Camogli is a small village just east of Genoa, full of colourful houses, a...
Travel Italy / Restaurants
If you’re considering a Spring getaway then look no further than the beautiful Italian city of Florence. Not only is it a treasure trove of art, with the incredible Galleria degli Uffizi, home to the most amazing collection of Renaissance art, but it is also home to many fantastic restaurants offering traditional Tuscan food. 
Tuscan food is cooked with the natural and fresh ingredients from the surrounding countryside. It is a fantastic place to find fresh game such as rabbit, wild boar and deer. A particularly popular dish is Coniglio Ripieno or Stuffed Rabbit. Another specialty which you will find in most restaurants is Stracotto al Vino Rosso or Beef in Red Wine. Stracotto means overcooked since this dish is designed for the tougher cuts of beef such as the shoulder. It is often served with traditional and hearty vegetables such as carrots and celery.
Many parts of Italy still celebrate ancient traditions, maintaining the unique character and history of their region, city and community. One of these traditions is the incredible annual festival in Ascoli Piceno.The event takes place on the first Sunday in August and consists of a parade followed by a jousting competition between the city’s six neighbourhoods. It is a celebration of Saint Emidio, protector of the city. The parade is a spectacular affair, as each of the neighbourhoods parades through the centre of the town. Each one is attempting to put on the most splendid display, presenting their warrior for the jousting tournament later in the day. Young lads twirl batons and flags, showing off their individual and collective skill.
Throughout the city the crowd bears the colours of their respective neighbourhoods building the intensity during the afternoon, before the parade sets off from one of the city’s squares to the main stadium. The intense heat during the day means the parade starts at about 6pm, but it is still very warm and a long way for the participants to walk in their heavy medieval clothing.
The jousting starts at about 8pm, just as the Sun is setting, with each of the six knights attempting to hit the quintain. This is a severe test of the strength, accuracy and technique. They are also representing the pride of their neighbourhood – a great responsibility!
The Southern region of Italy, Calabria, is one of the most beautiful areas of country, surrounded by fantastic Mediterranean beaches and guaranteed hot, dry summers. We would highly recommend it for a holiday, especially as it is relatively unspoiled compared to many of Italy’s other holiday resorts. But, that is not what we are speaking about today… Today we would like to recommend some of their fantastic wines.Calabria has 12 Denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) regions, which is a quality assurance label defined by the area of production, grape varieties, minimum alcohol content, the maximum yield and the specifications for aging. The most famous of these regions is Ciro, which is said to have been drunk by ancient Olympians. It is also said to be the oldest wine in the world. 95% of the wines are red, most from the Gaglioppo grape.
Librandi is the most well known producer, based in Ciro Marina. None of the wines are oaked, they have a light and fruity flavor and are excellent for accompanying food, especially local specialities such as salumi and wild game. People of the region also often pair it with seafood. Here is an excellent guide to their wines which are available in the UK: http://www.enotria.co.uk/producer?id=536Welcome and thank you to our very first guest blogger, from the Pierotucci Italian Leather Factory.
Many equate the Italian idea of Carnevale with Venetian masks and flowing costumes, however this event is huge all over Italy since the roots are found in the religion which unites them. Each region of Italy expresses itself differently showing off a different aspect of their cultural personality. In Tuscany, many will make the pilgrimage to Viareggio, on the coast, to join in the fun, where the events include games, contests and a weekly parade with non-politically correct floats poking fun at everything from local events to national or international politics. Even Florence, between the XV and the XVI century, was famous with the Medici family organizing large parades in costumes with floats called "Trionfi" followed by songs, poems and dancing.The one thing that is similar wherever you go in Italy are the sweets they feast on. As in any region, each will proudly and stubborn ly profess that theirs are the BEST – and the Florentine are no different! If youwere to go into a pastry shop you would probably start your taste testing with Chiacchere, which literally means lots of chatter! But if you wanted to find these feather light fried crips in Florence you would need to ask for cenci - which translates into means a rag or strip of cloth. In fact the image of this delectable treat is that of a strip of dough with ragged edges covered in powdered sugar.
Puglia is a region in the South of Italy, famous for its olive oil and wine. A largely agricultural area, it is home to Bari, Brindisi, Taranto and Lecce. It is flat and fertile with a spectacular coastline and many resorts.
The agricultural traditions of the region have meant that the food is inspired by the local produce: wheat, vegetables and olive oil. The Apulians have a particular love of fava beans, similar to broad beans, which they use to make thick soups in the Winter and as part of salads in the Summer. They are even added to pastas and often ground into purees. An incredibly versatile vegetable - you will find it from May through to Autumn in local markets.Apulians tend to make use of wild vegetables such as broccoli raab and dandelions. They are boiled first until they are soft - this is to reduce the bitterness. They are then sauted in olive oil until they are incredibly tender and only the hint of the original bitterness remains. Served either alone or as part of a dish, they add a certain unique flavour which is associated with Puglia.
Milan is a rich cultural city, the Italian capital of the media, design and fashion sectors – not to mention the birthplace of Susanna! It plays host each year to one of the most important Fashion weeks in the world – Milan Fashion Week. It is also home to two of Europe’s leading football clubs, A.C. Milan and F.C. Internationale Milano.
The Milanese (the inhabitants of Milan) have known some tumultuous times, however. The city was founded in the 6th Century and was originally a small Celtic village. It first rose to prominence as the capital of the Western Roman Empire. A few signs of the city’s Roman heritage remain, most prominently the Colonne Di San Lorenzo, which once formed part of a temple. They are now an integral part of the city’s landscape.After the fall of the Roman Empire, during which Milan was sacked, it recovered to become one of the most important economic centres in Northern Italy. It gained autonomy from the German emperors of the 12th Century and was governed by democratic laws – quite unique for the high middle ages.
In Italy we are exceptionally passionate about coffee. We have some strong traditions, many of which are quite different from the UK. Most of our coffee drinks are based on the espresso and it is very rare to find coffee brewed in a pot or a cafetierre.
Here is our guide to Italian coffee:
Caffe
This is an espresso, but we don’t use that term in Italy. The caffe will be served at a drinkable temperature and is meant to be downed instantly.Caffe Doppio
A double espresso. Not as common as you might think, we tend to drink small amounts of coffee constantly.
Capuccino
The same as in the UK, the drink is made up of espresso, topped with steamed milk and froth. Milky coffee drinks tend to be drunk in the morning and certainly not after a large meal so don’t be surprised if the waiter looks at you strangely when you order a cappuccino!Caffe Latte
A shot of espresso with hot milk. Traditionally the milk wasn’t frothed like it is in the UK, so if you’re looking for a white coffee this is the Italian version.Latte Macchiato
This is much closer to a Café Latte. Served in a tall glass, the espresso is topped up with steamed milk.Skiing
Skiing in Turin
Where could be more of a perfect skiing destination than the city which hosted the 2006 Winter Olympics? A convenient budget airport close by, the Valle di Susa lies west of the city and is close to the border with France. The most fashionable resort is Sestriere, which is modern with 20 ski-lifts and an ice-skating rink. Other resorts include Sauze d’Oulx and Bardonecchia if you’re looking for something a little bit different.
Adventure
Walk the Via Ferrata (‘Iron Ways’) in the DolomitesThe Via Ferrata are iron walkways designed to make walking in the mountains easier. They were used and constructed mainly in the First World War, when the Alps and Dolomites were important strategic areas. In fact, many soldiers were killed by avalanches used as weapons. Dynamite would be placed at strategic positions and timed to cause the most damage and destruction.
The Winter is a fantastic time to visit and day tours are available from local towns such as Cortina d’Ampezzo. The scenery is truly breathtaking!
Take a look at this photo of a plate of ‘Lasagne al Pesto’.I think we can agree that it looks delicious.
I suspect that as each sheet of just cooked and drained egg lasagne was placed randomly ‘on purpose’ onto the white plate with the thin dark blue decorative line running round its circumference, the chef has coated it before placing yet another sheet on top and repeating the process.
Now look at the quality of the pesto itself. It’s a very light green emulsion containing many specs of a darker green. What is missing from the photo is also important; the bottom of the plate is clean, without a coating of oil that has drained from the pesto itself.
The texture and consistency of the pesto therefore probably explains why the pasta sheets are so well coated. The plate has after all been prepared in the restaurant kitchen and carried by the waiter to our table, enough time you’d think for the sauce to partly separate from the pasta. It hasn’t. And no julienne slithers of cheese floating in the pesto sauce; no evidence of too much surface oil either.
The light green colour, lighter than fresh basil itself, comes from having fully integrated the white coloured cheese and pine nuts with the basil. The oils in all three ingredients help this process of emulsification to the point that a ‘paste’ of sort is created - traditionally it is only after this ‘paste’ is created that oil is added to dilute the mixture to taste or tradition.