As we wrap up our 3-month stay here in the region of Marche, Italy, I’ve become sad. Sad because I will miss Christmas here, which will be a wonderful family-oriented affair; sad at no more afternoon walks along the olive groves; sad that taking a walk along a beach, so easy here, would be an all-day driving adventure in L.A. (even though we live only ten miles inland); and sad to not have access to the wonderful cooking ingredients that are so easy to find here but are completely absent in the USA.

Continue reading Veal Spezzatino and “ci vediamo!” at Our Italian Table.

Wait! Before you hit the back button, this recipe is NOT made with tripe! Yes, I know this unpretentious offal strikes fear in the hearts of many. (It actually can be extremely tasty if prepared correctly but that is a topic for another day.) Luckily, this Tuscan recipe takes its name from its resemblance to the Florentine dish, trippa fiorentina. The dish is actually made with delicate strips of egg bathed in a simple, delicious tomato sauce.

Continue reading Trippa Finta (Fake Tripe): Wait! It’s not what you think! at Our Italian Table.

Winter just keeps on coming here on the east coast of the US. Snowstorm followed by snowstorm followed by…well, you get it. With a US holiday today and a wonderful day to myself to putter, I wanted something quick and warming on this chilly day. And a simple humble cheesy onion soup did the trick.

The Italians have their own version of the infamous French onion soup – ‘carabaccia’.

Continue reading Carabaccia – A Humble Onion Soup, Italian-style at Our Italian Table.

As many of you know, I have fallen in love with the little village of Montalcino in Tuscany. The locals unfortunately can not get rid of me and I return year after year for so many reasons – to soak up the experience of life in a little Tuscan hill town, to slow the rhythm of my life, to feed my soul, to lose myself, to find myself, to connect to the Motherland.

Continue reading Looking for an unusual Christmas gift? Help a medieval village in Tuscany! at Our Italian Table.

We just arrived in Manhatten and getting very excited for our La Cucina Italian Holiday Party and  the Delverde Pasta cooking event tomorrow at the GE Showroom!

Look for more posts tomorrow!!

Here the link to our original post for our recipe submission:

Delverde ‘Dish Your Blog’: Mezzi Rigatoni with Saffron Creme, Tuscan Kale and Crispy Prosciutto

Over 100 years ago, our grandparents arrived in this country from Italy, leaving family, friends and traditions behind in search of a brighter future.

Continue reading Getting Ready for Our La Cucina Holiday Event Tomorrow!! @LCI_Magazine @DelverdePastaUS at Our Italian Table.

With Tuscany fresh in my mind, I knew the moment I woke up this morning what I was going to make for lunch today. One of my favorite restaurants in Montalcino is a rustic place called Grappolo Blu. Their simple Tuscan fare never disappoints and the owner, Luciano, never fails to recommend just the right wine to pair with your meal. Whenever I visit, the antipasti of choice for me is their plate of marinated anchovies drizzled with parsley pesto and served with a simple pile of chickpeas.

Continue reading Bringing Tuscany Home: Anchovies Marinated in Parsley Pesto and Chickpeas at Our Italian Table.

When I first mentioned to my friend, Isabella Dusi in Montalcino, that I would come across in October to help plan out our fundraising campaign for Quartiere Pianello (more on this when we launch our Indigogo campaign shortly!), I never imagined that the week would evolve into the amazing and fun week that it did! First, my brother, Joey, who recently left his big corporate job to explore new horizons in the food and tech world, decided to tag along for a week of ‘relaxation’. 

Continue reading ‘Celebrity Masterchefs’ for a Day! at Our Italian Table.

My heart is happy as I write from 30,000 feet up.  Joey remains in Rome for another week of exploring. (Look for his posts as he searches out authentic foodie Rome. I am confident that he will leave no (ancient) stone unturned!) I, on the other hand, am homeward bound with a big smile on my heart.

Wow – what a week! I have so many memories from our incredible, wildly fun week in Montalcino:

-Cooking an Italian-American dinner for 50 Montalcinese (complete details in my next post!)

-Wheeling grocery carts through the cobblestone streets of the medieval village

-‘Celebrity master chef’’ sightings

-Spritzes in the piazza.

Continue reading #gratitude: Brunello and Rainbows in the Mist in Montalcino at Our Italian Table.

During our recent visit to Montalcino Italy, we had an opportunity to shop for meats, fish and produce to prepare our big meal. It again reminded me of how differently Americans think about food, and not in a good way. Everywhere we went, all that would be found were local ingredients. And not just local to Italy but local to Tuscany.

A recipe we wanted to prepare used Ricotta Salata, the salted hard version of ricotta.

Continue reading Italian grocery shopping – Where local is not a trend, it just is… at Our Italian Table.

Take a look at the photo above. It’s found in the Church of San Pietro located here in Montalcino, Italy. This artwork, titled “Glorification of the Eucharist”, was painted by a monk in the 1600s.

So what’s that thing in the upper middle being held by Jesus and God? Wait, does that look like – Sputnik? Two antenna (the real Sputnik had four), a camera pointing down and a light shining up?

Continue reading Montalcino Italy and UFOs – When fact is stranger than fiction… at Our Italian Table.