How good to be back with Nancy and Brant again! We first met in Umbria five years ago when they toured the medieval hilltowns with me and they just hosted their third…
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February 4th is just around the corner: D-day for me: “Departure Day”. My U.S. cooking lessons/lectures tour starts in Los Angeles again this year – and then I’ll be cooking in Seattle,…
What are the common denominators of Italians? For me, there are five: certainly their sense of family along with a flair of interpersonal relationships – and who would argue about their lack…
The hilltowns of central Italy – Tuscany, Umbria – slumber in winter hibernation: no tourists at all and not many “locals” affront icy winds blowing through the twisting medieval backstreets. In the…
I know where I will be at 9 pm on January 27th: in the city hall of Assisi where young local musicians and actors will perform readings of Primo Levi (his If…
“St. Anthony’s fire” – tormenting (and yes, fiery!) skin flare (ie, shingles, herpes zoster) – is named after him. His image in Italian stalls protects the sheep, the oxen and all the…
Breaking of bread together denotes communion, sharing, in Judaic and Christian traditions. In Italian tradition, the most communal food is certainly polenta, when spread out on a wooden board (lo spianatoio, literally…
Plans have just been finalized for me to lecture at Boston’s MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). Needless to say I am very honored to be asked and excited at the idea of…
Departure date (February 4, 2011) is near! Time to finalize my itinerary. read more…
La Befana viene di notte con le scarpe tutte rotte,Con le toppe alla sottana, viva, viva la Befana!” (“La Befana comes at night, her shoes all torn, her slip all patched…long live…