Tomato Passata sauce, part 1
Tomato Passata sauce, part 2
|
Our freshly picked olives
YES we managed ,it’s done. But let’s start from the beginning.
On Saturday morning by 9.30 am the mist had disappeared and warm sun shine welcomed our guests, twenty three altogether, consisting of 14 nice girls and a young professor all from the American school based here in Orvieto, 4 close [...]
Homemade ravioli served with a chesnut cream, crispy pancetta cubes and fresh rosemary
This morning, while taking what should have been be a brisk healthy walk , but was in fact a slow leisurely stroll with our lazy dog Lui, I came across three of our elderly neighbors who were busy harvesting their olives. [...]
Mediterranean Octopus salad
As we all know this week was Halloween . It’s not something that we really celebrate in Italy , but more recently all the kids seem to be very into it . I suppose it’s the chance to dress up and threaten your neighbors with untold mischief, if they don’t pay [...]
Wild mushrooms risotto
NO BUONO. At the end, we had to cancel the olive harvest!
After spending days and days with our ears pinned to the radio listening to the scary weather forecasts for the olive picking weekend, it seemed we only had two sensible options (1) would be to build a Noah’s ark or [...]
Homemade olive ascolane
For the farmers around Orvieto , the situation is serious this year. To start with although the vines produced excellent grapes that were full of sugar, unfortunately there was far less of them and the overall harvest in the area was reduced by almost 40%. Now, we are coming up to [...]
Poached egg served with truffles and homemade bread
During the last weeks of summer Nicks mum Jacky came to stay. On her arrival we noticed she was wearing a bandage on her wrist. Had she damaged it dragging her suitcase through the airport , we thought… or had she been injured delivering a devastating [...]
Rabbit cooked in red wine and prunes
Coming out from a routine is what a good break is all about . Waking up and realizing that it isn’t your turn to make a cappuccino, feed the chickens , cats, dog or goat is what I call a HOLIDAY.
Short but sweet: we had a couple [...]
Cacio & Pepe
Cacio e Pepe is a real traditional Roman pasta dish . Most Italians have heard of it , but very few know exactly how it’s made. Quick and simple it uses only 3 ingredients , Extra virgin olive oil , pecorino Romano cheese and of course black pepper. A real example [...]
Nigella Lawson's Chocolate pasta with Pecans & Caramel
A few days ago I was contacted by a Daily Mail journalist, her name was Jan and she was calling from London. She had this idea to organize a culinary day in my kitchen here in Umbria with myself and a local housewife/ nonna (nana),cooking 8 [...]
Chicken breast with sun-dried tomatoes, fresh herbs wrap in DOP mortadella. Gentely sous vide cooked.
This year the vineyard has done very well, we have lots of big, beautiful grapes. The maturation is complete , so now it’s time, like every year, to harvest. In fact, even the wild boar have realized that our [...]
Paccheri with Amatriciana fish
Once upon a time in the hills of Umbria there was a “young” lady called Simona who every springtime worked very hard on her land preparing it for her vegetable plants .This year she planted many things including: 6 cucumbers plants, 10 zucchini 9 eggplants and 80 tomato plants. She [...]
Spaghetti from Gragnano cooked in Amalfi’s lemon zest, fresh squid and Bottarga
It’s official, the summer is over I’m not saying this because the constant forty degrees temperature has finally dropped here in Umbria, nor do I say this because there is ONE cloud in the sky, but because Ladies and Gentlemen, the swimming pool in Allerona [...]
Wild fennel foam and Baccalà
Ciao thought I’d keep you updated on a few things that are happening here in Umbria and specifically in my little farm house.
Firstly ,after having to deprive our goat Hilda of the company of two out of three of her room mates ( the chickens ), we decided to take on another two chicks [...]
ITALIAN PRIVATE CHEF
For special occasions, parties or simply for the pleasure of having someone cooking for you, you can have an Italian Private Chef come to your house to prepare and cook a special meal.
I will also be happy to discuss and choose a menu with you, and to recommend [...]
Lasagna shape pasta with tin sardines and fresh fennel
After almost ten days I am finally feeling better. I’ve had a bad dose of flu, but for this year ,at least, it’s over. That’s because ( fingers crossed), I happen to be sick only once a year and when it happens it is always such a nightmare for [...]
|
|
Joy and Pain
Our freshly picked olives
YES we managed ,it’s done. But let’s start from the beginning.
On Saturday morning by 9.30 am the mist had disappeared and warm sun shine welcomed our guests, twenty three altogether, consisting of 14 nice girls and a young professor all from the American school based here in Orvieto, 4 close [...]