Category Archives: Travel and Tales

Quiche Frascataine

Posted on February 27, 2015 by

Warning … caveat Emptor … this is a rather long post … if it’s the recipe you are after, and to be honest it would be worth your while taking a look at it, just scoll down until you come … Continue reading →

Posted in italian home food, Recipes from outside Italy, Travel and Tales | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Frascati and Principe Pallavicini Wine

Posted on October 3, 2014 by

One of the pleasures of living in the Castelli Romani, south east of Rome, is that one is surrounded by hectares and hectares of vineyards and olive groves.  Big, brutish buildings unfortunately also abound – the kind much favoured by … Continue reading →

Posted in Shops and Stores, Travel and Tales | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Montalbano Land and “Enzo a Mare”

Posted on August 2, 2014 by

During the Autumn of 2002, I signed up for a course of cooking classes that were held on a Tuesday evening and happened to coincide with the TV showing of the popular Inspector Montalbano series.  I took a look just … Continue reading →

Posted in Fish and seafood, Places to eat, Primi (first courses - usually a pasta or risotto), Travel and Tales | Tagged , , , , | 14 Comments

Two Galleries and The Artist: Lorcan O’Neill Gallery and Mat Collishaw in Rome

Posted on August 1, 2014 by

There is food for eating and there is food for thought.  This is a shot of Via de’ Catinari, Rome, and, despite what their body language might impress, these people were actually hanging about and taking part in an ‘event’ … Continue reading →

Posted in Travel and Tales | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The Chianina Shop at Lastra a Signa

Posted on June 8, 2014 by

Fellow food blogger, Stefan (Stefangourmet.wordpress.com), who lives in Holland, wrote the following comment à propos of my post on the Chianina steak: “The steak looks great! I did a post on Fiorentina in January, but couldn’t get any Chianina back … Continue reading →

Posted in italian home food, Secondi (main course, usually meat based), Travel and Tales, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

La Fiorentina – Not Just Any Old Steak

Posted on June 2, 2014 by

As the late and much-mourned Kyle Phillips wrote: “Many in the English-speaking world would call this a Porterhouse and wonder what the fuss is about. And they’d be right in most cases; though Bistecca alla Fiorentina, Florentine-Style Steak, is featured … Continue reading →

Posted in Basic Techniques, Contorni and/or side dishes, Herbs and plants, italian home food, Secondi (main course, usually meat based), Shops and Stores, Travel and Tales | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Fishy Guests and Food-Laden Friends

Posted on May 28, 2014 by

I think we have all heard of the Spanish greeting “mi casa es su casa”.  In Arabic there is an exact same proverb which goes something like this: bye-tee bye-too-keh (my house is your house).  And in English we have … Continue reading →

Posted in Fish and seafood, Herbs and plants, Primi (first courses - usually a pasta or risotto), Recipes from outside Italy, Secondi (main course, usually meat based), Travel and Tales, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 16 Comments