I’ve been writing for quite some time about our life on the land here in Umbria – and our rural friends, “givers of the greatest gifts”. I started sharing the memories long…
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For Roosevelt, a “fireside chat” denoted intimate dialogue with the people. The fireside chat – called “veglia” (“vigil”) – was always an intimate moment of life in central Italy’s rural culture. I…
Wine and its sharp-tongued sister, vinegar, are certainly sacred in rural culture, if not harbingers of truth. Our wise farm friend, Peppa, told me that when her family farmed, weak baby chicks…
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…
After living the rural life with them for over thirty-five years, I am still learning from our farm neighbors. Over the years, each has given us treasured gifts. The gifts keep coming.…
No, Madonna is not arriving in Assisi but La Madonna is – or so the children believe.As darkness creeps in on December 7th vigil of the Feast of the Immacualte Conception on…
Not “show and tell” but “show and sell” is the theme of the Italian mostra mercato. These markets – generally open-air – can feature just a handful of vendors or hundreds and…
The truffle has always been the richest and most refined element of Mediterranean cuisine. Certainly not desired for its beauty – it resembles a measily rotten potato – the truffle grows underground,…
Umbria, “Italy’s green heart”, is green all year thanks to the non-deciduous live oaks blanketing the mountains and the silver-green olive trees which cover our hills. Umbria boasts about 56,000 acres of…
Like bent over old men, dried cornstalks stand forlornly in fields joining our farm land. The corn has been picked and who knows if it has been pulverized for chicken feed or…