Wish a diversion to ward off a possible CPA (Coronavirus Panic Attack)? You might wish to make this new version of polpette (meatballs) – with a “Pino touch” – and then enjoy them with those sharing lockdown with you. For le polpette (for about 4- 5 persons), we used these ingredients (as we made enough…
Christmas gifts for our family members have often been wool or cashmere sweaters purchased at the outlet store at Novella Confezioni, in the valley below Assisi: Today, Pino stopped at the nearby alimentari (grocery store) of Ristorante Da Giovanni to pick up a gift, dropped off there by Monia Mancinelli, daughter of Novella (founder of…
On this blog, I’ve been writing daily (nearly) notes on ways to (hopefully) ward off what I’ve dubbed a CPA (Coronavirus Panic Attack). Nature provided us a distraction today, March 15, 2020: we woke up to our first snowfall. A bit late this year for snow, but as a napoletano friend wrote, “forse anche il…
At lunch today, Pino raised his vino rosso to every one of us, his closed fist affirming “lotta dura senza paura” (“a hard fight without fear”). Yes, we’re all affronting “a hard fight.” Many have discovered ways to ward off what I’ve dubbed a “CPA” (Coronavirus Panic Attack). On the Net, opera singers are singing…
All over the world now, people are sharing ideas on how to fill the lockdown days. Here in Italy, a good amount of daily time has always been dedicated to cooking good foods and eating them together. And now more than ever. Our primo today was a quick one: I just warmed up the sugo…
Even during this coronavirus lockdown, Italians are not renouncing their fresh vegetables: everyone’s still enjoying many portions a day. We’re grateful for Novella’s stand in Assisi: Recently, her bietola (Swiss chard) – when purchased, bound with a twisted willow sprig, as she binds all her leafy bunches – highlighted a couple meals for us. After…
Under our national lockdown, those in towns and cities are confined to their homes. Fortunanatamente, Pino and I are “confined” to the countryside around our farmhouse. As permission is allowed to exit the home to procure food, the other day we headed to Peppa’s: she’d called to ask us to drop by for “poche cose…
Lockdown here in Italy means staying housebound. Mostly. These days, people in the towns and cities love their dogs more than ever: walking them is an excuse to get out. A way to ward off a CPA (Coronavirus Panic Attack). Hilarious Internet videos about exhausted dogs yet again on a leash and even cats on…
With lockdown, there’s more cooking than ever in homes all over Italy; after all, cooking is an ideal way to ward off a CPA (Coronavirus Panic Attack). These days, Pino’s often at the burners, too. He made one of my favorite dishes the other day: pasta ai gamberi. Easy, quick, buonissima. He started by defrosting…
With the coronavirus lockdown, all over Italy, probably everyone’s eating better than ever: more time to cook… …although a buonissima pasta with broccoli takes little preparation time and requires just a few ingredients: broccoli, currants, garlic, pine nuts, and olive oil. You may wish to try this dish of Pino’s mamma, Signora Vincenza, “i pasta…