Cannara’s Onion Festival: an Umbria Highlight

Sharing tasty food with family and friends is often a week-end outing in central Italy from early spring to late fall, the season of la sagra (village food festival). Onions take center stage at la Festa della Cipolla in Cannara, small village not far from Assisi. As you head to the food tent area, you’ll…

October 4th in Assisi: St. Francis Feted

In a past note on the Assisi’s October 4th festivities for the Feast of St. Francis, I started by summing up Francesco’s top ranking for all of the Italians. This is what I wrote: ***”Many Italians consider goalie Gigi Buffon as Italy’s greatest soccer player. But he’s only “Numero Due” in any case, in the ranks…

I Primi d’Italia: First Courses Star in Foligno

Walking towards Foligno’s main square in late September, you know it’s time for the “First Courses” festival showcasing Italy’s primi: everything from pastas (gluten-free ones, too) to risotto to polenta to gnocchi – and even cousin-cous (a favorite first course of the seacoast towns in western Sicily, influenced by Arab cuisine). What’s the sign that…

Montefalco Wines Star: Sagrantino…and Not Only

The hills undulating down from Montefalco are laced with vineyards of the Sagrantino, a prized grape indigenous a to very limited area of Umbria. ….and mamma mia, how these wines – and not only! – are feted in Montefalco during their late September weekend festival, Enologica Montefalco (“Wine-making Montefalco”). This year, the fortieth edition animated…

Near Deruta, Giuseppa Opens Home and Heart

There’s no doubt about it: Giuseppa opens her heart as well as her home to us as she serves up a rural feast. Can’t you just see the joy in her face? ……and what pride, too, as she serves up her homemade tagliatelle topped with a meat sauce of veal, pork and goose. All meats…