Our family celebrates Thanksgiving here in Assisi, too, but the Sunday following the holiday. Pino needs the weekend to fulfill his role, a major one: the creation of il tacchino di Pino.…
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That huge crackling and spitting focaraccio (literally, “big ugly fire” i.e., “bonfire”) near Assisi’s massive medieval fortress, La Rocca Maggiore, is said to light the way for the arrival of La Madonna…
No, Perugia Sardines don’t swim. They protest. Le Sardine are gathering by the thousands in cities all over Italy demonstrating their opposition to Matteo Salvini, leader of the far-right La Lega (the…
Yes, our olive oil just back from the mill certainly is “green gold.” And this gold is more precious than ever: olive oil production in our region of Umbria is down 28%…
It’s still un vino giovane (“a young wine”) but buonissimo. Pino had assured me that it would be when he’d offered me a first sip late September, after pressing the grapes. Pino’s…
Today, as an elderly Umberto served me his famous cioccolato caldo con la panna (hot chocolate with whipped cream)….. ….what memories of nippy November mornings in Perugia in 1969. I had studied…
I’ve written many times on one of my favorite Italian cities, Naples. A city to celebrate. A city always celebrating. A city of infinite pleasures. A city rich in human interactions. A…
There’s no doubt that most people head to Il Ristoro for the succulent organic meats – and not only – but now I wonder if a few diners had booked the restaurant…
Pino’s creativity has moved into the kitchen, now that retirement from stone restoration is (partially) underway (though not quite fully in action). His artistic bent lives on in his stonework masterpieces. Like…
A recent dinner in our Assisi farmhouse cooked up for Mary and friends – Pino doing most of the dishes – actually started in Orvieto. The Orvieto Saturday outdoor market is a…