Norcia: Prosciutto, Truffles and…..Earthquakes

Often linked to black truffles, savory prosciutto, pecorino cheese and the baby lentils of nearby Castelluccio,  Italians now  think “earthquake,” too, now when envisioning Norcia.  The August 24,  2016 earthquake shook up Norcia but the October 30th quake the same year caused the major devastation. The Basilica dedicated  to Norcia’s beloved St. Benedict (born there…

Christmas is Alive in Assisi

Last-minute shopping forays, hours of cooking up a feast, gift-wrapping marathons, and a furious flurry of holiday party preparations:  a few moments of  Christmastime for many. But in some tiny mountain villages of Umbria, the locals live their Christmas in another way:  by serenelybringing to life the first Christmas. Literally. San Francesco created the first…

Near Assisi, a Christmastime Rural Feast with a Torrone Ending

Even the torrone – Christmas nougat – closing our mid-December Christmastime feast with a sweet note, was homemade. A Nello specialty.           Nello, hard-working farmer and torrone-confectioner        Nello’s torrone                       Pino favors Nello’s chocolate torrone At Mariella’s and Nello’s table,…

In Todi, Beverly Pepper’s Gentle Force

What an extraordinary marriage of the modern and the medieval in Todi on December 8th. The stately 13th-c civic palace of this Umbrian hilltown gem served as stunning backdrop for a show dedicated to the works of the American sculptor, Beverly Pepper.           Todi’s 13th-c civic palace – a majestic venue…

Near Assisi, an “Ohhh, Susanna!” Christmas

A coffee bar with a nondescript name (Bar Commercio), in a non-descript shopping center of a non-descript suburb of Perugia merits a Christmastime visit. A colorful panoply of Christmas crafts – the work of  Signora Susanna, bar c0-owner with husband Sergio – tops the stainless steel bar, fills the glass cases holding ice-creams in summertime…

In Assisi: Cheeses, Frescoes and Basilicas

This morning when I headed into the Caseificio Broccatelli to buy fresh ricotta, I mused that I might be living  an “only-in-Italy” moment. Perhaps a hackneyed phrase but  cheese shops aren’t usually right across the street from a majestic 16th-c Basilica. (Not to mention,  a Basilica built over the site where St. Francis died in…

Pasta ai Broccoli: a Pino Recipe

I had just made the broccoli for pasta ai broccoli  when Pino came home, peeked into the pot and asked, “perche’ non facciamo nel modo del cavolfiore?”  (“why not make it the cauliflower way?”) I knew what he meant: time to add a handful of pine nuts and the tiny sultana grapes of Sicily (uva sultana), as…

Black Pigs, Saffron and Mountain Wines

Groveling black pigs, sprouting saffron, the harvesting of mountain grapes and a banquet lunch turned an October outing with our daughter Giulia into “an event to remember.”  Giulia even did a video of memorable moments.  Enjoy: From our Assisi farmhouse, a twisting road through the woods led us  up the mountain, dramatic views all around.…