Spaghetti alla Carbonara is a simple and delicious pasta dish considered a signature dish of Rome and made even more popular by lively debates on the most authentic recipe and its origins. Truth or Fiction? When we were children in Rome in the 1960s the story was that the dish is a simple preparation of
With a little creativity—and a little alcohol—la dolce vita can certainly be experienced just about anywhere. In fact, with some prep and planning, it’s easy to put together an Italian aperitivo at home.
Every season in Italy has its own delights, and autumn is definitely the star of the show when it comes to food, the harvest and culinary festivals. Some of Italy’s most famous dishes are based on autumn’s harvest bounty – truffles, pumpkin ravioli, porcini mushrooms, chestnuts and artichokes. Come along with us as we take you on a quick journey of everything you should eat in Italy in the fall!
We share some of our favorite traditional foods in Venice, including everything from traditional rice dishes to the Venetian “tapas” you will be happy to try, and of course a few desserts!
Good restaurants in Italy book up for dinner during the busier times of year, generally from mid-March well into November. Don’t hesitate to make reservations so you don’t find yourself stumbling into a restaurant that has a waiter out front waving in tourists. It might be a good restaurant, but usually the best ones don’t
Truffles are one of those foods that tends to get a strong reaction. Like cilantro, Brussels sprouts and blue cheese, you either love ’em or hate ’em! Truffles are intensely fragrant and hard to find in most places except Italy. They are the underground fruit of ascomycetous fungi. The fruit spores are dispersed though being
Farmer’s Markets If you are staying in an Italy Perfect city apartment there is usually a fresh food, open market nearby. No prepackaged foods and antiseptic counters, but friendly vendors and colorful, delicious vegetables, fruit, cheeses and meats of every kind. We think of them as museums for food! See our previous blog all about the
When it comes to cheese, Italy has perfected the art of making hundreds of different varieties of formaggio. With such a varied landscape, it is no surprise to find wonderfully different cheeses produced in the hills of Tuscany from that made in the fertile Po Valley or the mountains along the Sorrento Peninsula. Each region
Did you know that tasty Tuscan bread has no salt? It’s one of the details that makes bread in Tuscany so unique. However, without salt it goes stale quickly. Clever Italian cooks handled this problem by inventing delicious traditional dishes that make the best use of old bread. Nothing goes to waste! Why did they
Marvel at the Pantheon in Rome, a world treasure, then stay a while in a wonderful neighborhood with many fine delights. Round out your visit to the Pantheon with lunch at a terrific seafood restaurant, some shopping and a gelato all within a 5 minute walk. The Pantheon, an ancient Roman temple, itself is a
There is an amazing selection of restaurants in Rome but we often find ourselves hankering for simple, home-style cooking where we can walk in, catch up after a busy day of looking at apartments and sites and have a simple, inexpensive meal. Our guests often ask “Where do you go in Rome for an a