In the Greco-Roman ancient world – and even in ancient Egypt – edicole flanked imposing city entrances or temples (or were located inside the temples), and held images of the divinita’ minori (“minor deities”); the major divinities merited the construction of entire temples. Roman edicole in Jordan From the Latin, aedicula, (diminutive of aedes, temple), an edicola was indeed a tempietto (mini-temple), often richly sculpted, incorporating…
Late springtime is wild asparagus season and lucky for us, Peppa found such an abudance this spring that we have a few bunches in our freezer. While making a willd asparagus frittata today, thoughts wandered back to Eggi’s celebration of this woodland goodness. Here’s the note I wrote about la Sagra degli Asparagi: Eggi (pop. about 400), medieval castle village near Spoleto, is celebrating la Sagra degli…
I missed the Festa di Scienza e Filosofia in Foligno this year. Here’s a note I wrote on that “only-in-Italy!” event the first time I attended: Where else can you join a Saturday night rapt crowd ranging from teens to the elderly in a 14th-century frescoed monastic church – now an auditorium – to hear a physicist…
A gem of a tiny hilltown overlooking the Piano Grande (“Great Plain”), Castelluccio di Norcia, is a forlorn mass of rubble now. Devastated by the earthquake of October 30, 2016, the town is now roped off. I wonder where Mariella and Ulisse, Oreste and Derna are now? I wish I could show them this note I wrote…
Years ago, Salvatore, dear friend from Naples, cooked me this pasta dish and it was always a hit in my U.S. cooking classes. Salvatore made his salsa with the famous walnuts of Sorrento (said to be the best in Italy) of his cousin’s walnut trees. For this tasty pasta sauce, I have to use Umbrian walnuts, ours…
Originating in Asia since pre-history, the eggplant arrived in the Mediterranean area with the Arabs in the Middle Ages. In thirteenth-century Italian folklore, Ia melanzana was said to be a cause of insanity. (A tasty way to madness…) Thanks to Pino’s Sicilian roots, many of the ways we enjoy eggplant in summertime are linked to Sicily.…
Showcased in minestrone, a vegetable medley is tasty in another way: baked. Not long ago, our friend Simonetta brought us a savory dish of oven-baked vegetables; today, Pino and I tried out our own summer version. Here it is: Baked Summer Vegetable Medley Ingredients (for 6 persons – vor more if using more vegetables) 2 red…
At lunchtime the other day and I knew those ripe and luscious tomatoes and huge bell peppers had to unite in a pasta dish. The color red was there and white (onion) and green (fresh basil and Sicilian capers) joined in to make this pasta tricolore. Tuna was in the cupboard…..and why not? Another addition: Pino’s black olives.…
Zucchini, eggplants, tomatoes and bell peppers take the stage in Italy’s August cuisine. Today for lunch, roasted peppers with garlic, basil, capers and toasty bread crumbs was our side dish. And here’s how to make this easy, tasty dish for four: Roasted Peppers with Capers Ingredients: 4 red and/or yellow bell peppers about 1/4 –…
August is the month to fete tomatoes. They’re red and luscious now, an enticement at any fruit and vegetable stand. All over Italy now, families are putting up tomato sauce for winter. Hundreds of bottles for many a family; after all, pasta sauce daily in most homes. With large ripe tomatoes, you can make a…