La Salle A Manger in Montreal last night, I discovered a couple of novel culinary treats. The menu was atypically categorized as just Raw, Cold, Warm, Vegetarian, Meat and Fish. I tried the gravlax with yogurt with orange and fennel salad. It was a burst of flavors, contrasting citrus against the soft salmon. […]
