Things are looking up! 14 days until spring. The sun is setting after 6 pm (ok, 5:57 but close enough). And the week ahead promises to be warm here in the eastern US – woohoo! I feel like a kid waiting very impatiently for Christmas. The promise of spring has my pandemic-weary soul flying high in anticipation. Soon, my east coast amici, soon!

Until spring springs forth, I am keeping myself busy in the kitchen.

Continue reading Roasted Garlic Focaccia at Our Italian Table.

The 2009 grape harvest – ‘la vendemmia’ – has begun!  My friends in Montalcino emailed that the harvesting of the much loved sangiovese grapes of Montalcino – cherished for the prized Brunellos that are born of these vines – is underway! Autumn is in full swing in Tuscany.  For my trip to Montalcino this past August, I had rented a little casa nestled on a hillside in the middle of a little vineyard owned by dear Enzo.

Continue reading In Celebration of La Vendemmia: Schiacciata con l’Uva (Focaccia with Grapes) at Our Italian Table.

I have mentioned this before – but I do love carbohydrates. Bread and pasta are a major part of my diet and I cringe when I hear friends talk about their low-carb lifestyles.  How I would miss sitting down with a hunk of freshly baked bread or a steaming plate of pasta.  I do admit that my pastas and breads are whole grain whenever humanly possible but to omit this wonderful food group would most likely send me to the edge.

Continue reading Sun-dried Tomato Focaccia with Balsamic Caramelized Onions and Goat Cheese at Our Italian Table.