Flavor of Italy podcast: Recent Episodes
Wendy Holloway
Join Flavor of Italy each week for a look at Italian food and recipes, Italian culture, travel and history through interviews with Italy's cutting-edge creators, food personalities, locals and anyone else who has a fascinating Italian story to share.
There comes a point when you're learning Italian when knowing the translation of a word simply isn't enough. Understanding Italian language and culture means going beyond the dictionary. You can know that tavola means table. You can learn that magari sometimes means maybe. You can be told that pronto means ready. And you can dutifully memorize that in bocca al lupo is what Italians say when they want to wish someone good luck. But none of that necessarily tells you what those words actually mean when you hear Italians use them. BUT:
Margherita Berti, language teacher and creator of Italian Matters, has a BRAND NEW book that just came out TODAY August 11: Italian History & Culture Through Language that takes you deeper and explores 200 Italian words and expressions that look at the culture, history, habits, and ways of thinking behind them.
Join the episode today to find out all the details through our fun and engaging Italian language chat! AND be the first to grab the book: link in the show notes that accompany this episode.
Karen Phillips, founder of Andiamo Trips, has developed a deep appreciation for the places, wines, food, and stories that many visitors never discover. Rather than offering conventional tours, she creates memorable experiences that invite travelers to slow down, engage with local culture, and see southern Italy from a completely different perspective. If you're looking for authentic Naples travel experiences, look no further! For example: Sea & Sip - the experience begins aboard a boat exploring beautiful parts of the Bay of Naples, including islands such as Ischia or Procida. Guests have time to swim, relax, and enjoy the spectacular scenery before settling in for something quite unexpected: a guided tasting of Campania's wines while surrounded by the landscape that produces them!
Taylor Swift may have made Sancerre the world's hottest white wine, but what makes it so special? Discover the fascinating French region behind this iconic Sauvignon Blanc, why wine lovers have treasured it for decades, and why it's perfect for summer. PLUS: these are the wines that deserve a place on your table next…
When we think about California wine, names like Napa Valley, Mondavi, and the famous 1976 Judgment of Paris often come to mind. Yet behind the success of California's wine industry are countless immigrant families whose stories are every bit as remarkable, even if they've been largely forgotten.
One such story is that of Gemello Winery, an Italian American winery founded by immigrants from Piedmont who arrived in California with little more than determination, a knowledge of viticulture, and a willingness to work incredibly hard.
In my recent conversation with author Kevin Ferguson, I discovered that his forthcoming book, Rain on the Monte Bello Ridge, is about much more than a family business. It's a fascinating story of immigration, innovation, perseverance, and five generations of one Italian American family whose legacy continues to inspire today.
When most people dream about Tuscany, they picture golden wheat fields, rows of cypress trees, vineyards glowing in the summer sun, and long lunches enjoyed beneath blue skies. It's the classic image we've all come to know, and for good reason. Tuscany is undeniably beautiful in summer.
But there's another side to the region that visitors often miss.
In my recent conversation with cookbook author Amber Guinness about her beautiful new book Winter in Tuscany: Cozy Recipes and the Quanto Basta Way, she shared a completely different vision of Tuscany. Having grown up there, she doesn't associate home with sunflowers and cicadas. Instead, she remembers misty mornings, roaring fireplaces, steaming bowls of soup, and the comforting dishes that filled her family's kitchen throughout the colder months.
Listening to Amber reminded me that winter in Tuscany isn't simply another season. It's a completely different experience of the region, one that feels quieter, more intimate, and deeply connected to everyday Tuscan life....
The Greatest Secret Isn't the Mediterranean Diet
People usually assume the answer is simple: the Mediterranean diet. Certainly food plays an important role, but it tells the whole story. Italian longevity comes from a combination of habits, attitudes, relationships, and daily routines that work together over an entire lifetime. When people ask me about Italian longevity, they usually expect me to point to olive oil or pasta or red wine. Those things certainly have their place, but after more than four decades living here, I believe the greatest secret lies elsewhere. It is the combination of fresh food, moderate portions, strong family relationships, close-knit communities, natural daily movement, time for rest, accessible healthcare, and perhaps most importantly, a positive attitude toward aging itself. Italians don't spend their lives worrying about getting old. Instead, they continue living fully at every stage of life. Here's what Italians do...
How to Survive Summer in Rome : 10 Local Tips That Really Work!
Every summer in Rome I receive emails from readers asking the same question: Is it too hot to visit Rome? If you've been watching the news, it's easy to understand why. Headlines about record-breaking temperatures and red heat alerts can make it sound as though Rome should be avoided until autumn.
After living in Rome for 43 years, I can honestly tell you that summer in Rome is still one of my favorite times to be here. Yes, it's hotter than it was when I first arrived in the early 1980s, and climate change has certainly made summers more intense. But Romans have spent centuries adapting to the heat, and once you understand how they approach summer, you'll discover that the season has its own unique rhythm and charm.
The secret isn't trying to do everything despite the heat. It's learning to experience Rome the way the locals do. These 10 tips that all Italians use really work! Listen for the details!
Join me for a fascinating conversation with Karoline Walch, fifth-generation owner of the renowned Elena Walch Winery in Alto Adige, one of Italy's most distinctive and exciting wine regions. Nestled among the dramatic peaks of the Dolomites, Alto Adige is a place where Italian and Austrian influences blend seamlessly, creating a unique culture, cuisine, and wine tradition unlike anywhere else in Italy.
Karoline shares the remarkable story of how her mother, Elena Walch, an architect from Milan, helped transform a family winery and became one of the pioneers behind Alto Adige's quality wine revolution. We explore the estate's celebrated single vineyards, Castel Ringberg and Kastelaz, discuss why Alto Adige produces such exceptional Pinot Grigio and Gewürztraminer, and learn how sustainability guides every aspect of the winery's work. Along the way, Karoline offers insights into growing up among the vineyards, working alongside her sister Julia as the fifth generation of the family, and welcoming visitors to experience one of Italy's most beautiful wine destinations.
Whether you're passionate about Italian wine, dreaming of a trip to Alto Adige, or simply enjoy stories of family businesses built on vision and dedication, this episode offers an engaging look inside one of Italy's most respected wine estates.
Reaching 300 episodes of the Flavor of Italy Podcast feels both surprising and deeply rewarding. When I recorded my first episode, I had no idea where this Italy podcast would take me. I simply wanted to share my love of Italy's food, wine, culture, travel, and people with an English-speaking audience. Three hundred episodes later, I've had conversations with bestselling authors, chefs, winemakers, artisans, historians, photographers, and people who have completely reinvented their lives by moving to Italy. Looking back, what stands out most is not the number 300, but the extraordinary people and experiences that have made the Flavor of Italy Podcast such an important part of my life. Thank you to every guest who has generously shared knowledge, experiences, and stories. Thank you to every listener who has spent time with me while driving, cooking, walking, gardening, or relaxing at home. Thank you to those who comment on blog posts, subscribe on YouTube, join me on Substack, and share episodes with friends and family. When I started the Flavor of Italy Podcast, I could never have imagined where it would lead. It has introduced me to extraordinary people, deepened my understanding of Italy, and even strengthened my efforts to bring a long-awaited cookbook project closer to publication. Three hundred episodes later, my curiosity remains as strong as ever. Italy continues to surprise me, inspire me, and teach me something new every day. I hope you'll continue listening as we begin the next 300 episodes together.
Every year on June 2, Italy pauses to celebrate one of the most important moments in its modern history. Across the country, Italian flags appear on balconies, official ceremonies take place in cities and towns large and small, and in Rome the skies are filled with the colors of the national flag as the Frecce Tricolori soar overhead. For many Italians, it is a welcome holiday that signals the arrival of summer, but Italian Republic Day is far more than a day off from work. It commemorates a decision that fundamentally changed the nation and shaped the Italy we know today.
What makes Italian Republic Day (Festa della Repubblica) particularly fascinating is that it is not a celebration of the country's founding, nor does it commemorate a military victory or a declaration of independence. Instead, it marks the anniversary of a democratic choice made by ordinary citizens in the aftermath of World War II. On June 2 and 3, 1946, Italians went to the polls and voted to abolish the monarchy and establish a republic. In doing so, they helped define the future direction of their nation at a moment when the country was still struggling to recover from one of the most difficult periods in its history.
Italian Festivals are a different and joyful way to experience Italy beyond the Tourist Trail: town squares filled with music, local communities gathering to celebrate the harvest, patron saints....
Italy is a country that celebrates with extraordinary enthusiasm, and one of the greatest pleasures of living here is discovering just how deeply these traditions are woven into everyday life. Visitors often arrive with a familiar checklist in mind - Rome's monuments, Florence's art, Venice's canals, perhaps the Amalfi Coast or Tuscany's vineyards - and while those places are undeniably magnificent, there is another side of Italy that many travelers never fully experience. That Italy reveals itself in town squares filled with music, in church processions that have taken place for centuries, in celebrations tied to local harvests, and in communities gathering to honor traditions that remain central to their identity. In my recent Flavor of Italy podcast conversation with travel writer Katerina Ferrara, we explored exactly this world of Italian festivals, and it was a conversation that reminded me just how special these experiences can be for anyone wanting to connect with a more authentic side of Italian life.
The blog post that accompanies this episode is full of photographs and links to help you get started with your own Italian Festival exploration!
Why Polignano a Mare, Puglia Belongs on Your Travel List
If you've been dreaming about southern Italy, there's a very good chance that Polignano a Mare, Puglia is already somewhere on your radar. Even if you don't immediately recognize the name, you've almost certainly seen photographs of it: whitewashed buildings dramatically perched on limestone cliffs above the Adriatic, impossibly blue water below, and terraces that seem suspended between sea and sky. It's one of those places that looks almost too beautiful to be real. But as stunning as Polignano a Mare is, what makes it truly memorable goes far beyond the view. This is a place where food traditions run deep, where local markets still reflect the seasons, where olive oil is part of daily life rather than a luxury, and where a traveler can experience Puglia in a far more meaningful way than simply checking scenic spots off a list.
Italian wine inspires passion, curiosity, and, for many people, a fair amount of confusion. Even devoted wine lovers can feel overwhelmed when faced with Italy's astonishing range of native grape varieties, regional traditions, appellations, and bottles whose labels sometimes seem to raise more questions than answers. Unlike wine cultures built around a relatively smaller group of internationally recognized grapes, Italy's wine identity is gloriously complex, shaped by geography, history, climate, and deeply local traditions that can shift dramatically from one valley to the next.
That's precisely what makes Italian Wine: The History, Regions, and Grapes of an Iconic Wine Country, co-authored by Kate Leahy and Shelley Lindgren, such a genuinely useful and engaging book. In our recent podcast conversation, Kate and I talked not only about the book itself, but about why Italian wine remains one of the most fascinating, and sometimes misunderstood, wine cultures in the world.
Listen to the episode and don't forget you can also watch the upcoming YouTube version of the episode!
If you're walking through central Rome near the Pantheon and the Parliament, you're in one of the city's most elegant shopping areas. It's also where you'll find Davide Cenci, a store that has been part of the Roman landscape for a full century and is still run by the same family today. The story behind Davide Cenci Rome starts in Umbria, where Davide's great-grandmother sold fabrics at local fairs in the early 1900s. That background in textiles and direct customer interaction shaped what came next. Her grandson, who later opened the Rome store in 1926, took that experience and applied it in a much larger setting. He chose a location near the center of political and cultural life in Rome, and that decision has defined Davide Cenci Rome ever since. The store has expanded over time within the same footprint, growing into a substantial retail space while maintaining its original address. In a city like Rome, where location plays a major role, that consistency has clearly paid off. Today my interview was with this generation's Davide Cenci, about the company's history and some brand new initiatives…
For anyone who loves Italy, the phrase Dream of Italy has a certain magic to it. It suggests the Italy so many travelers carry in their imagination: hill towns, long meals, local stories, ancestral roots, beautiful landscapes and the possibility that a trip might become something much deeper than a vacation.
That's exactly what happened to Kathy McCabe, founder of Dream of Italy, when she first traveled to Italy with her mother to search for her grandfather's ancestral hometown. Her grandfather had dreamed of finding that village for most of his life. Kathy and her mother found it, and just 36 hours later, he passed away.
As Kathy told me in our conversation, it felt almost metaphysical, as though her grandfather had left Italy to her. What began as a personal journey soon became a lifelong obsession, and in 2002 Kathy founded Dream of Italy as a travel magazine and membership website. Today, more than two decades later, Dream of Italy has grown into a rich travel platform with more than 210 magazine issues, PBS television series and specials, travel planning services, moving-to-Italy resources, and now an expanding presence on YouTube and Substack.
If you love baking, Italy, and the kind of cookbook that offers much more than a stack of recipes, Domenica Marchetti's new book Italian Cookies sounds like a real delight. In this recent Flavor of Italy podcast conversation, Domenica joined me to talk about her ninth cookbook, a beautiful and deeply researched exploration of Italian cookies that goes far beyond the familiar idea of biscotti. What emerges from our conversation is a portrait of Italy told through butter cookies, almond cookies, olive oil doughs, rustic biscuits for dunking, and small-town specialties that carry generations of memory and pride.
If there is one flavor that quietly defines the Italian table from north to south, it's bitterness. Not harshness, and not austerity, but a layered, balancing bitterness that sharpens appetite, supports digestion, and brings depth to everything from aperitivo to dessert. Understanding bitter in Italian cuisine means understanding something essential about how Italians taste the world. During a recent conversation with Lolly Martyn, we explored how bitterness runs through Italian food culture in surprising and beautiful ways - from wild greens gathered in fields to amari served after dinner, from espresso to radicchio risotto. For many visitors, bitterness is the most unfamiliar Italian flavor. For Italians, it's indispensable.
The real history of macaroni and cheese stretches back more than 2,000 years and begins not in North America at all, but in ancient Rome.
When people think about macaroni and cheese, they usually imagine a familiar American comfort dish that somehow emerged in the twentieth century and quickly became a childhood staple. Yet the real story of macaroni and cheese history stretches back more than two thousand years and begins not in North America at all, but in ancient Rome. What makes this history so compelling is that it isn't simply the story of a recipe. It's the story of ritual food, class identity, industrial change, migration, women's labor, wartime necessity, and the emotional meaning of comfort at the table.
In my recent conversation with culinary historian Karima Moyer-Nocchi, author of The Epic History of Macaroni and Cheese: From Ancient Rome to Modern America, it became clear that following the trajectory of this single dish reveals an extraordinary amount about who we are and how we eat. Macaroni and cheese history turns out to be a cultural journey as much as a culinary one.
Who Rings Rome's Church Bells? Not Always a Bell Ringer A few years ago, I recorded a podcast episode about something many of us notice in Italy but rarely stop to think about - the sound of church bells drifting across the city. I found myself wondering: is there really someone up there in the bell tower pulling the ropes, or is it all automated now? Around that time, my husband showed me a newspaper article about a Roman bell ringer whose fascination with bells began when he was still a toddler in a stroller. His mother would take him around Rome to hear different bells ringing at different hours because he loved them so much. That early curiosity stayed with him, and as an adult he became a bell ringer himself. I knew immediately I wanted to speak with him. The episode that followed turned into a wonderful exploration of bell ringing traditions in Italy. I learned about different regional styles, including the distinctive system used in Verona, and even how Italian approaches compare with English bell ringing. It opened up a whole hidden world behind a sound we hear so often without realizing what's involved. I'm re-releasing this episode now because it feels especially appropriate at this moment. As Holy Week approaches, Rome fills with the sound of bells. Whether you're here in the city or simply remembering visits past - or planning a future trip - this episode will change the way you listen. Sometimes there's a person high in the bell tower guiding those sounds. Sometimes there isn't. Either way, there's a story behind every bell you hear. This has always been one of my favorite episodes of the Flavor of Italy podcast, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. And if you're in Rome during this season of ringing bells, listen closely - now you'll know what may be happening high above you.
If you think Italian cooking is mostly about pasta and meat, my conversation with Giulia Scarpaleggia will gently change your perspective. Her new cookbook, Vegetables the Italian Way - Turning Simple and Fresh into Extraordinary, shows something Italians have always known but the rest of the world is only beginning to rediscover: vegetables Italian style are not side dishes but central elements of everyday meals. Her approach to vegetables the Italian way reflects what happens in real Italian home kitchens, where vegetables appear in antipasti, pasta dishes, savory pies, soups, and main courses. This is not restaurant Italian food. It's how families cook across Italy every day. This fabulous cookbook releases, April 14 and is available now for pre-order! Check out the link in the podcast episode show notes.
Sometimes the most remarkable pieces of history are hidden inside everyday places. One such place is the Antica Farmacia Reale, located in the historic center of Rome near the Spanish Steps. What makes this pharmacy extraordinary is not simply its age, although it is certainly old. What makes it truly remarkable is that it is still operating today as a fully functioning pharmacy. The Antica Farmacia Reale can document its history back to 1672, which is already extraordinary for a commercial establishment that is still operating today. What makes this claim especially compelling is that Giulio possesses a series of original documents tracing the pharmacy's ownership from that time forward. These records show the pharmacy passing from one owner to another across centuries, creating a rare and continuous historical record. Giulio has spent years studying these documents and researching the pharmacy's past, and although he continues to search for earlier records, the documentation he already possesses clearly demonstrates the longevity of this remarkable establishment.
167 Years of Italian Craftsmanship in the Heart of the Eternal City - Historic Linen Shop in the Heart of Rome
Just steps from the Italian Parliament, tucked into one of the most elegant corners of Rome's historic center, sits a remarkable shop that many people walk past without realizing the extraordinary history inside. Tebro, a Rome historic linen shop founded in 1867, has been serving the city for more than 167 years, quietly building a reputation for quality, discretion, and craftsmanship that reaches far beyond the streets surrounding it.
The store today is located on Via dei Prefetti, inside the centuries-old Palazzo Pallavicini. The building itself dates back to the medieval period, and the Tebro premises now occupy roughly one thousand square meters of space within it. The location could hardly be more central. Within just a few minutes' walk are the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, Piazza di Spagna, and some of the most beautiful streets in Rome. It is one of those places where the layers of Roman history feel very close at hand.
Yet what makes Tebro truly remarkable is not only its location, but the fact that it represents something increasingly rare in modern cities: a historic, multi-generational family business that has managed to preserve its identity while adapting to the realities of contemporary life.
Crimes Against Art - What We DON'T See Behind the Headlines When news broke about the recent Louvre theft, the story felt almost cinematic. A bold break-in, a swift escape, international headlines. Like many of you, I followed it with fascination. But in my recent conversation with Lynda Albertson, Executive Director of ARCA, I was reminded that crimes against art are rarely isolated, dramatic events. They are part of a much larger and more complex global reality. The Louvre case dominated the news cycle in late 2025, but crimes against art occur constantly around the world. In the past five years alone, there have been dozens of similar museum thefts involving objects that can be quickly removed, broken down, and resold.
If you think you know Fettuccine Alfredo, you may want to think again. Recently I sat down inside one of Rome's most historic restaurants, Il Vero Alfredo, to talk about the true story behind this iconic dish. My guest was Chiara Cuomo, the fourth generation of the family behind the restaurant. What I discovered is that the real Fettuccine Alfredo is far simpler, more elegant, and far more meaningful than most people realize. Tune in for the rest of this magnificent story!
In the heart of Rome's Jewish Ghetto, just opposite the Portico d'Ottavia and steps from the Teatro di Marcello, there is a staircase that leads down into history.
That staircase belongs to Leone Limentani Rome, one of the oldest family-run shops in the city — founded in 1820 and still operated by the same family, now in its seventh generation.
I first discovered Leone Limentani Rome decades ago when I lived on Via Giulia. I would walk along the Tiber and into the Ghetto, descend those stairs, and find myself in what felt like an Aladdin's cave of porcelain, crystal, and silver. Shelves stretched in every direction. Ginori plates. Limoges porcelain. Christofle cutlery. Baccarat crystal. Everything touchable. Everything real.
And that tactile immediacy is still part of what makes Leone Limentani Rome so special today.
Sitting among the ruins near the Terme di Caracalla, with ancient stones underfoot and Roman roads radiating outward beneath us, I spoke with Tom Brughmans, an archaeologist whose work is reshaping how we understand movement, connection, food, and daily life in the ancient Roman world.
Tom is the director of an ambitious international research project that has produced the first spatially detailed digital atlas of the Roman road system. Not just the famous roads, and not just Italy, but the entire Roman Empire—stretching across Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. These are the roads people actually used, reconstructed through years of careful scholarship and made visible in a way that has never existed before.
Italian designers work quietly behind the scenes, shaping how leaders, artists, and thinkers present themselves to the world through style.
Rome has always been a city where power, culture, and aesthetics intersect. Politics meets art, ceremony meets daily life, and nowhere is that more visible than in the world of Italian designers who work quietly behind the scenes, shaping how leaders, artists, and thinkers present themselves to the world. One of the most remarkable of these is Sartoria Litrico, a Rome-based bespoke tailor now in its third generation and officially recognized as one of the city's historic artisans, by the Italian Ministry of National Historical Value.
Italian designers are not just stylists or trendsetters. At their best, they are observers of human nature, historians of the body, and translators of personality into fabric. Sartoria Litrico's story is not simply about suits—it is about how Italian craftsmanship shaped the visual language of the 20th century.
The wine world is changing—and if you're drinking the same way you did five years ago, you're missing something.
In this episode, we dive into the 2026 wine trends behind a quiet but powerful shift in how people drink today. Prestige labels and power wines are losing ground to lighter, fresher, more drinkable styles chosen for real life—not status. Heavy reds aren't disappearing, but they are being rethought, chilled, and replaced by wines that feel better at the table and easier to live with.
We explore why crisp whites now outsell reds, how chillable reds and "bistro wines" became mainstream, and why forgotten categories like Marsala, sweet wines, and everyday bubbles are making an unexpected return. You'll hear how climate change, health awareness, sustainability, and rising prices are reshaping taste—and why value hunting has gone global, from Southern Italy to Greece and Portugal.
This conversation also looks at low-ABV and no-ABV wines as part of intentional drinking rather than abstinence, and how celebrity influence and storytelling are changing the way people discover wine.
If your wine preferences have shifted—or you're curious why the rules suddenly feel different—this episode will explain what's really going on. Wine in 2026 is lighter, colder, more affordable, and more human.
This week's podcast episode is a re-release from two years ago, but the story it tells remains timeless. It explores the deep roots of Carnival in Verona, why gnocchi are inseparable from the celebration, what locals eat and drink during Carnival season, what else to see while you're in town, and how easy it is to pair Verona with a quick day trip to nearby Venice. When people think of Verona, the first images are often Shakespearean: Romeo and Juliet, the small balcony in the historic center, and the romance that clings to the city's stones. Others think immediately of wine—Valpolicella, Amarone, Soave—some of the Veneto's most celebrated bottles produced just beyond the city.
But every winter, another identity takes center stage. Carnival in Verona transforms the city into a living expression of history, food, and neighborhood pride, and it does so earlier and longer than most Carnival celebrations in Italy.
Liguria Italy is often reduced to a handful of famous images: pastel houses clinging to cliffs, glamorous yachts bobbing in Portofino, hikers threading their way between the villages of the Cinque Terre. But as this conversation on my Flavor of Italy podcast reveals, Liguria Italy is far richer, deeper, and more nuanced than its postcard reputation suggests.
In this episode, I spoke with Anna Merulla, co-founder of Beautiful Liguria, a locally based travel company created to tell the story of Liguria Italy from the inside out. What emerges is a portrait of a region that rewards curiosity, slower travel, and a willingness to step beyond the obvious.
L'Aquila, Abruzzo — a place many people still don't seem to know about, but one that carries one of the most important cultural stories in Italy right now: this year the city holds the special title of Italy's 2026 Italian Capital of Culture!
Bologna food has a way of pulling people in quietly and then never quite letting go. It isn't flashy, it doesn't shout, and it doesn't rely on trends. Instead, Bologna food reveals itself through repetition: the rhythm of fresh pasta made by hand every morning, the clink of glasses in a neighborhood osteria, the steady hum of markets that have fed the city for centuries. That is exactly what emerged in my recent podcast conversation with Andrea Chierici, the founder of Taste Bologna.
If you've ever wished you could taste more deeply, pick up subtle flavors in wine, or understand why certain foods work beautifully together, you're not alone. The idea of improving how we taste has captured the curiosity of cooks, wine lovers, and travelers worldwide. It's the perfect moment to embrace the idea of how to train your palate, and perhaps even make it your New Year's resolution. Imagine entering the coming year with a heightened appreciation for food, wine, and ingredients—and the skills to pair them more confidently.
Discover why Passito di Pantelleria is one of Italy's most extraordinary wines—a liquid expression of sun, wind, and volcanic rock. Helen describes drinking it as "holding a Mediterranean sunset in your glass," and in this episode you'll find out exactly why.
We explore the ancient Zibibbo grape, the heroic sun-drying tradition that shapes every bottle, and the rugged island landscape that makes this wine unlike any other. You'll also learn how to serve Passito in surprising ways, from classic sweet pairings to bold savory combinations that reveal an entirely new side of this luminous island wine.
Every week on the Flavor of Italy Podcast, we explore the food, wine, history, landscapes, and everyday stories that shape life in Italy. But every now and then, a moment calls for reflection — and today is one of those days.
Because today, Tuesday, November 25, is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. It's a global day of awareness and remembrance, but here in Italy it carries deep cultural, social, and historical significance.
And yet this week is also Thanksgiving week — a time of cooking, gathering, connection, and gratitude, especially for my listeners in the United States. So today's post brings both worlds together: reflection and celebration, activism and nourishment, Italy and the Thanksgiving table.
AND My Italian Winter Table Recipe E-Book Is Here!
This episode is a special re-release of one of my most engaging and talked-about podcast conversations ever—an unforgettable look into true farm-to-table life in northern Tuscany.
James Martin brings to life one of his richest memories: a homestyle pig butchering carried out with his dear friend Armando in the most unassuming of places—Armando's mother's garage. Armando has since passed away, but the spirit of this story, and the tradition it captures, lives on as one of James's best.
James describes how he, Armando, and a handful of local men gathered at dawn, working shoulder-to-shoulder to break down the pig and transform it into an astonishing array of Tuscan specialties in the span of a single morning. He shares memories of Armando's skill, the camaraderie of the day, and the incredible lineup of pork delicacies they created: velvety sausages, rich head cheese, and the celebrated Lardo di Colonnata.
If you've ever wondered what happens when classic Italian-American comfort food intersects with modern creativity, look no further than Italianish by Danny Freeman. The term Italianish perfectly captures what Danny stands for: dishes rooted in Italian and Italian-American traditions but expressed with a playful, contemporary twist. His food is not bound by rules but inspired by heritage, simplicity, and joy.
The shape of your wine glass isn't just decorative—it actively affects aroma, taste, texture, and even how your guests perceive the wine.
This year, make sure that when the cork pops and the wine pours, you're not just enjoying the bottles—you're enhancing the moment by choosing the right wine glass shape. This fun and insightful podcast conversation - (and video soon to be on the Flavor of Italy YouTube channel) - with sommelier and Italian wine expert Cynthia Chaplin, shares the key take-aways so your table shines and your sip delivers with just the right glass this holiday season.
There's something deeply comforting about a bowl of pasta drenched in red sauce. That rich tomato-based goodness—whether spiked with garlic and herbs or served with hearty meatballs—is so ingrained in the American dining experience that it's easy to assume it came straight from Italy. But the story is far more fascinating. Understanding red sauce means understanding the immigrant story. Italian-American food tells a tale of adaptation, resilience, and cultural pride. It's a cuisine shaped by memory—by what immigrants brought with them, what they left behind, and what they built anew in their adopted country.
The true heart of the Puglia region is Bari—a vibrant, living city that perfectly embodies Puglia's soul. Check out all the things to do in Bari Puglia! When you think of Puglia, the first images that come to mind might be whitewashed hill towns, centuries-old olive trees, turquoise seas, and meals that seem to stretch blissfully into the afternoon. But the true heart of the region is Bari—a vibrant, living city that perfectly embodies Puglia's soul.
In this week's Flavor of Italy podcast, I'm taking you to Bari: the capital of Puglia, a city of fishermen and pasta makers, sea breezes and stone streets, faith and food. And now the United Airlines' exciting announcement of a new direct flight from Newark to Bari starting May 1, 2026 makes Bari and Puglia imminently accessible.
Exploring one’s roots can be one of the most meaningful journeys of a lifetime, and for Italian Americans, Italian heritage tours offer a chance to connect with family history, rediscover ancestral towns, and experience the culture of Italy in an intimate way. In my recent Flavor of Italy podcast episode, I spoke with Cherrye Moore, founder of My Bella Vita Travel, who has been helping Italian Americans reconnect with their past for nearly two decades. What makes Italian heritage tours unique is the emotional depth of the experience. Many travelers embark on these journeys in honor of parents or grandparents who never had the chance to return to Italy. Others come to re-create childhood memories of family recipes through cooking classes or to discover how their ancestors’ dialects evolved. It’s no coincidence that this conversation comes during Italian-American Heritage and Culture Month so be sure to tune in!
Italy has a way of getting under your skin. In this episode of the Flavor of Italy podcast, I chatted with Thea Duncan—the Milan-based American behind Doing Italy—to talk about how to move to Italy in 2025 without losing your sanity (or your savings). If you’ve been dreaming about starting a new life here, this guide distills the essentials from our conversation into one practical roadmap.
When most people think of Sicily, images of citrus spring to mind: lemons, oranges, mandarins. For centuries these fruits defined the island’s agricultural identity. Even Sicilian ceramics that often overflow with lemons and blood oranges. But today, something unexpected is ripening under the Sicilian sun: avocados. This isn’t the first time Italy has embraced an outsider and eventually made it feel essential. Tomatoes were once considered poisonous, corn and potatoes were foreign intruders, and citrus itself was introduced to Sicily by the Arabs in the Middle Ages. Over time, all of these became cornerstones of Italian cuisine. Sicilian Avocados may be following the same path. Listen for the details, along with recipes!
Pantelleria has a way of pulling very different lives into the same orbit. This wind-brushed crescent of volcanic rock in the Mediterranean sits closer to Tunisia than to Sicily, and its landscape of black stone terraces, dammusi homes, and low, bowl-trained vines shapes everything from architecture to what ends up on the plate. In this post I’m weaving together two lives that touched Pantelleria—Giorgio Armani and Ugo Ponzi—and the island’s essential foods and wines that speak its language of restraint and character.
The menu at Gargiulo's reflects the family’s roots in Sorrento, blending classic Neapolitan recipes with Italian American adaptations. Holidays are celebrated with care, and dishes like zeppole, fig cookies, and pasta with sardines take center stage. When you think of Coney Island, images of roller coasters, the boardwalk, and summer fun come to mind. But for generations of Brooklyn families, the real heart of the neighborhood beats inside a legendary dining room: Gargiulo's Restaurant. Founded in 1907, this historic institution is the oldest business still operating in Coney Island. In my recent chat with Matthew Cutolo, pastry chef of Gargiulo's Restaurant, he shared how his family’s story intertwines with this iconic Brooklyn landmark.
If you’ve ever fallen head-over-heels for a story that feels like home, you already understand the magic of Adriana Trigiani. Author, screenwriter, director, podcaster, and tireless champion of craft, Adriana has written more than twenty books—and her newest novel, The View from Lake Como, is a heartfelt exploration of family, reinvention, and the tug of Italy on an Italian-American soul.
If you’ve ever fallen down the rabbit hole of pasta shapes on Instagram and wondered, “Who dreams this stuff up?”—meet Laurie Boucher. She’s a pasta artist, a generous teacher, a fearless tinkerer with tools, and a former attorney who flipped her life to follow flour, water, and imagination. Laurie doesn’t just make pasta; she invents pasta shapes and the tools to create them—then shows the rest of us how to do it, too. AND…. One of her pasta shapes was just featured on the award winning series, THE BEAR!
How a Lagoon City Became a Crossroads of Cultures
Venice is often celebrated for its shimmering canals, magnificent architecture, and enduring romance. But during the Renaissance, this improbable city built in a lagoon was more than just a beautiful backdrop—it was one of Europe’s most important hubs for commerce, culture, and, above all, migration. And this extended to Venetian cuisine, a direct product of migration....
Design Your Italy is a highly personalized one-woman travel consultation company that helps travelers discover Italy in a way that is intimate, unique, and authentically local. On this episode we chatted about some of Sicily's most evocative destinations—from the hilltop town of Erice to the windswept volcanic islands of Pantelleria and the Aeolian archipelago. If you're looking for the ultimate Italy travel planner to help you explore Sicily, Vanya is a name you should know. Tune in to learn more and explore Italian islands with us - think Sicily, Pantelleria, the Aeolian islands....
More chocolate stories in this delicious Part 2 Episode! A Deep Dive into Italian Chocolate, From Modica to Nutella and Beyond Italy might be most famous for pasta, pizza, and wine, but there’s another delicious element of Italian culture that’s often overlooked: Italian chocolate. And right now, it’s having a major moment in the global spotlight. Why? Because the legendary Italian chocolate and confectionery empire Ferrero—the family-owned company behind Nutella, Ferrero Rocher, and Kinder—has just acquired Kellogg’s in a $31 billion deal. This acquisition isn’t just a business story—it’s the latest chapter in the rich, complex, and utterly delicious story of Italian chocolate.
A Deep Dive into Italian Chocolate, From Modica to Nutella and Beyond Italy might be most famous for pasta, pizza, and wine, but there’s another delicious element of Italian culture that’s often overlooked: Italian chocolate. And right now, it’s having a major moment in the global spotlight. Why? Because the legendary Italian chocolate and confectionery empire Ferrero—the family-owned company behind Nutella, Ferrero Rocher, and Kinder—has just acquired Kellogg’s in a $31 billion deal. This acquisition isn’t just a business story—it’s the latest chapter in the rich, complex, and utterly delicious story of Italian chocolate.
Best Italian Wines for Summer: a glorious lineup of crisp, zesty, and often under-the-radar Italian wines that are perfect for warm-weather sipping.
When the Italian sun is blazing and lunch stretches lazily into the afternoon, you need a wine that refreshes—not one that weighs you down. On the latest episode of the Flavor of Italy podcast, I chatted once again with Italian wine expert Cynthia Chaplin to talk about the best wines for summer—and as always, Cynthia delivered a glorious lineup of crisp, zesty, and often under-the-radar Italian wines that are perfect for warm-weather sipping.
Photos and links included!
The genius of Leonardo da Vinci remains unparalleled and his works of art and scientific knowledge are world renowned. One thing you might not know about him is that he also cultivated a small piece of land – about 8000 m² (a little under two acres) - as a courtyard vineyard. In 1498 the Duke of Milan, Ludovico Il Moro, gave this piece of land to da Vinci in part as a form of payment for The Last Supper painting, but above all it was a way to grant Milan citizenship to da Vinci. In some of his writings Leonardo da Vinci talks about his vineyard. And!... If you haven't yet read Leonardo da Vinci by Walter Isaacson then it's time you get your hands on the book! It's his life story and shares every fascinating detail about the genius: his art and creativity that encompasses every aspect of life. It's a must-read: “A powerful story of an exhilarating mind and life...a study in creativity: how to define it, how to achieve it.” —The New Yorker.
If you’re in search of short story collections to dive into this summer, The Perfect Fig by S.M. Walker should top your list. In this week's episode of the Flavor of Italy podcast, I had the pleasure of speaking with Sharon Walker, the English-born, Italy-based author behind this charming and thoughtful work. With a cover featuring luscious figs—my favorite fruit and one I grow myself—this book caught my attention before I read a single page. It turns out that the stories inside are just as irresistible.
How Fungus-Resistant Vines Are Shaping the Future of Italian Wine
A few decades ago, “PIWI wines” sounded like something out of a laboratory experiment. Today they are front-and-center in sustainable viticulture conversations from Alto Adige to Lake Garda—and for good reason. PIWI is an acronym drawn from the German Pilzwiderstandsfähige, meaning “fungus-resistant” vines. These precision-bred crossings can fend off downy and powdery mildew with far fewer chemical treatments than classic Vitis vinifera varieties, offering a timely solution as climate change makes summers ever hotter and more humid in key wine regions. Listen to this episode to understand what's going on in this sector, see some photos and links to explore even further!
Why Italy Feels Made for Cycling Tours
Italy’s compact geography offers an unmatched cycling playground: from winding olive-lined lanes to vineyard-cloaked hills, dramatic mountain passes, and coastal stretches with endless views. Unlike the vast and often segregated landscapes of Australia or the United States, Italy’s countryside roads wind directly through life—farmers in the fields, shepherds with their flocks, hill towns clinging to ridge-lines. As A’qto owner Nancy notes, Italian drivers are often courteous and welcoming to cyclists, sometimes even pulling over so riders can take a photo. This cultural respect for cycling is deeply rooted in Italy’s national identity, thanks in part to its long tradition of professional and recreational cycling. Each of A’qto’s tours is handcrafted to reflect not only terrain but culture, food, wine, and heritage. Here’s a taste of their Italian offerings, including the brand-new Sardinia tour just LAUNCHED TODAY!
In Atina, in the mountainous heart of Lazio, far from Rome's bustling piazzas and tourist crowds, a young girl claims to have seen the Madonna (a Marian Apparition). Her story, quiet yet profound, forms the core of Broken Madonna, the debut novel by Anna Lucia. The book explores one of the most mysterious and emotionally charged phenomena in Catholic tradition: the Marian apparition.
A Marian apparition is said to occur when the Virgin Mary appears to an individual or group, often children, conveying messages of faith, hope, or warning. Some of the most famous include Lourdes in France and Fatima in Portugal. But in Broken Madonna, Maria Lucia has rooted her fictional account in a lesser-known but deeply personal setting: the post-war mountain village of Atina, nestled in the Ciociaria area of Lazio.
Italy’s Mother Trees, Fishery Valleys, Endangered Wildlife and Invasive Species
When we think of Italy, our minds often turn to Renaissance art, Roman ruins, and unforgettable food and wine. But the soul of Italy is also found in its landscapes—its ancient trees, forgotten wetlands, and endangered species—and few people capture these overlooked treasures and environmental challenges better than documentary photographer Elisabetta Zavoli.
The aggressive blue crab, a voracious predator, is devouring Italy's beloved clam population, now decimated by as much as 90% since 2023. This is a crisis you need to follow: listen today!!! Before we dive into this urgent environmental and culinary crisis affecting Italy today, I want to take a moment to celebrate something close to my heart: this is the 250th episode of the Flavor of Italy podcast! That’s 250 episodes dedicated to exploring Italian food, wine, culture, and the incredible people behind it all. If you’ve been listening since the beginning or have just recently joined the Flavor of Italy community, thank you.
This podcast has been a labor of love for many years, and reaching this milestone wouldn’t have been possible without you. If you enjoy the podcast, please consider subscribing, leaving a glowing review, and sharing it with your friends and family. Your support helps the podcast grow and keeps these important conversations going.
Rome was buzzing this past weekend as something monumental unfolded: the selection of a new pope. And not just any pope. For the first time in history, the Roman Catholic Church has elected an American pontiff: Pope Leo XIV. I chatted with journalist Eric Lyman, a seasoned veteran of three papal elections—to discuss what made this conclave so unique, what led to Cardinal Robert Prevost's surprise selection, and what kind of leadership Pope Leo might bring to a divided global Church. We touched on questions like "where will he live?", what REALLY went on in the Sistine Chapel leading up to the May 8th white smoke, and much more. Listen in for this insider's chat all about the momentous 2025 Conclave and Pope Leo.
Tucked away in the lush forests of northern Lazio, just over an hour’s drive from Rome, lies one of Italy’s most unusual and intriguing destinations: Bomarzo Monster Park. Known in Italian as Parco dei Mostri (Park of the Monsters), this 16th-century garden is unlike any other—part dreamscape, part nightmare, and entirely unforgettable.
This isn't your typical Renaissance garden filled with symmetry and order. Instead, it’s a chaotic, magical labyrinth of gigantic stone monsters, mythological creatures, dragons, ogres, leaning houses, and mysterious inscriptions carved into stone.
Perhaps the most iconic sculpture in the park is the “Mouth of Hell”—a grotesque stone face with a gaping mouth that doubles as an open doorway. Above the entrance reads the eerie inscription: “Abandon all thought, ye who enter here,” a clear nod to Dante’s Divine Comedy. It was this statue in particular that sparked Teresa’s imagination and became the time-travel portal in her novel. Bomarzo is a "must visit" - listen for all the details about this unusual Bom arzo Monster Park!
Tucked away just around the corner from the bustling Piazza Navona, in the heart of Rome, lies one of the city’s most magical and often overlooked gems: the Biblioteca Angelica. Founded in 1604, this remarkable library is one of Europe’s oldest public libraries, created with a revolutionary vision for its time—free and open access to books and knowledge, regardless of social standing or class. It was a bold idea, and one that continues to resonate today.
Perhaps one of the most intriguing aspects of the Biblioteca Angelica is its collection of books that were once deemed heretical or forbidden. With special permission from the Pope, Rocca ensured that these banned books—many of which were listed in the infamous Index Librorum Prohibitorum—were included. These works included writings by controversial thinkers like Giordano Bruno and Galileo Galilei, whose revolutionary ideas put them at odds with the Church. This is a captivating episode and a step into a magical, true hidden gem right in the bustling center of Rome!
If you've ever cracked open a sweet, succulent blue crab in the United States, you know how beloved this shellfish is across the East Coast. But in Italy, the story of the blue crab is far more complicated—and, until recently, largely untold. This invasive species, once a stranger to the Mediterranean, is now causing ecological upheaval and threatening Italy’s prized seafood industry. In this episode, I spoke with marine biologist and entrepreneur Carlotta Santolini, co-founder of BluEat and the all-women initiative Mariscadoras, to learn about the growing blue crab Italy crisis and how a creative, sustainable food supply chain may hold the solution.
The Glassmaker Exploring Venice, Murano, and the Art of Glass Beads through Tracy Chevalier’s Vision
Venice, with its dreamy canals and labyrinthine streets, is a city steeped in timeless beauty. But nestled just a stone’s throw away is the island of Murano, a place with an equally rich legacy—one forged in fire, colored in precious minerals, and shaped by centuries of craftsmanship. It is here that Tracy Chevalier sets her luminous new historical novel, The Glassmaker. As the host of the Flavor of Italy podcast, I had the pleasure of speaking with Tracy Chevalier about her latest novel, The Glassmaker, which has captured the imagination of readers worldwide. From the shimmer of molten glass to the intricate art of bead-making, Chevalier’s novel is both a sweeping saga and an ode to a vanishing world of artistry. If you're fascinated by Italy, women's history, or the centuries-old tradition of Venetian glass, this story—and the story behind the story—is for you.
In Part Two of my conversation with cookbook author and recipe developer Maria Zizka, we dig even deeper and explore her work in Americanizing recipes, and her experience teaching at the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Northern Italy. Maria explains how she guides students through the many ways to write a recipe—always encouraging them to embrace their personal voice in the process. “Only you can write your version of a recipe,” she says, and that authenticity is what makes recipes truly shine. We also touch on Preserving Tradition Through Adaptation, Why Voice and Specificity Matter in Recipe Writing and the Challenges of Ingredient Translation including the complexity of ingredient substitutions when adapting international recipes for American kitchens....
How Cookbooks Travel Across Cultures, Part 1 A Conversation with Cookbook Author and Recipe Adaptor Maria Zizka
When it comes to writing and publishing cookbooks, adapting recipes for different countries is far more complex than simply converting grams to ounces. In this week’s Flavor of Italy Podcast, I chatted with acclaimed cookbook author Maria Zizka, who specializes in the art and science of recipe adaptations—specifically the “Americanization” of international cookbooks. Maria is based in the Berkeley Hills of California, while I’m in Rome, Italy. So we both understand the importance—and challenge—of translating food and flavor across culinary cultures. In this first installment of our two-part conversation, we dug into everything from ingredient substitutions and baking adjustments to measurement conversions and language nuances.
Lake Garda, Italy’s largest and most picturesque lake, is not just a scenic marvel but also a hub of exceptional wines. Thanks to its unique microclimate and diverse soil composition, this region produces some of Italy’s most distinctive and celebrated wines. From refreshing whites to complex reds, Lake Garda’s wines offer something for every palate. One of the best ways to visit the enormous Lake Garda and its wineries is to ferry hop from one lakeside town to another. Nestled on the western shores of Lake Garda, the Valtènesi wine region is an enchanting destination for wine lovers looking to discover something truly special. This area, with its stunning landscapes and rich winemaking history, remains relatively unknown outside of Italy, but that is changing—thanks to ambitious winemakers like the dynamic duo behind Conti Thun Winery. This is a re-release of a 2021 episode that digs even deeper into the Valtènesi and Lake Garda wines.
If you’re looking for a fascinating drink that combines history, craftsmanship, and a bouquet of flavors, Italian Vermouth is a must-discover gem. And if you want to understand vermouth’s origins and why it’s so closely tied to Italy—and specifically the city of Torino—you need to hear the story that global sommelier and vermouth expert Martina Doglio Cotto shared with me on today' podcast episode. So what exactly is Italian Vermouth? Martina describes vermouth as a “liquid perfume,” an aromatic, drinkable elixir infused with herbs, spices, and botanicals. It’s technically a fortified wine but vermouth is much more than just a beverage. It’s a sensory experience, deeply rooted in the history and culture of Torino, the elegant northern Italian city where it was born.
Italy and wine are inseparable. To understand Italy, you need to understand its wine — and to truly appreciate Italian wine, you have to dig deep into its rich history, ancient traditions, and deep cultural roots. This connection comes to life beautifully in Marc Millon’s latest book, Italy in a Wine Glass: The Taste of History. I had the pleasure of speaking with Marc on my Flavor of Italy Podcast, and the conversation was a treasure trove of insights about Italian wine and its fascinating backstory. Listen now!
Magical Sulmona: A Hidden Gem in the Heart of Abruzzo
Sulmona is a town that is often overlooked by travelers but is an absolute gem—Sulmona, in the heart of Abruzzo. Sulmona’s rich history, stunning architecture, culinary delights, and unique traditions—are the things that make this town a must-visit destination. And it's just an hour and a half drive from Rome. Listen in for all the details on what to see and do, where to eat, the culinary treasures of the town, how to get here and where to stay. This is what you listeners have been asking for… an off the beaten path hidden gem rich in history and delectable cuisine!
Italy is world-renowned for its incredible culinary heritage, from pasta and wine to olive oil and, of course, its Italian cheese. Today, we’re taking a deep dive into the fascinating world of Italian cheese with Gaetano Mina di Sospiro, also known as Tano—a certified Italian cheese sommelier. If you’ve ever wondered what it means to be a cheese sommelier, how Italy’s cheese culture compares to other countries, or which cheeses you absolutely must try, this is the perfect listen for you. Head to the show notes for links, photos, and recipes!
Tucked away in the heart of northern Italy, just outside Milan, lies Cremona—a charming and historic city that remains one of Italy’s best-kept secrets. While it may not be on every traveler’s itinerary, Cremona offers a rich cultural experience, from its world-renowned violin-making tradition to its delectable local cuisine. If you’re looking for an authentic slice of Italy away from the bustling tourist crowds, Cremona is a must-visit destination.
Help Shape the Future of Flavor of Italy + Win an Italian Gourmet Gift Box!
It’s a new year, and I need your help shaping the future of Flavor of Italy! I’ve created a quick survey to gather your thoughts on what you love about the podcast, newsletter, and website—and what you'd like to see more of. Your feedback is incredibly valuable, and to show my appreciation, I’m giving away a gourmet Italian gift box in a special drawing! One lucky survey respondent will win this delicious prize, so don’t miss your chance. Tune in to this episode to learn more about how you can make your voice heard and influence the exciting content coming your way in 2025. Fill out the survey at https://wpg-media.typeform.com/to/uJRF4rf3 and be sure to leave your email for a chance to win. The drawing takes place on February 20th—so don’t wait!
5 Paleo-Christian Churches: A Suggested Itinerary for the Jubilee Year, with a focus on Rome's oldest churches....and nearby tasty eateries!
Rome is a city of unparalleled history, where every cobblestone whispers tales of the past. As the Eternal City gears up for the 2025 Jubilee Year, it’s already brimming with visitors. But amidst the grandeur of St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican, there lies another Rome—a quieter, more spiritual side that echoes the city’s earliest Christian heritage. In a recent podcast interview, I had the pleasure of chatting with David Laskin, a renowned author and NYT travel journalist, about his suggested itinerary to explore five of Rome’s oldest churches. These hidden gems offer a peaceful respite from the bustling crowds while immersing visitors in the city’s rich Paleo-Christian history.
Anchovies: The Tiny Fish Making Big Waves If you think anchovies are just salty fillets for pizza or Caesar salad, it’s time to reconsider. These tiny fish pack a flavorful umami punch and carry a fascinating culinary history, as revealed in Christopher Beckman’s captivating book, A Twist in the Tail. I’ve been eager to interview Christopher for four years, and I’m thrilled to share our deep dive into the world of the anchovy with you. PLUS in the blog post that accompanies this episode, find my Anchovy Collection: links to ingredients and cookbooks featuring anchovies.
The brand new Health Report on Alcohol AND the booming rise of non alcoholic wines, a sector that's reshaping the wine landscape.
In a world increasingly conscious of health and wellness, few topics stir as much debate as alcohol consumption. The brand new Health Report on Alcohol, particularly the Surgeon General's recent findings, has sparked significant conversations about alcohol's role in health, culture, and industry. Adding to the mix is the booming rise in non alcoholic wines, a sector that's reshaping the wine landscape.
Missoni, the legendary Italian designer, is renowned for its vibrant and iconic zigzag patterns and innovative knitwear. Co-founders Rosita and Ottavio Missoni’s story is one of passion, creativity, and resilience. They built more than a brand; they created a family tradition that celebrates color, craftsmanship, and the joy of life. Today, their two remaining children and a dedicated team carry forward this vision, ensuring that the Italian Designer Missoni continues to exemplify innovation and elegance. Listen today for all the details on this iconic Italian family fashion brand. Head to the show notes for great photos and links to dig even deeper into Missoni.
Italy is a dream destination for all travelers, but in so many ways it holds a particularly special allure for women. Whether you're a woman exploring on your own, with a group of friends, or through a curated tour, the options for unique and enriching experiences in Italy are endless. Today I chatted with Susan Van Allen who specializes in Italian travel for women.
Have a listen and head to the show notes for details on Italian travel for women programs, destinations, and unique things to do and explore.
If you’re seeking exquisite craftsmanship and timeless Italian design, Florence is a must-visit destination for art, history, and artisan treasures. Among the city’s most revered artisans is Angela Caputi, a name synonymous with bold, vibrant jewelry that transcends fashion and enters the realm of fine art. Recently, I had the pleasure of exploring Angela Caputi’s workshop in Florence with my daughter, and the experience was one of the highlights of our visit. Let me take you behind the scenes into the world of Florence jewelry and introduce you to this incredible artisan.
How to recognize true caviar, how to enjoy it, tips for serving it, and why this luxurious ingredient is perfect for your next celebration.
This is Part 2 of my chat with John Giovannini, the owner of the premier Italian caviar producer, Ars Italica. This episode digs into the culinary side of caviar. Although I had no idea that Italy was the second largest producer of exquisite caviar in the world, Italian caviar will now star in my New Year's Eve menu: the one evening of the year when I really want to serve something extra special. Listen in for tips on the best recipes and way to serve this exquisite Italian caviar and head to the show notes for photos and a deeper dive!
Italian Caviar: A Culinary Treasure and a Celebration of Sustainability Caviar—a delicacy often associated with Russian or Persian origins—has a surprising and delicious counterpart in Italy, the world's third largest producer. Known for its fine wines, artisanal cheeses, and world-renowned pasta, Italy is also a significant player in the world of premium caviar. In fact, Italian caviar production, rooted in centuries-old traditions, is making waves globally for its exceptional quality and commitment to sustainability. In this deep dive with John Giovannini, owner of Ars Italica, we’ll explore the fascinating history of Italian caviar, how to recognize and enjoy it, tips for serving it, and why this luxurious ingredient is perfect for your next celebration.
Holiday Gift Guide 2024: Perfect Gifts for Every Italian Food & Wine Lover
The holiday season is here, and finding the perfect Italian-themed gift has never been easier! My curated guide is ideal for anyone who loves Italian cuisine, wine, and culture. From inspiring books to practical kitchen tools and gourmet treats, my thoughtful ideas bring the spirit of Italy into every home. Make sure you listen to this week's podcast episode where I take a deep dive into the details of top 2024 book releases that celebrate Italian food and wine. And lots more....
Thanksgiving is a time to gather with loved ones, express gratitude, and share a delicious meal. If you're looking to host a vegan Thanksgiving with some easy vegan recipes, draw inspiration from two incredible life-long vegan advocates: Ellen Kanner and Kate McElwee. Their thoughtful approaches to creating a plant-based feast prove that a Vegan Thanksgiving can be every bit as festive and satisfying as a traditional one using easy vegan recipes. From flavorful sides to decadent desserts, tune in to this episode for their full menu of ideas to inspire your celebration.
The art of (Venetian) Murano glass bead making (now a recognized UNESCO slice of cultural heritage) is a treasure trove of history, craft, and culture that dates back to the 13th century. Beyond the allure of Murano’s famed glass, these Venetian beads hold a unique legacy shaped by centuries of trade, cultural exchange, and artistry.
If you’re inspired to explore the rich tradition of Murano glass beads, Venice offers various reputable artisanal workshops, especially on Murano. While mass-produced imitations have flooded the market, authentic Murano glass beads are found in trusted shops and family-run artisanal studios on Murano Island. Artisans on Murano still work in glass workshops that are hundreds of years old, maintaining an extraordinary level of craftsmanship. Each family of bead makers often carries stories of the beads they’ve produced and the innovations they’ve contributed to Venetian glassmaking......
Via Margutta offers a respite from the tourist-packed surrounding avenues and an intimate look into the city’s artistic and cultural heart. Its serene charm, historical significance, and rich patrimony make it a must-visit for anyone seeking to experience the true essence of Rome.
Exploring Italian Dreams and Culinary Mysteries in the Lunigiana, Tuscany
If you've ever dreamed of Tuscany, it’s likely you've imagined tranquil countryside settings, exquisite cuisine, and authentic experiences. That's precisely the world Annette Joseph has crafted at La Fortezza, her stunning retreat nestled in the Lunigiana, northern Tuscany. Annette, a creative powerhouse, author, stylist, and Italy enthusiast, recently joined me on my Flavor of Italy podcast to talk about her journey, her work, and her advice for those tempted by Italian real estate and lifestyle.
In the heart of Central Park the Angel of the Waters iconic sculpture graces the Bethesda Fountain since 1873, sculpted by Emma Stebbins. It commemorates New York City's first aqueduct and fresh water brought to the City. The sculpture was originally conceptualized by Emma Stebbins during her long period living in Rome, Italy. While admired for its beauty, it symbolizes much more—love, healing, and rebirth, reflecting the purpose behind its creation.The story of sculptor Emma Stebbins will undoubtedly resonate with listeners as she led a captivating expatriate life in Rome, but over a century ago. In 1856, Emma Stebbins traveled to Rome to pursue her passion for sculpting. There, she became part of a vibrant expatriate community, where American actress Charlotte Cushman was one of the leading figures and eventually became Emma's lover. Italian-born author Maria Teresa Cometto recounts the fascinating story of Emma Stebbins' life and the history of the iconic Angel of the Waters Central Park fountain in her recent book of the same name. Maria Teresa is a dynamic journalist and author based in New York City, a prominent contributor to Italy's top newspaper the Corriere della Sera, and she has written five books.
Ansonica: A Versatile Grape Rooted in History and Rich in Flavor
Ansonica, also known as Inzolia, is a historic Italian white grape variety that thrives in two contrasting yet equally enchanting regions—Sicily and Tuscany. This grape is as much a part of Italy’s viticultural heritage as it is a symbol of the country’s diversity in terroir and winemaking traditions. Despite its historical roots and widespread cultivation, Ansonica remains lesser-known compared to other Italian grapes like Trebbiano or Pinot Grigio. Yet, its unique characteristics and versatility make it a standout for wine enthusiasts seeking something distinctive.
Nestled off the southern coast of Tuscany in the Tyrrhenian Sea, the charming Giglio Island - Isola del Giglio - is a hidden gem waiting to be explored. Despite its small size, covering just 24 square kilometers (9 square miles), this island is brimming with breathtaking landscapes, historic villages, and crystalline waters. If you’re yearning for a Mediterranean escape with untouched natural beauty, then Giglio Island should be on your travel radar.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, may not be the first city that comes to mind when discussing Italian immigration, but its Italian enclaves played a significant role in shaping the region. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a wave of Italians arrived in Pittsburgh, particularly from southern Italy. Economic hardship and political instability in Italy pushed many Italians to seek a better life abroad, and Pittsburgh, with its booming industrial sector, offered opportunities for work and upward mobility.
Unlike some immigrants, most Italians who came to Pittsburgh had little intention of returning to Italy. They viewed Pittsburgh as a land of opportunity where they could create a better life for their families. By the late 1800s, Italian immigrants began settling in downtown Pittsburgh, but as the city expanded, they relocated to nearby neighborhoods like Bloomfield, East Liberty, and the Hill District.
Forgotten Little Italys: Two Italian Immigrant Communities in Pennsylvania Some of these Italian neighborhoods, once thriving hubs of culture and commerce, have largely been forgotten. In Pennsylvania, two such neighborhoods stand out: Hays in Pittsburgh and Roseto in Northampton County. These lesser-known "Little Italys" offer fascinating glimpses into the Italian immigrant experience and have left a lasting impact on the state, even if their visibility has faded over time.
Italian immigration to America: insights into the experiences, challenges, and successes of Italian immigrants — from their journeys to America to their integration into the American way of life.
Italian Art Theft: A Deep Dive into Two of the World's Biggest Heists
Italy, often referred to as the cradle of Western civilization, holds an estimated 60 percent of the world’s artistic treasures. With such a vast collection of art, it’s no surprise that Italian art has long been a prime target for art thieves.
The reality is that art theft in Italy and across the globe is often part of a much larger criminal enterprise, sometimes even tied to organized crime, such as the infamous Sicilian Mafia. In this episode, we explore the world of art theft in Italy, the Carabinieri’s fight to protect cultural heritage, and dive into two of the country’s most significant art heists.
Visit Molise and experience the magic of this overlooked region for yourself! If you’re looking for an off-the-beaten-path Italian experience, Molise and San Martino in Pensilis should be at the top of your list: rich with traditions, breathtaking landscapes, and warm, welcoming people, panoramic views of the Adriatic Sea, stretching all the way to the Tremiti Islands and the hills of Puglia. Just a short drive from San Martino in Pensilis are the stunning sandy beaches of Campomarino Lido, and the bustling town of Termoli.
Why Marche Wine Should Be On Your Radar
If you're looking to explore something new in Italian wines, Marche wine offers an exceptional opportunity. Not only does it produce high-quality, unique wines like Verdicchio, Rosso Conero, and Lacrima, but the wines are also undervalued in the global market. This means you can find premium wines at accessible prices—a rare combination in today’s wine world.
Have a listen to this episode for all the details plus the blog post/show notes with photos and links to some Marche wine producers to check out!
7 Delightful Books about Italy for 2024: Summer Reading with an Italian Twist
Each of these books about Italy offers a unique perspective on Italy - its history, culture, and food. They’re perfect companions for the end of summer, offering both light-hearted reads and more substantial tomes that will keep you engaged long after the last page is turned.
As you explore these titles, I encourage you to dive deeper into the world of Italian literature, culture, and cuisine through my weekly Substack newsletter and podcast, Flavor of Italy. Here, you'll find interviews with authors, deep dives into Italian history, and plenty of recommendations for those who, like me, have a love affair with Italy.
Happy reading, and may these books about Italy transport you to the heart of Italy, wherever you are.
Head to the blog post that accompanies this episode for photos, links, and where to get your hands on these fantastic Italian summer books!
Italy, renowned for its stunning monuments, historic architecture, and rich cultural heritage, faces an ongoing challenge in maintaining and restoring its treasures. The Eternal City of Rome is at the heart of this challenge, with its iconic landmarks such as the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, and the Pantheon drawing millions of visitors each year. However, the upkeep of these monuments comes with a monumental cost, leading to innovative solutions that blend tradition with modernity: patronage and corporate sponsorship. Listen to learn all the details PLUS how YOU can become a Patron of the Vatican Museums and gain exclusive private access to the Sistine Chapel and other magnificent works of art and monuments.
Italy's Procida Island is a destination that offers a unique blend of history, culture, and natural beauty. Whether you're exploring its enchanting neighborhoods, savoring fresh seafood, or enjoying a boat tour around the island, Procida promises an unforgettable experience. Plan your visit today and discover why this charming island was honored as Italy's Capital of Culture in 2022. Head to the show notes for all the details on Procida – it's your definitive guide to the island!
A very special interview with Riccardo, a nine-year-old Italian boy who shared what kids really want to do when they travel to Italy. If you’re making a family trip to Italy this summer, Riccardo’s insights will help you create an exciting and memorable itinerary for your children. Head to the show notes for lots of links and photos!
Don't miss my chat with Andrea Fassi! Listen in to learn the rich & flavorful history of Fassi Gelateria, Italy's oldest gelateria dating back to 1880, located in the heart of Rome, & run by 5th generation Andrea Fassi. Andrea shares the insider story of his family's historic gelateria, plus the direction he's taking to incorporate some new ideas of his own into Fassi Gelateria. Andrea wants to maintain his family's traditional and multigenerational gelato recipes that Romans (and tourists alike!) have come to love and embrace as the best Gelato and Rome.
Looking for something new and fresh to up your summer pasta game? Michele Di Pietro and I've got you covered with some tasty easy-to-make summer pasta recipes. Twists on classics...and some new ones to tantalize your guests. For example, have you ever made lemon pesto? Learn this recipe and lots more in today's fun pasta chat!
Mount Etna wines: the dynamic & exciting world of volcanic viticulture, where some of the most intriguing and unique wines in the world are made! Have a listen to learn all about this active volcano wine producing region, and what makes these wines so exquisite...
The captivating story of Zeneba Bowers and Matt Walker, classical musicians turned travel enthusiasts. Originally from the United States, this dynamic duo traded their established careers for a new life in Italy, specifically in the quaint town of Soriano nel Cimino near Viterbo. Their journey is not only inspiring but also packed with practical insights for anyone dreaming of a similar adventure. Zeneba and Matt have authored four guidebooks covering Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna, Italy’s Alpine lakes, and even Ireland. Their books are beloved for steering travelers away from tourist traps and towards immersive experiences in less frequented locales. They emphasize the importance of exploring small towns to truly grasp the essence of a place. Listen in for all the details!
There's a new Food Tour company you don't want to miss in Rome: Eatalian. Today Hannah - co-owner and founder - and I dug deep into the details of the fun and unique Eatalian food tours, brand new this month in Rome.
Their Dolce Vita food tour in Rome's Via Veneto area is a tour like none other and one you won't want to miss. They have a Heart of Rome tour and a Trastevere tour, each with an Eatalian unique twist. The Eatalian golf cart tour will be coming soon, with a focus on wine tastings throughout the Eternal City. Eatalian has set up gift cards in case you'd like to gift one of these tours to a friend or family member who's traveling to Italy. These tours are capped at no more than 10 people per tour and are all conducted by outstanding licensed guides. Have a listen as Hannah and I chat today all about brand new Eatalian and its backstory!
The Marche region of Italy is a hidden gem that deserves more attention from travelers seeking authentic Italian experiences. The website Wonderful Marche is on a mission to share the beauty and charm of this unspoiled region and our chat today is all about this fabulous region. Often overlooked in favor of Italy's more famous coastlines, the Adriatic coast, home to the Marche region, offers stunning landscapes and rich cultural experiences. The name "Marche" is unique in that it is the only Italian region name in the plural form, reflecting its historical division into several smaller regions, known as marches. Join us today as we dig into the details of the Marche region and its undiscovered treasures.
Join me and Amber Guinness in our delightful chat about the essence of the Tyrrhenian Sea through her new book, Italian Coastal. Travel from the Tuscan coast through Lazio, Campania, and northern Sicily, discovering the rich flavors and stories that shape her food philosophy. There are sixty simple yet delicious recipes inspired by coastal Italy. It’s a blend of recipe book, travelogue, and memoir, filled with stunning photography, that’ll bring the magic of the Mediterranean to your table, and in our chat, we delve into some enchanting stories about Italy's coast that you won't want to miss!
How to get Italian citizenship and moving to Italy are the two topics expats want to know everything about. In this podcast episode you'll hear answers to all your questions, updated for 2024. What exactly do you need to do to get Italian citizenship? And if you are moving to Italy for an extended period of time, what kind of visa would meet your needs and requirements? Would it be the Digital Nomad Visa, an elective residency visa, or maybe a self-employment visa. Listen to this podcast episode to find out answers to all your questions, and the details on how to get citizenship in Italy.
This week on the Flavor of Italy podcast, we're shifting gears from food to something just as delicious, the historic Italian car, the Fiat 500. I know we usually talk about culinary delights, but trust me, the Fiat 500 is a tasty little icon in its own right.
On your next trip to Italy, why not hop into a Fiat 500 - in Italy affectionately known as the Cinquecento - for a tour. All the details in this episode, plus you'll find out how this delightful little car has been used for everything from serving up delicious gelato to using the car as a grill for grilled meats.
But first, let's take a little joyride through the Fiat 500 history. My first experience with the Fiat 500 was with my husband on our first date many decades ago...
A Culinary Journey in Lecce, in the heart of Puglia, Italy. Here lies the enchanting city of Lecce in the region's very tip of Italy's boot, renowned for its stunning baroque architecture and rich culinary traditions. Silvestro Silvestori has established The Awaiting Table, a unique cooking school that goes beyond traditional culinary education and a cooking class in Puglia. Since 2003, Silvestro has been sharing his deep-rooted knowledge and passion for the cultural and sociological aspects of Italian cuisine with students from around the world. This episode shares not only the details of this unique culinary school in Lecce, but it delves into the Puglia region's rich culinary history with details you've undoubtedly never heard before! Listen to this fascinating episode for a culinary exploration of Puglia!
The Flavor of Italy Podcast, ranked #3 in Italy and in the top 2.5% worldwide, is a captivating food, wine, travel & culture Italian podcast!
As I celebrate this 200th Italian podcast episode, I'm already looking forward to the next 100 episodes. I'm eager to hear from you listeners about what Italy topics you'd like me to explore. Whether it's a deeper dive into the regional cuisines and wines of Italy, travel, design or culture, your suggestions are invaluable. Have a listen to this recap of the captivating and unique Italian food, wine, and culture topics we've covered! Help make the next 100 Italian podcast episodes a great success by subscribing to the podcast, leaving a great review and above all sharing the topics you'd like to hear about!
What's being said about the Flavor of Italy Podcast:
FeedSpot ranks the best Italy podcasts from thousands of podcasts and ranks them by relevancy, authority, social media followers, and freshness. Among the 60 Best Italian Podcasts, the Flavor of Italy Podcast is ranked #3. - May 2024
Listen Notes, the best podcast search engine and database on the web, says “The Flavor of Italy Podcast is one of the top 2.5% most popular shows out of 3,352,975 podcasts globally ”. - May 2024
Exploring Mediterranean Vegetarian Cuisine An Interview with Paola Gavin, a celebrated cookbook author with four published works and a regular contributor to Tablet.com. Gavin’s cookbooks are known for their deep dives into the historical and cultural backgrounds of Vegetarian Mediterranean ingredients, often accompanied by beautiful, historical artwork. A Journey Through Italy: A Love for Food and Art Paola Gavin's journey into the world of culinary arts and the Vegetarian Mediterranean diet began with her extensive travels and her background in fine arts. Growing up, she traveled extensively and studied fine art, which influenced her appreciation for art history and painting. This passion is evident in her social media, where she often shares paintings and art history insights, and in her delicious cookbooks.
Unveiling one of Italy's Culinary Gems: La Tavola Marche, and a Journey Off the Beaten Path to the Marche region Italy. Nestled in the heart of Italy, amidst the undulating hills and fertile valleys of the Marche region Italy, lies a culinary sanctuary awaiting discovery. La Tavola Marche, aptly translating to "The Marche Region Table," is not just a destination but a lifestyle meticulously crafted by Ashley and Jason Bartner. The decision to settle in the Marche region Italy was no happenstance but a deliberate choice rooted in a desire to embrace the Italian way of life. Unlike the well-trodden paths of Tuscany or Umbria, the Marche region Italy offered a canvas for cultural immersion and culinary exploration....
Sardinia is a picturesque Italian island steeped in history, renowned for its extraordinary Sardinian food, and celebrated as one of the world's prominent Blue Zones, where longevity is a defining feature of life. It's a destination that beckons exploration, not only for its captivating past but also for its vibrant present. Join me on a journey through Sardinia's rich history, tracing its origins from ancient times to its present-day status as an autonomous region of Italy. From the enigmatic Nuragic civilization to the enduring influence of Phoenician settlers, Sardinia's past is a testament to its resilience and cultural diversity. No exploration of Sardinia would be complete without a dive into its Sardinian food and wine. From the traditional Sardinian diet emphasizing fresh, locally sourced ingredients to the island's renowned wines, such as Cannonau and Vermentino, there's a wealth of flavors to explore.
Looking for something unique to do on your travels to Italy, totally tourist free?
One thing I'm asked all the time is: "what can I do while I'm in Italy that's unique and tourist free?" I always suggest getting involved in an initiative that will benefit the Italian community and get you immersed in an activity with Italians. Most everyone is familiar with the Komen Race for the Cure, an initiative to raise breast cancer awareness, and offer breast cancer education and health tips for the community. Rome's Komen Race for the Cure is just around the corner, scheduled for Sunday, May 12. It's easy to register and the run/walk takes you through 5 km of the most picturesque areas of the Eternal City!
Packing Tips for International Travel + Mastering the Art of Packing Light: Essential Tips for Stress-Free International Travel
In the fast-paced world of international travel, the ability to pack efficiently and travel light is a skill that can make or break your journey. In my latest Flavor of Italy podcast episode, seasoned traveler Sarah Murdoch shared her packing tips for international travel including the art of packing light, drawing from her extensive experience exploring the globe. Here are some key takeaways from our conversation that offer practical tips to streamline your packing process and enhance your travel experience.
In the heart of Brooklyn, amidst the bustling streets and diverse communities, lies a treasure trove of culinary heritage. It's here that Daniel Paterna, a proud Italian-American with deep roots in his ancestral homeland, has crafted a masterpiece that transcends mere recipes - it's a celebration of family, tradition, and Daniel's rich Italian-American culture. In "Feast of the Seven Fishes," Daniel shares not just recipes, but stories that resonate with authenticity and love for his Italian heritage.
An intriguing article in a supplement to the Italian newspaper, the Corriere della Sera, highlighted Porto, Portugal as the top European travel destination of 2024. Coincidentally I was heading there soon after I saw the article. Porto unveiled a delightful array of delicious wines, and seafood delicacies, from succulent grilled cod to savory sardines. However, what truly stole the show was the Portuguese bread, and especially the Broa de Avintes bread. It's nothing short of extraordinary! Dense, moist, and bursting with flavor, this bread became our instant favorite, prompting us to embark on a quest to bring some back to Rome. Listen and then head to the show notes on flavorofitaly.com for the recipe!
Homes for sale in Tuscany Italy? + A Tuscan Home Makeover In this week's episode of my Flavor of Italy podcast, I chatted with Dena Fenza, a prominent figure on Instagram known for her recipes, style tips, and lifestyle content. With nearly 150,000 followers, Dena has captivated audiences with her unique blend of Italian-American heritage and New York living. During the interview, she shared her fascinating journey, from her roots in Brooklyn to her decision to build a life in Italy. Dena's search for homes for sale in Tuscany Italy was methodical and effective and lead to her purchase of a Tuscan farmhouse near Montalcino, in need of restoration. Have a listen to find out all the details:
At cheesemaker La Maremmana in Tuscany, just 2 hours north of Rome, buffalo milk is transformed into a myriad of buffalo cheeses by master cheesemaker Francesco, hailing from the famed dairy region of Battipaglia. La Maremmana produces a range of fresh buffalo cheeses, including hand-stretched buffalo mozzarella, ricotta, yogurt, and burrata. Additionally, inspired by French traditions, aged cheeses grace their repertoire. Rūma: A Taste of La Maremmana in Rome Expanding their reach beyond Maremma, La Maremmana has established Rūma in the heart of Rome. to offer a slice of La Maremmana's culinary excellence to city dwellers and tourists alike. Rūma is both a bottega, where you can shop for quality ingredients, and a bistrot where you can stop to eat.
Traditional Italian Risotto Recipes at Tenuta San Carlo. In this episode Tenuta San Carlo owner, Ariane Lotti, and I explored the Organic Marvels of Tenuta San Carlo: A Journey into Sustainable Rice Farming. Normally we think of rice growing and production in Northern Italy, in the Po Valley, but just two hours north of Rome along the coast you'll find the Tenuta San Carlo rice farm, a wonderful agritourism, and delicious risotto recipes. In the heart of Southern Tuscany lies this haven of organic agriculture, where the marshlands of Maremma have been transformed into a thriving rice farm. This is the story of Tenuta San Carlo, a testament to the dedication of four generations and a commitment to regenerative farming practices.
Unlocking the Charms of Molise: Italy's Best-Kept Wine Secret
Italy, renowned for its illustrious wine heritage, harbors hidden gems beyond the well-trodden paths of Tuscany and Piedmont. Among these treasures lies Molise, Italy's second smallest wine region, nestled between the Adriatic coast and the Apennine Mountains. Despite its diminutive size, Molise boasts a rich viticultural history dating back to ancient civilizations and a burgeoning wine scene characterized by indigenous grape varieties and diverse terroirs. In this episode Scott Barden, sommelier and Molise wine expert, and co-owner of Vine & Soul, and I dig deep into the essence of some of Molise's spectacular wines and native varietals.
The Historical Narrative of Horse Meat Recipes & Cuisine in Italy: When it comes to culinary customs, the journey across different cultures often presents moments of profound divergence. These encounters with unfamiliar foods can evoke a sense of cultural shock, prompting reflections on the intricate relationship between food and society. Horse meat holds a unique place in the culinary landscape of Italy, where it is revered as a wholesome and nourishing delicacy, positioned somewhere between the flavors of beef and venison. Horse meat is often recommended for the young and infirm, believed to possess numerous health benefits due to its lean protein content and rich iron levels. You may be surprised to learn that some well-known multinationals have Italian baby food subsidiaries that have embraced the tradition of horse meat in their product lines: Mellini (a Danone subsidiary) and Plasmon, a subsidiary of the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based H. J. Heinz Company. Their products include purees and ready-to-eat meals, and cater to parents seeking nutritious and culturally relevant options for their infants. This is a fascinating, eye-opening podcast episode with @mangiawithmichele and....you just might learn a few recipes! (Don't worry...you can also make them with beef!)
Italian American food and cuisine is a flavorful fusion of Old World Italian traditions and New World influences, shaped by generations of Italian immigrants and their descendants in the United States. It embodies the rich culinary heritage of Italy while incorporating local ingredients and tastes. Italian American food blogger and recipe creator Michele Di Pietro and I dove into the history of Italian American cuisine, and some of the cuisine's best known recipes. We chat about the Italian American Cuisine's best known recipes and their history, and how to make them. Get fready to take notes and do some tasty cooking!
Sicilian Cooking Classes at the Anna Tasca Lanza Cooking School in the Heart of Sicily. Tucked away on an estate in the countryside south of Palermo is the Anna Tasca Lanza Cooking School, a unique center dedicated to preserving and sharing the great food culture of Sicily. The spirit of the school, now run by Fabrizia Lanza, the founder’s daughter and scion of a renowned family of winemakers, goes back generations. Visitors to Sicily often sense it to be a place unlike anywhere else—lost in time and a little bit secretive. The school and Fabrizia’s 2023 book, the Food of Sicily, opens a bright window on Sicily, celebrating this wonderful food culture while honoring everything that makes it special: a vibrant profile of the land, the people, the history, and so much more. Join me and chef Kyle Pierce as we dig deep into the essence of Sicily and the Anna Tasca Lanza Sicilian cooking classes.
Andrea Semonella, a Genoa local and co-founder of the popular website Discover Genoa, is dedicated to exploring the city. With a passion for food, Andrea and his wife, Marta, share their firsthand experiences and recommendations for the best places to eat in Genoa. We delved into their journey, and the hidden gems of Genoa's culinary scene, and some unique aspects of the city's street food and markets. This is the episode for you if you're interested in delving into the intricacies of Genoa's street food, restaurants, food markets and eateries.
If you think of Romeo and Juliet when you think of Verona you'd be right: Juliet's balcony is right in the city center. Or maybe Verona conjures up all the amazing Veneto wines produced in the area: it's another of Verona's incredible features. BUT: right now it's CARNIVAL SEASON and you may not know it but Verona is perhaps the oldest Carnival Celebration in all of Italy, if not the world! It gets started early in the third week of January with the selection of the new "Papà del Gnocco" and continues on until the Friday before Lent. The highlight is the great parade, with floats and dancers from all over the world who wind their way through the city center....and lots of gnocchi! But why are gnocchi intricately tied into Verona's Carnival Celebration? There's an important historical reason that dates back to 1531; have a listen to find out why!
Blogger couple Ilene and Gary Modica of Our Italian Journey share why they chose Lucca in Tuscany for their retirement home almost from the moment they entered this charming walled city. Lucca is a city on the Serchio river in Italy’s Tuscany region. It’s known for the well-preserved Renaissance walls encircling its historic city center and its cobblestone streets. Broad, tree-lined pathways along the tops of these massive 16th- and 17th-century ramparts are popular for strolling and cycling. Casa di Puccini, where the great opera composer was born, is now a house museum. - Google Food writer Mark Bittman says Lucca's "food is among Italy's most compelling -- almost certainly the best in Tuscany -- and the town is a draw in its own right. Enclosed by walls whose broad tops look out over the town's lovely towers and broad, calm piazzas on one side and park grounds on the other..." Lucca has everything within its walls: art, music, cycling, food, festivals...plus it's easy to get here!
Part 2 is a deeper dive chat with the delightful author of Pasta Every Day, Meryl Feinstein. Our original recording was close to two hours, and it could have gone on longer, as Meryl is such a pleasure to chat with and full of wise insight on life, and getting your hands into Pasta. Meryl shares her insider tips on pasta-making: everything from the kind of salt she uses, to pasta equipment. For Meryl "pasta is a social thing" - a way to make friends - it's "meant to be shared". And at the same time pasta-making is also great when you're alone, "it's therapeutic". Join us today for our open-hearted chat all about pasta-making, and the personal enrichment it brings you. Plus Meryl's insider tips on ingredients and tools for pasta-making.
Meryl Feinstein is charming and humble and a clever, creative, accomplished pasta maker and cookbook author. In just five years from when Meryl first created the Pasta Social Club she's moved on to write her delightful Pasta Every Day cookbook, with a fresh approach to pasta recipe creation. The book is full of exquisite photographs that transport you to another delicious place, page after page. I first connected with Meryl through her Pasta Social Club Instagram profile back in 2019 and since then she has amassed nearly 300,000 followers. Her book was named a 2023 Best Cookbook of the Year by the New York Times, Bon Appetit, and the LA Times, and Vice calls it "a masterpiece". Listen to this double episode chat with Meryl Feinstein to learn all about her pasta trajectory, her culinary history and approach to pasta recipe development.
Recently one of my Substack newsletter subscribers, a wheelchair user, asked if I'd do a podcast episode all about Italy accessibility information for wheelchair users and those with a mobility/physical disability. So here it is! This episode is a deep dive into wheelchair accessible hotels, tours, trips, guides, travel packages, mobility equipment, accessible bathrooms - everything you need to know if you're a wheelchair user traveling to Italy.
You've probably wondered about the importance of a wine glass, and whether it really matters which glass you choose. I know I have! The short answer is yes – and no. Today sommelier Cynthia Chaplin and I delved into wine glasses, an apropos topic during the holiday season and with New Year's Eve right around the corner! The bottom line is the best all-purpose wine glass shape is the tulip - perfect for your red wines AND your New Year's Eve festive bubblies. And there's one tulip glass that is a clear, affordable stand out winner among them. Listen to get the details!
Jeannie Marshall's new book, All Things Move, opens the door to a thoroughly new way of experiencing the Sistine Chapel, and the magnificence of Michelangelo's work. All Things Move: Learning to Look in the Sistine Chapel "tells the story of Marshall’s relationship with one of our most cherished artworks. Interwoven with the history of its making and the Rome of today, it’s an exploration of the past in the present, the street in the museum, and the way a work of art can both terrify and alchemize the soul. An impassioned defense of the role of art in a fractured age, All Things Move is a quietly sublime meditation on how our lives can be changed by art, if only we learn to look."
The perfect Christmas holiday Day Trip from Rome is a visit to the northern Lazio hill town, Greccio. It's a tiny little town but this year it's the central focus of the Christmas holiday season worldwide. Why? It's where Saint Francis of Assisi created the original Nativity Scene (Presepe in Italian) in 1223 exactly 800 years ago. My husband and I visit Greccio frequently, and have for many years: it's in the Sabine hills just above Contigliano where our family is from. If you decide to make a Day Trip to Greccio, I've got you covered with everything you need to know, including the best places to eat in the area. Have a listen to learn all about it…
Bologna is the city of porticoes, Europe's oldest university, amazing towers and culinary delights you can't even imagine. If you're hankering for something different and unique to do while visiting Rome then this is the day trip you'll want to make! Add magical Bologna to your bucket list and listen now for all the details. Are you interested in a culinary walking tour of Bologna? Then I’ve got you covered! Contact me at flavorofitaly@gmail.com to book your Culinary Walking Tour of Bologna!
Everything you need to know this Thanksgiving!
- Thanksgiving Recipe Ideas & Pro-Tips: Truffles, Turkey, Pork Belly! * How to ditch holiday cooking stress * My HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE with a focus on truffles * Combatting holiday loneliness if you happen to be alone this Thanksgiving
The Piedmont Region is Italy's overlooked, "hidden" gem! This is a region overflowing with culinary goodies: Barolo and Barbaresco wine, Alba white truffles, gianduia chocolate. The landscape is magnificent and deserves exploration to uncover and enjoy the region's marvelous castles, wineries, and historic landmarks. Listen to my chat with Carlotta Prandi, the one woman business owner of Piedmont Tours. Carlotta is always available and expert at helping find perfect accommodation, and she also organizes experiences like fabulous white truffle hunts and tours. Piedmont and Carlotta need to be on your bucket list for Italy travel!
Last week we took a deep dive into Piedmont and its luscious food and wine, closing our visit at the 500 year-old Tenuta Carretta for lunch. The Tenuta has several restaurants - one a Michelin star restaurant - great accommodation, and wines. Piedmont wines are world-renowned and this remarkable wine region produces more DOCG wines than any other Italian region. It also ranks sixth among the Italian regions in annual production volume. Piedmont produces all kinds of wines from sparkling whites, to rosés to red wines. Perhaps the best known wine in the region is Barolo. As it turns out Barolo is not a kind of wine or a grape varietal, but rather the name of a town where luscious Barolo red wine is produced from the Nebbiolo grape. If your pocket won’t allow you to drink Barolo wine regularly then consider some of the other wonderful wines produced using this grape.
For a dip into the past - not centuries ago, but 1,000 years ago - to the magnificent Tenuta Spannocchia in Tuscany, not far from Siena. Here you'll experience country accommodation with delicious hearty meals of homemade pasta, delicious pork products made onsite from heritage breeds. It was two years ago that owner Randall Stratton and I chatted for over an hour all about Spannocchia, and made plans to meet there soon. Since then Randall has been diagnosed with cancer and is at home in Vermont with family under hospice care. Randall and his wife Francesca and the extended Spannocchia family ask that everyone share their thoughts, memories and photos. And in the meantime listen to our chat and Randall's tales about Spannocchia and his life.
Sperlonga: a secret southern Lazio coastal hill town with fabulous views, rich history, luscious seafood and wine, award-winning beaches, nearby islands for excursions - just about everything you could want in a seaside location near Rome. And Irene at Amyclae Experience has created all kinds of food and wine, and cultural, itineraries to help you experience Sperlonga to the fullest. Have a listen to find out all the details!
Trento DOC is an appellation for white and rosé sparkling wine made in Trentino, Italy. Trentino developed this appellation, the second in the world after Champagne, to ensure quality and distinction. Only Chardonnay, Pinot noir, and Pinot Meunier with Pinot blanc are permitted, and they must be grown in a well-defined area within the Province of Trento. Trentodoc sparkling wine is produced using the Classic Method, or Metodo Classico, and made only with Trentino grapes. After harvesting by hand, the winemaking process begins. It takes time and daily work for months or years before a Trentodoc is ready. Listen for all the details about this exquisite northern Italian sparkling wine and where you can find it! With 26 gold and 36 silver medals, Trentodoc is the most awarded in Italy at the Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships 2023, the most selective and prestigious world competition dedicated to the world of sparkling wines, in which 19 countries participated with more than 1000 labels.
The fifteenth century Villa Taverna, commissioned by Cardinal Consalvi. Beginning in 1933, the U.S. Embassy rented the Villa from Taverna’s daughter. During World War II the property managed to avoid destruction by serving as a convalescent home for the Italian military. Returned to the U.S. Government in 1944, the Villa and gardens were purchased in 1948 from Princess Ida Borromeo-Taverna. Throughout the 1800s Roman nobility escaped the summer city heat here. In 1824 Pope Leo XII opened the Papal Seminary College, and for the next one hundred years, many illustrious scholars frequented the well-known center of learning. Palazzo Taverna is a palace in Rome, located on the Via di Monte Giordano and first built under orders of Cardinal Giordano Orsini, who wished to turn his ancient castle on the Monte Giordano into a residence. The Palazzo passed to the Gabrielli family in 1688 and they used it to host members of the Bonaparte family such as Eugénie de Montijo. In 1888 it passed to the Taverna family.
The fifteenth century Villa Taverna, commissioned by Cardinal Consalvi, was first rented by the U.S. Embassy in 1933. The Villa and its historical gardens are filled with valuable art from antiquity through the Renaissance, to the nineteenth century. The Villa and gardens were purchased by the U.S. Embassy in 1948 from Princess Ida Borromeo-Taverna. The Villa has since served as the residence for 19 American ambassadors, and is protected by Italian law for cultural heritage. This property is huge: one city block or 7000 m². It's filled with spectacular hand-painted ceramic pavement from Vietri and magnificent gardens. You can only visit the Villa if you have the good fortune to be a guest at the Villa Taverna ambassadorial residence, which we were last week.
Villa Taverna is not to be confused with Palazzo Taverna, also magnificent and not only visitable, but this exquisite Palazzo occasionally has a few outstanding apartments for rent.
Have a listen to learn about both of these unique and historic Rome properties.
Nicki Storey's Positano-based debut novel, A Boatful of Lemons, takes place in Positano, the breathtaking cliffside village on Italy's Amalfi Coast. Although the book is a work of fiction it's interlaced with some of Positano's factual local characters, and historic bars and restaurants. Listen to this episode and check out the edited transcript of our chat with links to some of Nicki's and my favorite Positano spots, and places Nicki mentions in her book.
If you think Italian has been around forever, you'd be wrong: up until 1871 when the Kingdom of Italy was formed, the Italian peninsula consisted of multiple independent city states...and lots of local dialects! And each and every city state was strongly influenced by diverse cultures that impacted each area culturally. Think northern Europe, the Arab influence, trade going through Venice. Each and every one of these impacted the Italian language, its history and the creation of its many dialects. This episode delves into some of the quirks of the Italian language, the dialects and the rich history of Italian. And then, of course, some anecdotes and stories and tips on learning Italian. Tomorrow, along with Italian with Davide, I'm running a free live class on learning the Italian language with a special focus on food and drink at 6 PM Italian time, noon EST, and 9 AM PST. Head to the website to reserve a spot for this special free live class, or sign up right here!. See you tomorrow!
No better way to understand What Italian Kids Eat than speaking to two local Italian experts… age 4 and 8! My podcast guests today are a charming four-year-old girl, and an equally charming eight-year-old boy both born and raised in Rome, Italy. They give us the lowdown on what kids eat from breakfast to lunch to dinner, snack time (merenda), and what they eat when out at a restaurant. Riccardo and Sofia tell us all about what can't be missed at any and every Italian lunch, plus the special things kids eat when they're out at a restaurant. No Kids Menu here in Italy: kids order from an adult menu and mostly adult dishes, including Riccardo's current favorite, spaghetti with clam sauce. Do kids drink wine with their meal? No, but a few sips here and there are made available to all kids and because it's not forbidden most kids taste it and decide it's not for them and choose either water or a special out-to-dinner treat that's a kids favorite worldwide – Coca-Cola. Listen in for a fun and thoroughly charming episode that's also full of fascinating cultural information on Italian culinary tradition for children.
If you love hot chili peppers (peperoncini), then check out this episode all about the world's #1 hot chili pepper festival in the exquisite Italian coastal town of Diamante, Calabria. It's five days of music and entertainment, and great food...of course featuring the local peperoncino.
The Festival begins September 6th 2023 and runs 5 full days.
Diamante is famous for three things: its over 300 murals throughout the town, magnificent sunsets and beaches and last but not least peperoncini (hot chili peppers) and the annual Peperoncino Festival.
Diamante - meaning Diamond - is on the Tyrrhenian coast about a 4 1/2 to 5 hour drive south of Rome. It's ideal to have a car when you visit so you can explore all the little towns and villages throughout Calabria. If you'd like to visit Diamante but prefer not to drive it's an easy train ride from Rome and the train takes you right into the Diamante city center.
During the day you can explore the beautiful murals throughout Diamante, spend some time on the beach and admire the sunsets at day’s end.
At night Diamante comes to life and the seaside promenade is filled with people enjoying an evening drink or gelato.
This episode is a re-release of the original episode from two years ago.
Casalvento: House of the Wind is a brand new book that tells the tale of two Tuscan wineries in the Chianti Classico wine-making area. It's the author's life story, but told through the guise of fictional characters, and it covers everything from what goes into winemaking, the passion for this renowned winemaking region, recipes and more. It's a fun way to dig into Tuscan wine blends through this Tuscan-based novel. It's easy reading with the underlying true stories of the Casalvento and Livernano estates, and the gorgeous Borgo Livernano holiday property and organic restaurant, well worth adding to your Tuscan travel bucket list! Listen to get all the details and head to the Flavor of Italy website to see photos of these two gorgeous estates.
The best Italy books that cover the gamut of exactly what you're looking for in a great summer read.
Think easy beach reading fiction, or must-read Italian classics, biographies, travel narratives and more. These books have you covered for your perfect Italian summer reads!
Rice cultivation in Italy dates back to the days of Leonardo Da Vinci and owes its beginnings to the efforts of this Renaissance genius. He developed a network of canals along the Po River and now Italy is the top rice growing region in Europe and the leader worldwide in risotto rice.
Do you know what risotto rice is and which is the best risotto rice to use? What is it that makes risotto rice yield a creamy and delicious recipe? And where can you find great risotto rice outside of Italy? Listen and get answers to all these questions, and more!
Did you know that such a thing exists as a Rice Sommelier? Find out exactly what one is and how you can become one yourself!
Head to the blog post that goes with this episode for all you need to know about Italian rice plus tons of great recipes, and photographs!
A new and vibrant take on Italy's classic bitter-sweet amaro liqueur, Amaro Santoni is at its best served as an aperitivo: think Santoni Spritz, Santoni Negroni..
Amaro Santoni Managing Partner Luca Missaglia and I dug deep into the history and bitter sweet flavor profile of the classic Italian Amaro, and Amaro Santoni's fresh and vibrant take on this classic after dinner liqueur and digestif.
Amaro, the Italian word for bitter, often refers to the classic Italian after dinner liqueur, but now Amaro Santoni has taken it to a whole new level and created fantastic aperitif and cocktail creations you can enjoy almost anytime of the day.
How to beat the heat (and crowds) in Italy this summer! Seek out water, every way you can...fountains, pools, lakes, seaside. Rome is hot in the summer and it's also the top spot to visit when you come to Italy.
The key to enjoying Rome during the hot Mediterranean summer is to seek out the water. Especially this coming week because temperatures are expected to hover around 107°F. This is way above the seasonal average, but despite the heat just make sure that water is a big part of everything you do in Rome! That means everything from drinking lots of water to swimming!
In this episode, you'll find out all about Rome's spectacular fountains, including the historic "nasoni" drinking fountains with Rome's purest water, swimming pools right in the heart of Rome you can walk to, the best seaside and lakes near Rome, and a ton of amazing seafood restaurants.
It also goes without saying that the best way to beat the heat and crowds in Italy is to live the lifestyle of Italians. Start by following the nine easy tips in the blog post that goes with this episode!
I've become a fan of native Italian grapes, and I'm somewhat of a purist when I choose my wines, mostly drinking single varietal native grape Italian wines. I just recently attended a wonderful Rome rooftop dinner and we were served two Italian blends, both of which were wonderful.
Although my first instinct was to discount these Italian blend wines, I was pleasantly surprised and intrigued by the deliciousness of a good Italian blend. And then the following week my go-to wine gal Cynthia Chaplin from Vinitaly International wrote about an Italian wine blend she's in love with: Ca del Magro. Thus intrigued by these Italian blends I realized Cynthia and I needed a good long chat about Italy's best Italian blends. Join us and have a listen to this Italian wine blend episode to find out about the very best Italian wine blends you should start drinking right now!
Eliot is a sustainable and 100% Italian brand born from owner and creator Mariachiara Giacomel's vision while breastfeeding her second daughter Tea. Not satisfied with the clothes she had in her closet nor with those she bought, she started developing what she couldn't find: Maternity Loungewear that is: extremely comfortable, high quality, practical and at the same time elegant and sustainable.
After studying, researching and touching many different fabrics, love at first touch came with a bamboo jersey, made by an Italian company, which creates high quality natural fabrics. With the resourcefulness of a close-knit team, and attention to both style and sustainability, the Eliot clothing line took shape....
The top 5 ways to pollinate your vegetable garden for a guaranteed bumper crop, and how to create your perfect garden ecosystem.
Have you ever noticed that some people always seem to have a prolific garden that produce in abundance?
A fabulous vegetable garden is EASY but you do have to pay attention to certain basics in your garden ecosystem.
Have a listen to this episode for the guaranteed tips and tricks for an amazing vegetable garden this summer.
Great photos and links, and lots more information in the flavorofitaly.com blog post!
Here's what's being said about Cucina Povera:
“As a home cook that likes to stretch every ingredient as far as possible, Giulia Scarpaleggia’s Cucina Povera has become a favorite in my household.” – Food & Wine - The Best Spring Cookbooks for 2023
“Ms. Scarpaleggia’s “waste-not” approach and pristine recipes lead to dynamite Italian flavors.” – Wall Street Journal - Spring 2023 - 5 Best Cookbooks.
A lot of Cucina Povera's charm and fascination is tied into the photography that accompanies the recipes. Husband Tommaso Galli has grown along with Giulia over the years to become a first class food photographer, with an uncanny ability to capture light and use it to its best advantage to feature the recipes in the book.
This isn't the only cookbook with the title Cucina Povera, but Giulia points out that this title reflects a concept and way of cooking similar to terms like slow food or soul food. Cucina Povera (full title Cucina Povera: The Italian Way of Transforming Humble Ingredients into Unforgettable Meals) reflects a concept of no waste and using leftovers to recycle food into other delicious, yet simple and creative dishes. The concept is to eat everything, waste nothing, and spend less.
Giulia shares lots of insights about the Cucina Povera concept and a behind the scenes look at what this book is all about, and what went into its creation. Have a listen!
Alberto Grandi recently published a book that puts into question Italy's food, beverage and recipe classification system. His book, Denominazione di Origine Inventata, puts forth the theory that many foods, and recipes, that Italy claims as its own, or claims are historical products and recipes, aren't in fact so. In his book, he calls the classification of typical Italian products "marketing lies". In this podcast episode, Alberto and I talk about this challenging issue and its implications. Alberto Grandi is a professor of Economics and Management at the University of Parma. His research on the history of food history has focused on the emergence of typical products and designations of origin, and the notion of typicality in a social context. Although his book is only available in Italian right now, it will be published in English at the end of 2023. In the meantime, have a listen to this fascinating episode right here:
From the 17th century until now, after a century of total abandonment, the historic family Casale in the Piedmont rice growing region with its gorgeous frescoes is fully restored. And with that just a decade ago an exquisite line of gourmet rice was born, Riso Buono, thanks to the creativity and ingenuity of daughter-in-law Cristina Brizzolari. It's not your ordinary carnaroli risotto rice but the one chosen and prized by chefs: Carnaroli Classico Gran Riserva. Tune in to learn all about the history and background of this fabulous rice, and the other delicious rice variety grown at Riso Buono, Artemide.
What Michelangelo's David, the Two Towers of Bologna, and the San Giorgio Bridge in Genoa have in common. To find out listen to today's fascinating podcast episode! And remember – share it with your friends! Teams of experts and engineers are using robotics and artificial intelligence to protect Italian monuments, sculptures, bridges and more. Experts are assessing the seismic resistance of Italy’s historic treasures and putting in place monitoring systems to constantly track their structural health and viability. What puts Italy's historic buildings, monuments, bridges, and sculptures at risk are a combination of normal wear and tear, plus vibration - often provoked by seismic activity. Listen for the details!
Tomatoes aren't native to Italy but they’ve become the reigning queen of the Italian table: they're umami-rich, with hundreds - if not thousands - of varieties in Italy. Although tomatoes are the queen of the Italian table that's not always been the case. It was only during the 19th century that widespread use of the tomato in Italian cuisine began: the tomato was only brought to Italy in the 1500s. Initially it was believed that tomatoes were poisonous. Rather than using the tomato in cuisine more often than not it was ornamental and decorated the Italian table. Join us on our deep dive into everything about the Italian tomato, from history to botanical classification to prized Italian varieties. And of course delicious ways to use the beloved tomato, with lots of fabulous recipes!
A new window into the hidden treasures of Sardinia, one of the most enigmatic places in Italy
"At last, a grand companion to the mysterious and enchanting island of Sardinia. Known to most travelers for its beaches, Sardinia's complex archeological heritage extends back to Neolithic times. Written with verve and love, In Sardinia is the book I'll be taking on future trips." Frances Mayes, New York Times bestselling author of Under the Tuscan Sun.
“Sardinia is something else. Enchanting spaces and distances to travel,” D. H. Lawrence wrote in 1921.
Award-winning historian Jeff Biggers opens a new window into the hidden treasures of Sardinia in a groundbreaking travel narrative that crisscrosses one of the most enigmatic places in Italy.
After three decades of living and traveling in Italy, Jeff Biggers finally crossed over to Sardinia, uncovering a treasury of stories amid major archaeological discoveries rewriting the history of the Mediterranean.
Vignarola is a celebration of spring and tastes just like spring in a dish. Prepare it at that magical moment when winter turns to spring and artichokes are still in season but you’re heralding the arrival of fresh spring peas and fava beans. This episode also shares some little known facts about some of Rome's spring vegetables: Did you know that fava beans can be dangerous to eat for some people? Do you know what agretti are, or how to prepare them? And how about puntarelle? Do you know what they are, or how to clean them and cook them? This episode shares it all so tune in, then head to the blog post to explore the joy of Vignarola and spring vegetables in Rome...and lots of special spring recipes!
If you visited Pompeii in the past, don't think for a minute you can take it off your bucket list! Only 2/3 of Pompeii has been excavated. Excavations and incredible discoveries occur almost monthly, and some of the most spectacular recent finds were: A beautifully frescoed thermopolium (an ancient Pompeii street food stall). A 2,000-year-old ancient Roman dry cleaner The skeletal remains of two men found in a villa in Pompeii Not to mention the House of Orion and its exquisite mosaics, and the newly-renovated House of Vetti frescoes. Tune in to learn more and find out about the brand new (2024) direct train connection that'll take you right to the heart of Pompeii excavations from Rome.
When you visit Rome make a quick trip Florence: By train you'll be in the heart of Florence in 1 1/2 hours! My one day itinerary for a gastronomic and cultural Flavor of Florence takes you to Florence's best food market, an iconic Florentine trattoria for lunch, and a whirlwind walking tour of the city to see Florence's best sites, shopping streets and antique stores. And if you'd like to stay just a bit longer than a day check out my recommendation for a quaint "room-with-a-view" hotel and a terrace overlooking the Ponte Vecchio. If you want to dig deeper into Florence check out the links in my blog post, and visit the brand new go-to Florence travel website FlorenceWise AND listen to my chat with FlorenceWise owner Elyssa.
The Top Influential Women in Italian Wine are winery owners, winemakers, sommeliers, enologists, educators, bloggers and influencers. Some women have branched out on their own, some have inherited a family winery, some are wineries owned and run by sisters. From north to south, to Sicily and other Italian islands, women are impacting the Italian wine industry.
The 2023 theme “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories” highlights the countless women who have used their voice and creativity to tell stories that educate, inspire, and entertain audiences around the world. The theme honors women in every community who have devoted their lives to pursuing truth, and reflecting on the human condition decade after decade. From the earliest storytellers through pioneering journalists, our experiences have been captured by a wide variety of artists, teachers and ordinary mothers and grandmothers throughout time.
PECORINO CHEESE: WHAT IS IT ANYWAY? Pecorino cheese is any hard, semi-hard or fresh cheese that is made using sheep's milk. Seven pecorino cheeses have protected designation of origin status, or DOP, under the European union law. This means they’ve been aged upwards of 8 months and are a stagionato, pasta dura (hard) cheese. The Italian word for sheep is pecora, which stems from the Latin word pecus (livestock), hence the name pecorino.
Women’s History Month, and the 2023 theme “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories” - Four Italian women storytellers from the 1900s: Alba de Céspedes - Novelist Storyteller, and her newly released "The Forbidden Notebook" - the NYT says she's “one of the few distinguished women writers since Colette to grapple effectively with what it is to be a woman." Jeanne Caròla Francesconi - Culinary Storyteller, sharing Naples cuisine in her 500 recipe cookbook, The Marchesa Colombi - Journalistic Storyteller & Prolific author with 40+ books, and Emma Stebbins (American sculptress living in Italy) - a Storyteller through Sculpture. Tune in to learn all about these amazing women and head to the flavorofitaly.com website for even more details!
A roundup of Milan's best restaurants, tastiest classic dishes and must-visit cultural icons, + the food (& drink) Milan is famous for. “Milan is a skyscraper metropolis, a city half avant-garde, half provincial, a mixture of risotto and steel.” says Alberto Lattuada, Italian Filmmaker, in his quote that captures the cultural and food scene in Milan. Think risotto, Osso Buco, Christmas panettone, delicious Northern Italian wines and cocktails. If you want to know more, catch this episode and dig into the details of the unparalleled Milanese cuisine.
Brunello di Montalcino is one of Italy's - and the world's - most renowned red wines. Made in Montalcino Tuscany - near thermal baths, cheese producers, and immersed in breathtaking, rolling hills. And just a 2 1/2 hours drive from Rome. Wine Searcher says it's “One of the pinnacles of what the Sangiovese grape variety can achieve, Brunello di Montalcino is a global touchstone for the variety – and great red wines in general.” The 2022 Brunello has just been unveiled: join me on today's episode to learn all about this magnificent wind and the exquisite area, and Terroir it comes from.
What you need to know before moving to Italy! Lots of details to think about! You need to sort out your finances, learn some Italian, choose your housing (did you know there are all kinds of free housing opportunities available in Italy?) And what about work? Italy has approved the digital nomad visa so bloggers and other online workers should check this out! Do you want a warm climate and seaside? Or do you want a super efficient city like Milan or Turin in the north? Listen to this episode and check out the blog post to get answers to every single detail you need to know before you move to Italy!
There are so many myths - and little known truths - about the life of a gladiator back in Roman times. Were there female gladiators? Did gladiators battle wild animals? How were gladiators treated? Were gladiators always slaves or did they become a gladiator of their own free will? These are just a few of the questions you'll get answers to in this fascinating part 2 episode about gladiators and gladiatorial combat. SPECIAL EVENT for Substack Subscribers! Don't miss this upcoming private zoom chat with gladiatorial expert Alexander Mariotti reserved for Substack Subscribers ONLY. Make sure you subscribe soon so you can jump into this private zoom chat! Subscribe here.
So much of what we assume is fact about gladiators comes from what we've seen in movies, or read in novels. This fascinating two part podcast episode chat with gladiatorial consultant Alexander Mariotti is just the place to start to dispel some of these myths. Alexander helps us to better understand gladiators and gladiatorial combat back in ancient Roman times. Did the crowds eat the animals slain at the gladiatorial fights? Were all gladiators slaves and did they fight to the death? Were there women gladiators? You'll be surprised by the answers to these questions... Head to the Flavor of Italy website for more information, great photos, and links.
Molise - listener questions answered: "What's Molise anyhow? I thought it was part of the Abruzzo region? Is it?" Molise is a tiny little Italian region – the second smallest in Italy, and as of 1970 when it separated from Abruzzo it's a region all on its own. It's a magical secret region with exquisite food, and its very own wine made from grapes like the Tintilia grape, which only grows in the Molise region. Have a listen to this episode to discover the region, and take a deep dive into its fabulous food and wine and culture. If you're looking for a delightful place in Italy to visit that's still mostly unexplored this is your destination! Let me take you there in my three Molise region podcast episodes!
Don't miss the unexplored, little-known Abruzzo region! The Abruzzo region offers an abundance of history, culture and Abruzzo region food experiences: * Visit the hands-on sustainable farm Fattoria Valle Magica with unique heritage breeds, delicious artisanal salumi and local food. * Take a cooking class featuring Abruzzese cuisine.....arrosticini, pizzelle and spaghetti alla chitarra. * Join a day, weekend or weeklong food tour. Find all the details with links and photos on the Flavor of Italy website.
Neapolitan pizza-making is the ultimate proof that Italy's super power is deliciousness. It's on the UNESCO intangible world heritage list. Want to try Laura’s top three pizzerias where you are guaranteed to experience a delicious Neapolitan pizza tasting menu? Do you know how Pizza Margherita and Pizza Marinara got their names? Both steeped in history so have a listen to find out why! The history of pizza as a flatbread dates back many centuries. It was only after tomatoes were brought to Europe in the 16th century that Neapolitans began using them as a topping for their flatbreads and pizza evolved into what is known today as Neapolitan pizza.
The fantastic world of honey and the many things you probably don't know about it! Did you know that almost all beekeeper’s honeybees are Italian? Or that only the female bee produces honey and she produces a mere 1/12 of a teaspoon of honey during her lifetime! Italy has a long history of honey tasting, using the same sensory analysis techniques used in wine tastings: sight, smell and taste. Not to mention the Royal Jelly that bees produce! Don't know what it is? Tune in to the episode to learn this, and so much more from the one and only Honey Sommelier, Marina Marchese! Head to the Flavor of Italy website for lots of great links, gorgeous photos of honey and bees... and a tasty recipe!
One of the joys of the Holiday Season is baking cookies, and other delicious treats. They make great gifts and are a pleasure to bring to the table on Christmas, New Year's, the Befana, and throughout the holiday season. Have a listen to this episode: Michelle and I share some of our favorite holiday treat recipes that stem from rich Italian tradition, our own holiday family dessert traditions, and a few more newbie cookie and dessert recipes we've run across. Are you part of my Substack community yet? Look for me on Substack – Wendy Holloway's Substack - and dig into lots of great Italian recipes, Italian stories, and travel insights. It's the best gift you can give me this holiday season! And a big thank you to all my wonderful subscribers who've been with me this past year. I love sharing my Italian stories and food with you! Happy Holidays to one and all!
Some of the tastiest winter ingredients for the holidays are also the most difficult to pair with wine. Sometimes they're served savory and sometimes used in desserts - think chestnuts and pumpkin. If you're looking for the best pairings to elevate your fall and winter vegetable ingredients, we've got you covered with the best wine pairings for those hard to pair fall and winter vegetables.
Everything you need to know to get you through Thanksgiving and the holiday season!
Wondering what actually goes on during an olive oil harvest in Italy? Join me for our olive harvest at Flavor of Italy in Rome, and as we ready the olives to take to the press in nearby Castelnuovo di Porto.
It looks like the many olives we picked will yield about 50 L of liquid gold ready to use throughout the year in recipes and drizzled on crusty bruschetta. Head to the Flavor of Italy website for photographs of our harvest and lots of wonderful olive oil recipes.
If you're looking for delicious pie recipes for your Thanksgiving holiday spread I have you covered!
Add our new and unique pie and tart recipes to your Thanksgiving repertoire.
Plus all the classics, twists on the classics and brand new pie and tart recipe ideas for the holiday season!
Everyone enjoys a taste of the classics like pumpkin or pecan pie, but there are lots of ways to snazz them up.
The Cilento: a secret coastal gem south of Rome & Naples - archaeological wonders, unparalleled beauty, pristine beaches, delicious seafood...do I need to go on? This place is magic!
If you're tantalized by the Cilento have a listen to this episode, then head to the Flavor of Italy website for all the details on how to get here, what to do and the special foods to eat.
3 things you don't know about cheese..but should!
For example: Did you know that ALL cheese over 60 days old has ZERO lactose? It's great news for the lactose intolerant, but this is just ONE cheese fact you didn't know. Have a listen for the rest.
And speaking of Italian cheese, did you know that Italy has more kinds of cheese than any other country in the world?
There are over 600 DOP and IGP cheeses, plus there are hundreds of other cheeses that aren't DOP or IGP.
Tune in for all this and lots more fabulous cheesy stuff!
Head to the Flavor of Italy website for photos and links to cheese info and some recipes.
3 things you don't know about cheese..but should!
For example: Did you know that ALL cheese over 60 days old has ZERO lactose? It's great news for the lactose intolerant, but this is just ONE cheese fact you didn't know. Have a listen for the rest.
And speaking of Italian cheese, did you know that Italy has more kinds of cheese than any other country in the world?
There are over 600 DOP and IGP cheeses, plus there are hundreds of other cheeses that aren't DOP or IGP.
Tune in for all this and lots more fabulous cheesy stuff!
Head to the Flavor of Italy website for photos and links to cheese info and some recipes.
The rich and multifaceted story of Italian-Americans, Italian immigrants in the U.S. and the Italian Enclaves Historical Society backstory
Ray Guarini, founder of the Italian Enclaves, says the organization has confirmed about 340 Italian Enclaves in the United States so far but thinks the number is probably closer to 500. The story of Italian-Americans and immigration into the United States is rich and multifaceted. Ray shared some of the Italian-American stories and the Italian Enclaves backstory with me today.
The rich and multifaceted story of Italian-Americans, Italian immigrants in the U.S. and the Italian Enclaves Historical Society backstory
Ray Guarini, founder of the Italian Enclaves, says the organization has confirmed about 340 Italian Enclaves in the United States so far but thinks the number is probably closer to 500. The story of Italian-Americans and immigration into the United States is rich and multifaceted. Ray shared some of the Italian-American stories and the Italian Enclaves backstory with me today.
If you're looking for a spectacular and still undiscovered region in Italy to explore look no further than Basilicata.
On author Karen Haid's website it says this about Basilicata: "Journey to the small, rocky region in the heart of the Italian south, to a land [with] world-class wine... edible hyacinth bulbs, [where] zip-lines parallel old mule trails, and the air is infused with the ideals of Roman poets and brigands. Best known for the evocative cave dwellings of Matera, Basilicata packs an incredible diversity into the unassuming instep of the Italian boot. To discover what makes this region tick [visit its] Alpine forests, medieval castles...attend folkloric festivals and sample earthy local cuisine, uncovering Basilicata past and present, from pre-Greek to the story of emigration that continues today."
Here are your top must-know tips on ordering coffee in Italy!
Two Italian coffee aficionados tell you exactly what you need to know about Italian coffee culture, how to order coffee in Italy, what you should order, and Italian coffee order dos and don’ts....there’s really just one but it’s a biggie for Italians!
Stuff you probably DON'T know about Rome!
Elyssa Bernard from Romewise and I have lived in Rome for decades and know the Eternal City inside and out. Here are 14 Hidden Gems in Rome that are off the beaten path for most visitors to Rome. Have a listen and read this post to get all the details about these 14 Hidden Gems in Rome!
These are all hidden gems with almost no tourists and lots of them in cool locations during these hot summer months.
Rome’s Jewish Ghetto is an often overlooked treasure of Rome. This neighborhood is rich in archaeological and cultural heritage, delicious traditional Roman cuisine and religious history that dates back many centuries.
Rome’s Jewish community is probably the oldest in the world outside of the Middle East, dating back to around 161 BC.
No one knows the Jewish Ghetto better than Micaela Pavoncello. Listen to my fascinating chat with Micaela as she recounts some of her amazing & personal stories about her Jewish Ghetto neighborhood.
Although Italy is a bit late to the rosé wine party it's producing some spectacular rosé wines that you have to try!
First of all a good rosé wine is just plain delicious! The younger generation of sophisticated wine drinkers understand this and rosé wine is what they're buying and drinking.
France has been producing lovely rosés for awhile, particularly in the Provence region, and Loire. BUT: What France doesn't have is the indigenous year-round grapes that make wonderful rosé wine. Italian rosés are better with all foods - even spicier foods that are generally hard to pair.
Check out these 12 rosé wines you have to drink this summer – and quite frankly, year-round!
Are you wondering what you should read this summer? If you love Italy I've got you covered with this great selection of books!
Brand new author C. d'Angelo and I talked about her two books: The Difference released in 2021, and The Visitor a brand new June 2022 release. We also talked about our top choice best summer reads with an Italian flair.
Have a listen to our chat about her books and our top choice reads for this summer 2022.
The Joy of Gianduia Chocolate from Torino was born from necessity centuries ago: a brilliant creation, with a luscious texture and flavor profile of a hazelnut and chocolate combination.
It was an instant success! The new chocolate creation was first marketed during Carnival so chocolatiers decided to name it gianduia after Turin's archetypal Carnival mask character, Gianduia.
To this day gianduia chocolates are the pride of Turin and one of Italy's premiere chocolate products.
Why hazelnuts and chocolate? Find out why when you listen to this episode - an interview with première Torinese chocolatier Guido Castagna.
Find out how Armando and friends slaughtered and broke down a pig and made all kinds of pork delicacies over the span of one morning in his mother's garage. The delicious pork products they made included luscious sausages, head cheese and Lardo colonnata. The lardo Armando made was equally delicious but not IGP certified so couldn't carry the IGP name lardo colonnata. Nothing was left to go to waste and the final step was to cook up the remaining pork bones. The pork bones are typically served with another local Lunigiana dish, chestnut polenta.
Mortadella lunigianese is another delicious local product they made, but quite different from the famous mortadella from Bologna. Nothing goes to waste!
This episode is a re-release of the original; it's the most listened to Flavor of Italy podcast episode by far!
The Trevi Fountain is on everyone's Rome bucket list, BUT there are six surprising facts about the Trevi Fountain you’ve never heard before. Tune in to find out!
Head to the Flavor of Italy website for all the details, show notes, photos and links!
Note: This is an updated re-release of an earlier episode.
Some vibrant food memories from childhood and the science behind them.
And some favorite Italian recipes like pasta alla carbonara and why some cooks like to modify classic recipes and others are diehards and stick strictly to the original. So much of it relates back to our food memories and our vision of what recipes should be.
This episode was originally released over two years ago as Episode 3.
Head to the Flavor of Italy website and share your favorite food memories; I'd like to include them in the show notes!
Are you visiting Rome this summer and wondering what to do? If you'd like a unique, truly Roman experience then head to one of Rome's theaters for opera & music performances. In June don't miss the Rome Chamber Music Festival!
Also lots of performances outdoors including the historic Roman Baths location at Caracalla.
Tune in for all the details, plus other great things to do in Rome this summer!
Lots of links and photos in the show notes on the Flavor of Italy website.
Your carbon footprint and some surprising things you probably don't know but should be aware of. For example:
Should you replace old appliances & cars with newer energy efficient ones? Probably not.
Is wax paper preferable to plastic wrap? Nope.
Tune in to this week's episode to get the lowdown on your carbon footprint and simple changes you can make in your life that will help the environment, the planet...and you.
And don't forget to head to the flavorofitaly website for this week's show notes, useful links and photos.
4 Summer Recipes to check out for 2022: easy Italian recipes that make the most of great summer ingredients.
And that's not all:
There's a round-up of more easy summer recipes,
Summer pasta recipes to check out, and
Great summer desserts.
AND stay tuned for my Top 10 Summer Recipe e-book for 2022 – free only for my newsletter subscribers!
Head to the Flavor of Italy website for all the details!
Eggs in Italy – what you need to know, plus some curiosities about Italian eggs that'll surprise you: why are Italian eggs never refrigerated? Why are Italian egg yolks such a rich deep orange color, and why are almost all Italian eggs brown? Find it all out in today's episode plus learn about some of Italy's rare and endangered heritage chicken breeds.
If you want to know all about local Venice wines then don't miss this episode!
Like the Venissa winery right in the heart of the Venice Lagoon. Make a day of it: the winery is a special and unique place to visit with a fabulous Michelin star restaurant - Ristorante Venissa - AND accommodation.
Venissa's younger cousins in terms of depth and complexity: friulano, malvasia, ribolla gialla. These delicious wines are from the nearby Collio hills where the Venica winery is.
Keep your eye out for local wines made with Incrocio Manzoni grapes; grape varieties created by Professor Manzoni in the 1920s and 1930s by crossing and grafting vines.
And head to the Prosecco Hills for two more delightful wineries amidst breathtaking scenery.
The Latinist is a modern day reimagining of the Apollo and Daphne myth, a page-turning suspense novel of power, ambition, love and obsession. The plot is intertwined with ancient Roman archaeological sites, necropolises, ancient texts, and Oxford University academia.
The Bernini sculpture at Rome's Borghese Gallery depicts the climax moment of the Apollo and Daphne story from Ovid's Metamorphosis. As Apollo relentlessly pursues Daphne she realizes she has no way to escape his aggression other than to make the ultimate sacrifice and transform herself into a laurel tree.
The Latinist is a contemporary retelling of the Apollo and Daphne myth through the contorted and obsessive relationship between the book's two protagonists: Oxford classics professor and mentor Chris Eccles and PhD candidate and mentee Tessa Templeton.
Five artisanal Italian designers you need to know: Manfredilab Rome, a shared venue to showcase 5 women Italian designers.
Manfredilab, Rome - where five Italian designer women collaborate together in a shared venue to showcase their various Italian designs. They’ve put their know-how and brands together under one roof because collaboration is key in the Italian designer business.
Manfredilab offers a very private shopping experience with the chance to shop from the five very different Italian designers. Shopping is by appointment only and when you're at Manfredilab you experience a private, personal shopping experience and the chance to chat and work with each of the designers.
Whenever I'm in Naples I make sure to head to a Neapolitan pastry shop so I can pick up some of the very best of Neapolitan pastries like Pastiera Napoletana.
It's classically an Easter cake but you can purchase it year-round. On Easter every Neapolitan family has Pastiera for dessert and many families make it themselves. What makes this Neapolitan Easter cake so unique is the grano cotto in the recipe.
So what is grano cotto? Listen to this episode to find out!
Pastiera Napoletana is a fascinating dessert that dates back to the 16th century, full of a rich culinary and cultural tradition of a mix of legend and history.
Jacobini wine is a NEW fresh and crisp organic IGP white wine, produced in the rolling hills of Ariccia just south of Rome in the Lazio region.
The Jacobini Winery (Azienda Agricola Carafa Jacobini) just relaunched itself anew as an independent Lazio wine producer under its own label. Since Jacobini began producing wine in the late 1600s it's gone from independent producer to consortium and now back again to independent producer. Jacobini has had a fascinating history over the centuries and in this episode Nina Farrell shared her family-owned Jacobini Lazio winery story with me.
Culinary tours tend to be repetitive so why not add a unique twist to your fabulous food week in Italy?
Think about this: Italy is tied for the largest number of world heritage sites, and the depth and wealth of archaeological sites is mind-boggling. So add some archaeology into your culinary trip to Italy.
An archaeo culinary tour means you'll explore the very best of Italy's archaeological sites - many of them off the beaten track - and top that up with curated and delicious regional food.... often at Michelin star restaurants. That's what you can expect when you join an Elifant Archaeo-Culinary tour.
Mystery and intrigue in Venice are the backdrop for Rob Samborn's debut novel about souls trapped in Tintoretto's Paradise and a Venetian secret society. Today Rob and I chatted about his book the Prisoner of Paradise, and how he chose Venice and Tintoretto's Paradise painting in the Palazzo Ducale for the book's setting and theme.
A "pandemic pivot" born out of necessity turned into a whole new business, Beehive Bagels.
Beehive Bagels delivers real American bagels in Rome and throughout Italy. Owners Steve Brenner and Linda Martinez started delivering their homemade New York-style inspired bagels all over the Eternal City during Covid when American ex-pats were craving a taste of home. Almost 2 years later they're still making bagels for customers in Rome, plus online orders throughout Italy.
Some say the bagel originated from the Tarallo in Puglia. Listen to find out why!
Elisa's goal was to share authentic Italian pasta with Americans so they could experience delightful and delicious Italian pasta: fresh egg-based stuffed pastas and rolled pasta. Elisa sourced all her ingredients from Italy but the 2008 financial crisis made it impossible to survive if she still wanted to make pasta with delicious and genuine Italian ingredients like fresh ricotta. The company closed in 2009.
Throughout the life of her company Elisa always had efficient and sustainable waste management in mind.
Fast forwarding from Elisa's pasta company waste management to her documentary production company's newly released 4-part docu-series, Wasteland. This not-to-be-missed docu-series exposes America’s dirtiest secret: food waste & human waste.
Anchovies are the number one umami-rich food and there are all kinds of ways to incorporate anchovies into your recipes – as the protagonist or as an almost imperceptible magic ingredient.
Anchovies are one of the most sustainable fish to eat. They are rich in wonderful omega-3 fats, full of protein and, contrary to fish at the top of the food chain, contain almost no mercury.
Just one or two anchovy fillets or some anchovy paste is enough to help savory dishes pop with flavor: pasta dishes, soups, Caesar salad and, believe it or not, anchovies are a key flavor ingredient in beloved Worcestershire sauce.
Excavations are ongoing in Pompeii and new things are always uncovered. Traces of the ancient Roman fish sauce garum were found in Pompeii which helped to confirm that the Vesuvius eruption occurred in August.
In the case of church bells in Rome it's unlikely there's anyone ringing the bells up in the bell tower because almost all Roman churches now have an automated bell ringing system.
34 year old Giacomo Diano is one of the last remaining impassioned bell ringers (known as a campanaro) in Rome. He's had a passion for church bells, bell towers and bell ringing since he was a toddler. When he reached school-age Giacomo made sure that his mom took him to school along routes where he could hear his favorite church bells chime.
These days Giacomo is the leading expert in Rome on all of Rome’s various church bells, how to repair and “tune” them and of course how to ring them...
This week the Flavor of Italy podcast hit a milestone: 100 episodes! We've been celebrating all week – head to the show notes to find out how we've been celebrating!
AND a special Thank You to Feedspot for including the Flavor of Italy podcast on their best 10 Italian food podcast list for 2022! And that's not all…
The Flavor of Italy podcast is also on Squadcast's list of the 15 interview podcasts you should tune into. Here's what they have to say:
"Ever feel like you’re in a podcast listening rut?
It’s easy to stick to your typical rotation — with “ride or die” shows that have been in our ears for years...Fear not, devoted podcast listener! If you enjoy shows like Armchair Expert and Fresh Air with Terry Gross, we’re here with a mix of interview show suggestions that might grab your eye (or ear). And you probably haven’t heard about them (yet).
Thank you Squadcast, thank you Feedspot and thank you listeners for tuning in every week for our first 100 episodes!
Lazio is starting to rock as a wine producing region with some wonderful Lazio wine producers doing great things to raise the profile of Lazio wines. Producers are taking Lazio native grapes and playing with them to elevate wines and the region to a whole new level.
Lazio has it all: volcanic soil, areas with a maritime influence, mountains, lakes, sandy coastline soil and islands.
Tune in for a deep dive into Lazio wine - the best producers, native grape varietals, where to buy online and the top 4 Rome enoteche (wine bars) for expert sommeliers, guided tastings and Lazio wine purchase.
I'm an Italian coast and island person and I loved chatting with Elisabeth, Blue Star Positano owner about their private boat tours, daylong cruises and boat rentals that offer unforgettable Amalfi coast experiences.
Their full day Amalfi coast excursion, for example, includes lots of swimming and stops at unique bays, inlets and coves many of which are only accessible from the water.
Elisabeth and I chatted about some favorite secret spots she loves to share with customers: Praiano and La Gavitella, the Marina di Praia, Fiordo di Furore, the Emerald Grotto, the Grotta della Pandora and the amazing coastal towns of Amalfi, Ravello, Atrani, Cetara, Minori and Maiori.
Elisabeth make sure you enjoy the view of these Amalfi coast towns from the water and then experience the special feature and beauty of each town: the Sal de Riso pastry shop in Minori, the Cetara fishing village and its delicious fresh tuna or a morning cappuccino served in local Vietri ceramic cups.
Lots of photos and great links in the show notes: head to the flavorofitaly.com website!
Cooking and traveling with Ursula Ferrigno: Italian culinary educator, cookbook author and leader of occasional small group tours to Italy.
Ursula’s decidedly British accent belies the fact that she was born and raised in Italy by her Italian father and English mother. Although her parents have passed away Ursula remains strongly tied to her Italian heritage and whenever possible travels to the Campania region where her dad was born - Minori on the Amalfi Coast, and Sicily where he worked.
We chatted today about her books, her classes, travel itineraries and her deep attachment to her Calabrian and Sicilian heritage.
Pamela Sheldon Johns - travel itineraries, Tuscan accommodation, organic olive oil and cookbooks.
Pamela and her husband Johnny own and run Poggio Etrusco, a 16th century converted Tuscan farmhouse. They produce organic olive oil from their 800 olive trees.
Not to mention Pamela's 18 cookbooks and Italian Food Artisans travel itineraries with a thrust towards what is local and sustainable.
Head to the flavorofitaly.com website for photos and links.
Listen to today's fascinating chat with food historian and cookbook author Francine Segan: she's written six cookbooks and lectures worldwide on Italian food topics.
Mario Batali says that "food historian and author “Francine [Segan’s] delectable, timeless, and earthy recipes reaffirm a beautiful and intangible aspect of cooking — that what nourished the souls and bellies of long ago is still the best of what brings us together at the table today."
Show note with photos and links on the Flavor of Italy website.
The Flavor of Venice is cicchetti and an ombra (small glass of wine), chocolate & coffee tastings, Murano glass, Burano lace and color, gondolas.
But the real question is: is Venice disappearing? Probably yes....
Until I came upon Kenneth R. Rosen's article, the Joy of Casting in Italian Waters, I'd never associated the pleasure of fly fishing with Italy. It turns out that fly fishing is indeed a passion throughout Italy and nowhere more-so than the Alto Adige area in the Veneto region in northern Italy. Here's how, when and where to create your fly fishing Italy vacation.
The historic holiday Baj Panettone is made with a 100 year old mother yeast. Cesare Baj, the 7th generation owner of the Baj Panettone company, walked me through the company's history beginning back in 1768.
Part of the panettone tradition is the gorgeous packaging it comes in and it was this that inspired Cesare and his son Tomaso to bring Panettone Baj back to life in 2016 after 50 years of closure following rough economic times during the second world war.
Happy holidays! Enjoy this fabulous story about the quintessential Italian holiday Christmas cake the dates back hundreds of years!
The chat today about holiday wines for 2021 with my go to sommelier Cynthia Chaplin delves into lots of wonderful wines, many new to me.
In this blog post show notes I've taken note of some of the wines we discussed but honestly they just scrape the surface. Tune into this podcast episode as Cynthia shares details and insight into each and every wine she suggests...you almost feel like you can taste the wine as she talks about each wine!
Cookbooks make great holiday gifts and here's a round up of some to choose from, most of them with an Italian twist. If you're interested in building up your own cookbook collection these books are a great place to start.
Tina Prestia and I chatted today about some of the favorites in her extensive cookbook collection. Have a listen to the episode and take a look at the show notes for some cookbook ideas.
There's one thing about Tina that you won't find on her website: she's an avid cookbook collector and aficionado with over 1000 print cookbooks in her collection and hundreds more on Kindle.
It's holiday gift guide time once again, just in time for Black Friday. If you subscribe to my newsletter you’ve already received my holiday gift guide and probably gotten started on your shopping.
The focus is on culinary tools, gourmet food & a fabulous Italian wine club! Plus my top choice travel camera that's powerful, but lightweight and easily slips into your pocket.
Also, you're still in time to listen to my Number One roast turkey PRO TIP for your Thanksgiving turkey!
Have a listen to this episode and head to the Flavor of Italy website show notes for this episode and all the Black Friday shopping links you need!
What I love to see in a cookbook are stories that give context and history to the recipes, great photographs that help tell the recipe stories, and recipes that are clear and simple and easy to follow. Liguria is a cookbook that ticks all these boxes.
I've been cooking my way through the Liguria cookbook and would have to concur with author Laurel Evans that lots of the recipes are my favorites! I love her recipes for Stuffed Lettuce, Meat Ravioli with Tócco Sauce, Fried Pumpkin Ravioli, Liguria style stuffed squid and of course Ligurian Focaccia.
Head to the Flavor of Italy website for this episode's bog post and show notes with lots of photographs, recipes and links.
The Rome Sustainable Food Program (RSFP) at the American Academy prepares community style daily meals for the fellows and also maintains a rich organic garden and orchard. Head chef Kyle Pierce and I chatted about the Academy, the RSFP kitchen and garden, and the RSFP food philosophy and internship program.
Most people think of Italy in terms of fashion, fabulous travel destinations and outstanding food but technological and scientific innovators, inventors and achievers like Guido Ucelli are a key part of the driving force of Italy.
Some notable Italian scientists and inventors are Marconi who invented the radio, and Meucci who invented the telephone. Enrico Fermi was instrumental in atomic research and fission experiments. And let's not forget about Leonardo da Vinci and his many inventions like the corkscrew and spit roaster.
It's time to make the leap in 2021 for a Thanksgiving and holiday menu change: choose Roast Pig as the NEW Roast Turkey this year, and give your menu an Italian flare. There are lots of reasons for this menu change not the least of which is that this year turkeys are in short supply and more expensive than previous years.
And let's face it: everyone loves pork! Michele Di Pietro and I chatted about great dishes to serve this Thanksgiving holiday with roast pig. The bottom line is that almost every dish you enjoy with turkey is even better served with roast suckling pig.
This episode is loaded with great photographs and links to help you plan an amazing Thanksgiving holiday menu!
The Flavor of Italy Culinary Walking Tour of Rome is the number one way to take a deep dive into the very best of Roman cuisine.
Today Andrew Cotto, author and NYT food and travel writer, and I strolled around one of Rome's best outdoor markets and nearby food shops and ended our Culinary Walking Tour of Rome with a fabulous food and wine pairing lunch at Rimessa Roscioli. Have a listen as you join us on this tour.
Head to the Flavor of Italy website for today's show notes with plenty of photos and useful links.
Sicilian travel designer Angela Macaluso shared the history of the monsù cuisine in Sicily. It dates back to the 17th century when French nobility traveled to Sicily, along with their chefs (the monsù), who created a fusion of elegant and refined French food with luscious, agriculturally based Sicilian dishes.
Citrons, the most ancient and aromatic citrus fruit, first came to Italy in 200 BC. It has almost no juice but the perfume and aroma of the peel and thick pulp make it perfect for candied fruit and other culinary uses, not to mention its importance for the Hebrew harvest festival Succoth.
Calabrian tour guide and gastronomical expert Nunzia Bruno and I chatted about Calabrian citrons, their history and how they're used.
Check out the show notes for photos, recipes and links.
The annual Peperoncino Festival in Diamante, Calabria is a celebration of the local hot chili pepper, the Diavolicchio Diamante.
Calabrian tour guide Nunzia Bruno and I chatted about the festival and the world famous Diavolicchio Diamantepeperoncino. And all about hot chili peppers in general and what makes them hot.
Artisanal organic cheese made at the Alba Farm in the hinterland of the tiny Molise region is outstanding and a visit to the Alba Farm to sample their cheese is a must.
Today I chatted with Nicola del Vecchio who inherited this piece of land from his grandfather. Along with his life and business partner, Michela, he has turned the land into a thriving fully organic farm that produces flavorful cheese from a mixture of goat and sheep milk.
Molise is such a tiny region in southern Italy that it's often overlooked by travelers, and yet it boasts some of Italy's tastiest food and wine.
At the Dante Alighieri Verona-based wine estate, Possessione Casal dei Ronchi, the Alighieri's have been making excellent Valpolicello and Amarone wine for the past 700 years.
Today Cynthia Chaplin, sommelier and wine connoisseur, and I chatted about Dante and the Alighieri wine estate, and the fabulous wines produced in this region.
What do you actually know about women in Italy who have done extraordinary things over the centuries, and in many different fields? Now's your chance to learn about two trailblazing women in 19th century Italy: Italian author La Marchesa Colombi and the American sculptress Emma Stebbins who lived in Rome for 12 years.
Today I chatted with Maria Teresa Cometto about both women. She has explored their lives in depth and written books about both.
If you're looking for a spectacular holiday at a breathtaking estate in Tuscany with outstanding food and wine just a short drive to both Siena and Florence then look no further than Spannocchia.
Randall Stratton and I chatted about this spectacular 800 year old working farm estate he and his wife Francesca own and operate. Spannocchia has been owned and run by Francesca's family for three generations.
Don't leave Italy without trying these delicious iconic Italian sandwiches and panini. My top ten you have to try before you leave Italy!!
Today we also chat about some other great sandwiches and panini worldwide, packed lunch ideas and wonderful sauces for sandwiches and panini.
Is a hamburger or stuffed pizza a sandwich or panino? Listen in to find out.
Tons of great photos and links in today's show notes: go to the Flavor of Italy website.
Three books by Ettore Farrattini go hand-in-hand to represent his family history, and the history of Palazzo Farrattini and Amelia.
And this history also extends to Rome: did you know that the Piazza di Spagna used to be called Piazza di Amelia? Or that the famous shopping street Via Frattina takes its name from the Farrattini family?
Listen to this fascinating episode to take a deep dive into the Farrattini and Amelia fascinating history, and be sure to check out today's show notes on the Flavor of Italy website with links and photographs.
Leonardo da Vinci's Vineyard & his Malvasia di Candia Aromatica Wines: the "wine" side of the genius. He invented the corkscrew, the spit, and many culinary tools we still use today. Learn about them all here...
For perfect food and travel photos you can't go wrong if you follow these 15 simple tips shared by professional food photographer, Terri Salminen.
Head to this episode's show notes full of links and details on these 15 key food and travel photography tips.
Lots of Terri's amazing photos in the show notes this week!
Deruta hand-painted ceramics and pottery began as far back as the Renaissance and for the past four generations Giovanni Baiano and his family have been a key part of this local artisanal industry. Giovanni's wife, California native and architect Joan Malloy, shared the fascinating Deruta and Antica Fornace Deruta story with me.
Giovanni's cleverest creation are his hand-painted ceramic wine glasses. Giovanni creates a hand-painted ceramic wine glass base and stem, with the stem is hollowed out. He then takes a crystal wine glass, cuts off the base and inserts the crystal stem into his hand-painted ceramic stem.
I've been collecting these glasses and they are a beloved part of my ceramic and pottery collection. Also the most admired by my guests! Links and photos in show notes.
Great summer pasta recipes for delicious and easy summer entertaining or family meals: the top 20 summer pastas from Italian food influencers @mangiawithmichele and @flavorofitaly.
Ditch your Rome bucket list and explore Rome by neighborhood instead, starting with the amazing Trevi Fountain neighborhood. You always think Trevi Fountain when you're in this area and then you head to other major sites and monuments but honestly you miss out by not slowing down your pace and digging deep into some of the other incredible things there are to see in this fascinating neighborhood.
For example in this neighborhood you can find Rome's tiniest church, and in the Rinascente basement - a major department store - there are recently restored remnants of Roman aqueducts. This is just a taste of a few of the things in the Trevi Fountain neighborhood so have a listen to learn more, then head to the blog post for in-depth detail about the Trevi Fountain neighborhood, along with links and photos.
For the best summer desserts of 2021 look no further than Letitia Clark's new book, La Vita è Dolce (Life Is Sweet). Letitia wrote the book during the Covid lockdown as a sort of sweet pick-me-up recipe book project because as she says “sweet things make us feel happy”.
I read the book front to cover and love every single recipe: her recipes are unique and fresh and tantalizing. Today Letitia and I chatted about the book and lots of its luscious recipes.
So get ready for summer entertaining with these new and unique recipes!
Don't miss out on Rome neighborhoods like the Cavalleggeri: it's just on the other side of the Vatican & St. Peter's Square & half the price!
Rome is full of dozens of neighborhoods to explore, most in areas where visitors to the Eternal City never set foot, like the Cavalleggeri neighborhood. Today I chatted with Teresa Bergamini Forcina about her neighborhood, why she loves it so much and why she’s writing a book about the area.
After a visit to Saint Peter's Square and the Basilica almost everyone heads to the Prati area in the direction of the Vatican museums to grab a bite to eat or a gelato. Instead of heading in the Prati direction when you leave the Vatican and Saint Peter’s Square head in the opposite direction to the Cavalleggeri neighborhood for a bite to eat. Eateries are simple and no-frills but you’ll pay half the price and have the chance to experience this historic working class Rome neighborhood.
Eating and traveling vegan in Italy: the top 9 tips for joyful vegan eating in Italy to make your Italian food experience amazing!
Listen to today's episode and my chat with Kate McElwee, lifelong vegetarian and decade-long vegan. Kate has lived in the United States and Italy and has a wonderful perspective on the joys of being vegan and Italy.
Rimessa Roscioli Wine & Food Experiences in Rome: the most recent delicious addition to the four Roscioli food venues in Rome that opened just a few years back. The Roscioli family is historical in Rome and renowned chef Massimo Bottura says that the Roscioli family IS Rome. Have a listen to my interview with co-owner Alessandro Pepe for an insider's look into this wonderful food and wine establishment.
Great photographs, videos and tons of links and information in today's show notes; Head to the Flavor of a Italy website for details.
If you want to experience great music in Rome check out violinist Robert McDuffie (Bobby), his rare Guarneri Gesù violin & the Rome Chamber Music Festival.
Almost everyone who visits Rome thinks about the monuments and churches, but for a deep dive into the heart of Italy look to the music. Start with the fact that the most prized violins in the world were made here, and Bobby McDuffie owns one of these. Today he tells us all about his violin and the Rome Chamber Music Festival that he founded 17 years ago.
Head to the flavorofitaly (dot) com website for photos and links and a ton more information!
If you’re looking for recipes that reflect the wonderful food of Calabria then the book for you is Rosetta Costantino‘s My Calabria. Think amazing cheeses from the mountains of Calabria, delicious seafood pasta from the breathtaking Calabrian coast, aromatic hot peppers and the umami-rich spreadable pork sausage, 'nduja.
Rosetta was the first to share Calabrian cuisine with the rest of the world in her My Calabria cookbook where she spent her growing up years before her family moved to the Bay Area in California. Her book still remains the bible of Calabrian cuisine.
Tune in to hear Rosetta's charming stories about Calabrian life and culture, and learn more about the region's cuisine.
Find the show notes for this episode on the Flavor of Italy website!
Everyone has missed travel to Italy this past year and a half and lots of you want to take a deeper dive into Italy and the Italian culture than you did in the past. You also want the details on travel restrictions and what to expect once you get here.
The top thing you can do to change your trip to Italy from great into amazing is to learn the language.
Davide and I chatted all about his course and what separates it from other courses. He digs into cultural details like the ways Italians communicate with their hands and what each different hand gesture means, and a ton of other Italian communication idiosyncrasies like greetings.
Listen to our conversation and learn all about his course and what makes it so special.
By the way Davide's course registration ends Wednesday May 26 at 6 pm EST! Links to the course in the Flavor of Italy show notes
The top 5 places in Italy to buy gorgeous hand-painted Italian ceramics: towns that are a MUST to visit, in five different Italian regions. Learn about what makes each of these towns unique, and the regional items produced in that area.
If you are a Patreon supporter of the Flavor of Italy Podcast then you'll be able to share in an insider trip behind the scenes in one of the best Italian hand-painted ceramics producers. Would you like to learn more about it? Just send me an email!
Photos, insider tips and more on the show notes that accompany this episode, on the Flavor of Italy website.
If you’d like to experience DOP balsamic vinegar, known as the black gold of Modena, there’s no better way than to take a deep dive into one of the local family producers, or acetaia as they’re known in Italy: Acetaia Malagoli Daniele.
Sofia Malagoli has taken the family acetaia to a whole new level and her marketing savvy and outgoing personality have helped the Acetaia Malagoli Daniele (named after Sofia’s father) become one of the largest acetaie in the Modena area with roughly 800 barrels.
Today Sofia and I chatted all about her family's DOP balsamic vinegar business, how Sofia has marketed this business, and the recently published Black Gold of Modena book.
Piedmont is a remarkable wine region and produces more DOCG wines than any other Italian region, including the three outstanding lesser known reds that we chat about in today's episode.
If you love Barolo wine but it's a bit too costly to drink on a regular basis then one of the wines we chat about today is a great alternative you want to know about! It's wonderfully delicious and made from the exact same Nebbiolo grape.
Patreon is a great way to support this podcast and all our Patreon supporters receive special benefits like the upcoming private zoom event with the fabulous sommelier, Cynthia Chaplin, from today's episode.
Contact me directly for further information about this special zoom event through the flavorofitaly.com website.
Many may think that art access to the wonders of the Vatican Museums from the paintings to the sculptures and the gardens can only be enjoyed by sighted visitors. At the Vatican, thanks to the magnificent work done by The Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums, blind and partially sighted visitors can also enjoy art access at the Vatican Museums.
In today's podcast episode I chatted with Sabrina Zappia, Chair of this fabulous Vatican patron organization. Have a lesson to find out how are the Vatican makes art accessible to all including blind visitors.
Discover Sardinian food: Letitia Ann Clark, gifted painter & illustrator, & author of the acclaimed Sardegna-inspired cookbook, Bitter Honey.
Letitia has a new cookbook, La Vita è Dolce, and is working on a food-themed memoir - all the while continuing to paint and illustrate. Find her illustrations in the New York Times and other prestigious publications.
Head to the Flavor of Italy website for episode show notes and Letitia's contact information, all her book details and photos of her fanciful and whimsical illustrations.
Cookbook author Domenica Marchetti is all about Abruzzo food, her Abruzzese heritage and her cookbooks, classes and food tours to Italy.
Domenica is an Italian American with 100% Italian blood lines that trace back to her family in the Abruzzo and Lazio regions of Italy.
Domenica says that she’s not a chef but rather an accomplished home cook educated by her mom, grandma and aunts in the best of Italian food traditions mostly stemming from the Abruzzo region.
To learn more about Domenica's books, classes and tours, plus tons of information on food from Abruzzo head to the Flavor of Italy website.
And please don't forget to subscribe to the Flavor of Italy podcast; thank you!
Andrea Smith's still-life paintings feature wonderful seasonal vegetables like artichokes & fava beans for Vignarola.
When I came across her Instagram profile full of still-life paintings of Rome's market produce it was heaven because she paints all of the most beautiful fruits and vegetables you can find in Italy, and especially Rome.
I’ve been to one of Andrea‘s painting studios and seen how she sets up her paintings, and her workflow, so I was thrilled to chat with her about her still-life paintings of Rome's market produce, her outlook on painting, what brought her to Rome, the courses she teaches and what she is working on now.
In this Flavor of Italy Podcast episode Tina Prestia and I chatted about three classic Emilia Romagna regional recipes, Classic vs Tweaked recipes and a few ideas for your Easter table.
Tina lives in Bologna and loves to travel around the Emilia Romagna region, and throughout Italy, tasting and experiencing the very best of local cuisine wherever she goes. Lots of recipe links and photos in today's show notes on the Flavor of Italy website. Listen, subscribe and leave a review: thank you!
Listen to this deep dive interview with food and lifestyle blogger Teri Turner of No Crumbs Left, and the secret sauce of her success. Photos and links in the show notes at flavorofitaly.com.
The driving force behind everything author Andrew Cotto writes is food, and almost exclusively Italian food. This week Andrew and I chat about his latest book, Cucina Romana, plus lots of other things Andrew has written.
SHOW NOTES HERE: Links, great information and photos in the show notes at flavorofitaly.com website.
Last week James Martin and I chatted about our travels through the Le Marche region and in today’s episode we share the best of the region’s food and local recipes.
The region has a long Adriatic coastline and inland it’s filled with rolling hills, mountains and delightful, curious villages each with their own unique dishes. In this episode, and in today's show notes, find out about my Flavor of Italy weeklong trip to this still largely undiscovered, and unspoiled region.
Le Marche is one of Italy's top regions where you can still experience the "real" and genuine Italy: its gastronomy, exquisite Adriatic coastline and mountainous areas all filled with monasteries, caves and artisans at work making hand-crafted shoes, pillow lace and other local crafts.
In today’s podcast episode we chat about the Le Marche region and the many unusual things to do in this often overlooked, exquisite region.
And don't forget! The flavorofitaly.com website has show notes for this episode - and all the episodes! - so head there for links, photos and a heck of a lot more.
Holly Grabow has been charming me for years with her delightful Puglia Stories mostly centered around the ordinary life of her wonderful in-laws. Today we dig into these stories and talk about their luscious homemade wine, their olive oil, tons of Pugliese recipes and some other great cultural stories.
Check out the Flavor of Italy website for lots of links and photos plus info about a Special Giveaway celebrating the landmark 50th Episode for the Flavor of Italy Podcast!
Time to explore the often overlooked Valtènesi in the Lake Garda wine region, the Conti Thun Winery and two unusual local grapes: groppello and marzemino. Sommelier Cynthia Chaplin takes us to this amazing wine region in today's podcast episode. Some amazing wines and grape varietals here you'll want to know about plus the must-visit winery, Conti Thun.
I don’t think there’s a single visitor to Rome who doesn’t have the Trevi Fountain on their bucket list, and yet there are six surprising facts about the Trevi Fountain you’ve never heard before. In today’s podcast episode Elyssa Bernard from Romewise and I discuss these unusual and little known facts about the Trevi Fountain and a whole lot more!
Head to the Flavor of Italy show notes for photos, links and incredible Trevi Fountain information.
Have you subscribed to the Flavor of Italy Podcast, and left us a review? Please do as it helps to spread the word about this great everything-Italy podcast!
The lure of the Mediterranean Diet: what is it, where did the expression come from and how does Italy fit in - or not? This is one of the topics we cover in Part 2 of Chewing the Fat.Be sure to catch Part 1 and head to the Flavor of Italy website for this episode's show notes, photos and links
In this episode, the first of two parts, I chat with Karima Moyer-Nocchi, author of Chewing the Fat, an Oral History of Italian Foodways from Fascism to Dolce Vita. In the book she delves into an exploration of the Italian culinary landscape during the fascist era that represents a departure from the romantic vision of Italian cuisine that many people believe has always existed. During the fascist period food was scarce. Most Italians weren't cooking up all of the delectable Italian classical recipes we have come to view as part of a longstanding Italian culinary history. Instead many Italians were barely able to get food on the table and were sometimes close to starvation. They often subsisted on a monophagic diet, in other words they ate the same food over and over, meal after meal, day after day. This was especially the case in southern Italy.
Photos and links in today's show notes on Flavor of Italy website.
Although umami is most frequently associated with Asian cultures and foods some of the most umami rich foods in the world are inherent in Italian cuisine: anchovies, tomatoes, aged Parmesan cheese. Optimum umami taste depends on the amount of salt in the food.
Garum, a fermented fish sauce that dates back to Roman times, is the original umami rich taste in Italian cuisine. Nowadays instead of garum anchovies and anchovy paste are used in the same way to enhance the umami in foods in Italian cuisine.
Head to the show notes for photos, recipes and tons of info about umami!
Deep dive into Italian Buffalo Mozzarella:
Delicious milky and soft buffalo mozzarella cheese is made from Italian water buffalo milk (not to be confused with the North American concept of a buffalo which is actually a bison). Buffalo mozzarella has a porcelain white color and is known as the pearl of the table. It’s a flavorful fresh stringy textured cheese with a very thin rind. When you cut into it its delicious white milky liquid seeps out. It’s undisputed that Italian buffalo mozzarella is the best and that depends so much on climate and Italy‘s old world approach to buffalo mozzarella production. In Italy it’s quite natural to expect that your cheese is made locally on the same day that you purchase it. Listen to this episode for all the details and head to the Flavor of Italy website show notes for great photos and links.
My conversation with Cristina Bowerman, the Michelin star chef from Glass Hosteria in Rome, is divided into two podcast episodes. In part 1, Episode 42, Cristina and I chatted about her background, what brought her to the culinary field, her philosophy of food and a bit about her own personal style.
Today in part 2, Episode 43, we chat more about Cristina‘s food philosophy, and delve into some of her most fascinating recipes and how they evolved. We also talk about Cristina’s son and how she approaches his education vis-à-vis food, plus a lot about Michelin Star Chef Cristina’s vision and her future plans as a chef, and how she gives back to the community.
Cristina Bowerman, the Michelin star chef from Glass Hosteria in Rome, marries her rich culinary heritage from her growing up years in Puglia with her culinary training in the cutting edge food city, Austin Texas, along with extensive worldwide travel to produce her own unique brand of cuisine.
My conversation with Cristina Bowerman is divided into two podcast episodes. In Episode 42 Cristina and I chatted about her background, what brought her to the culinary field, her philosophy of food and a bit about her own personal style.
Head to the Flavor of Italy website for photos and links all about Cristina and her cuisine.
If you’re looking for a wonderful place to eat in Rome that has incredible and unique wines with a vast cellar, plus its very own bespoke Wine Club then Rimessa Roscioli fits the bill.
Today I chatted with Lindsay Gabbard from Rimessa Roscioli, about their wines and their bespoke Wine Club that features smaller artisanal wineries and a vast assortment of grape varietals.
Lindsay has a few suggestions to make for great wines to drink over the holidays. Great holiday recipe ideas, photos and links in today's show notes!
And when we return to travel mode post-COVID be sure to put Rimessa Roscioli on your bucket list for your next trip to Rome for fabulous food & wine.
Holiday baking is one of the cornerstones of the holiday season and many of us have recipes for traditional Italian Christmas cookies and desserts that stem from family and local traditions. Every single town and region throughout Italy has fabulous holiday recipes and many of these have been adapted by Italian Americans and Italian immigrants worldwide. They reflect the availability of local ingredients plus the input of acquired new cultural baking recipes. Michele Di Pietro and I shared our Italian heritage holiday baking recipes, and lots of other unique Italian regional recipes.
Lots of great links, photos and recipes in the show notes on the flavorofitaly.com website.
It’s holiday gift giving time and I’ve got you covered with tons of great suggestions! I reached out to chefs, culinary professionals and passionate home cooks alike and they shared their ideas for great holiday gifts. In this podcast episode Michele Di Pietro and I chat about the best holiday gifts for the passionate home cook or chef in your life. Ideas range from stocking stuffers to great cookbooks to kitchen tools, plus some higher-end culinary items that make for extra-special holiday gifts.
Head to the flavorofitaly.com website for all the details and links for these amazing gift ideas!
When winter rolls around most of us are heavily into soups; and we often wish that all our favorite dishes were just a soup.
Michele Di Pietro in her new Soupified cookbook has transformed your favorite dishes into creative and delicious soups. If you’re looking for a wonderful and whimsical soup cookbook this one’s for you!
If you’d like to sample some of Italy’s tastiest foods then make sure you try these 9 traditional dishes from Genoa.
Genoa, in the Liguria region, is often passed over as a culinary spot but some of Italy‘s best dishes come from Genoa.
Today Enrica Monzani from A Small Kitchen in Genoa and I chatted about the genovese cuisine. No one knows genovese cuisine better than Enrica. She’s a multi- generational genovese native and runs a cooking school right in the city center that features the very best traditional dishes from Genoa. She features recipes she learned from her mom and her genovese grandparents on both sides of the family.
Head to the episode show notes on the flavorofitaly.com website for recipes, Genoa food history, links and photos. And if you enjoy this episode please subscribe to the podcast!
One of the favorite and most used condiments in Italy and abroad is Italian balsamic vinegar. It’s used to dress salads, as an ingredient in many dishes and to drizzle on top of foods like strawberries and Parmesan cheese. The "real deal" Italian balsamic vinegar is fabulous, and to make it involves some unique and special procedures. Tune in to learn all about it. And don't forget to head over to the flavorofitaly.com website for this episode's show notes with great information, recipes and photos!
Guess what? Your Thanksgiving celebration will be just as wonderful this year but you’ll need to make some menu changes, and adapt how you gather. It’s a time to invent new Thanksgiving celebration traditions. Michele Di Pietro and I have you covered! Listen to this podcast episode and find out everything you need to know for a fabulous Thanksgiving Celebration in the Covid era. Head to the flavorofitaly.com website for show notes with photos, recipes and links.
When you conjure up the Mediterranean diet in your mind the first thing that probably comes to you is olive oil, and quite likely Italian olive oil. The month of November is the big month for the Italian olive harvest, when the over 500 varietals of olives are picked and brought to one of the hundreds of olive presses throughout the country.
We just picked and pressed our olives at a local olive press. Here’s all about our olive oil harvest, along with information on what goes into harvesting olives in Italy.
Noblewoman Violante Guerrieri Gonzaga offers exclusive rooftop cooking class experiences in a historic family palazzo in the center of Rome with incredible views of the city. She has a luxury Italian tableware line (designed and painted by Violante) and a recipe and lifestyle book now in its second printing, full of great recipes and photographs. Not to mention the wonderful northern Italian family wines that are served during her cooking classes - also available for purchase. In this episode Violante and I talked all about her classes, her cookbook, the wine and her extremely successful line of tableware.
When people think of Italy what comes to mind is fabulous art, monuments, amazing food and beautiful designer luxury goods – especially Italian shoes. In this episode I chatted with luxury Italian shoe designer Alessio Spinelli about his life as a luxury shoe designer in Italy, and the path that led him to become a designer for Italy’s top shoe brands, like Prada.
Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE, leave a REVIEW, and check out the SHOW NOTES on the Flavor of Italy website - lots of great photos and links for you to check out and bookmark!
Italian saffron cultivation is prolific in a number of areas in Italy like the Abruzzi and Sardegna, and now it’s expanded into Sicily, San Gimignano and Città della Pieve, Umbria. We visit Città della Pieve each year to experience the magic of the harvest process. How exactly is saffron grown and harvested? And why is it so expensive? Listen to this episode to find out all the details in our look at the Italian Saffron Harvest. Fabulous photos and links in the show notes, plus saffron recipes, so head right over to the Flavor of Italy website to see it all!
Explore the dozens upon dozens of hidden towns and perched villages in the coastal region of Liguria in northern Italy, along with its rich history, cuisine, natural beauty and breathtaking views. There are a few ways you can do it and it all depends on your time constraints and how deeply you would like to explore the region. Today we talk about some of the charming spots you can visit. You can opt for a quick boat tour, choose a town to have as your base or rent a car and do a self-guided road trip.
Tune in to learn more about this often overlooked region of Italy, and if you enjoy the episode please subscribe!
You’ll want to visit Positano because it’s spectacularly beautiful: this gorgeous Amalfi coast hill town spills down to the sea with a blast of Mediterranean colors. Winding narrow streets and steps full of charm, amazing views, outstanding seafood, ceramics and quaint shops. BUT: also try out these 8 unusual things to do in Positano. Nicki Storey, a two decade Positano resident, shares it all in this week's episode.
Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE, leave a REVIEW, and check out the SHOW NOTES on the Flavor of Italy website - lots of great photos and links for you to check out and bookmark!
The Villa Brunella is the best boutique hotel in Capri because it embodies everything you could want in a fantastic accommodation location: 20 huge rooms each one different from the next, a private swimming pool, exquisite food and one of the best views on the entire island.
In today’s podcast episode Michele di Sarno, part of the extended “Villa Brunella family”, and I talked all the Villa and what goes into making it the best boutique hotel in Capri.
The Rome Opera House is fast becoming the cultural pride of the City of Rome. It's full of fascinating and rich historical facts and oddities so listen to this episode to learn about it all.
The Opera House is beautiful and has incredible acoustics so if you’re looking for something special to do in Rome you just might want to head to the Rome Opera Hose for an opera, ballet, concert or theatrical performance.
Today we dig deep into the Liguria region's fabulous food and wine!
Right up at the top of Italy along the coastline as Italy curves left above the Ligurian Sea you’ll find the Liguria region and its amazing food and wine. Along the sea you'll find delicious seafood and as you leave the seaside heading inland towards the mountains you can experience some incredible and quite unusual meat dishes. And let's not forget the wine: this tiny region has over 100 varietals. Join us to hear all about it!
The Molise region, although very small, has a culinary heritage all its own and there are five foods you absolutely must try. Lori DeSanctis was my first guest and she gave me a roundup of the very best food and wine in the Molise region, and shared some of the amazing wines like Tintilia that grows only in Molise. Pampanella is a tasty spicy roast pork dish and Tina shared her recipe and some history on this fabulous dish. The recipe and details on all these amazing foods and wine are all in the show notes on the Flavor of Italy website, along with great photos to whet your appetite.
We’re just about ready to head into September so it’s time to share a Roundup of Favorite Easy Summer Recipes that you can hang on to and use once summer rolls around again!
Michele Di Pietro from Mangia with Michele and I talked about all our favorite easy summer recipes in this week’s episode. What we look for in a summer recipe is something quick, with minimal time in the kitchen and recipes that use all of summer’s fabulous produce. You'll find the recipes, links and photos in this week's show notes on the Flavor of Italy website.
Sardinia is one of Italy’s two largest islands and it’s nothing other than magical. Its history dates back not centuries but millennia and its rich culture extends to its art, music, language, natural beauty and culinary heritage. It has its own official language, the rarest pasta in Italy, stunning beaches, archaeological gems and more. Head to the Flavor of Italy website for show notes with photos and links for everything we chat about in today's episode.
If you haven't yet subscribed to the podcast please do! Thanks!
When people visit Sicily they often fly into Palermo and use that as a starting point for their travels throughout this fabulous island. But if you don’t spend some time in the island’s capital city then you’re missing out on some of its best. Palermo is full of the best street food and so much more. Michele Di Pietro and I chatted about all the amazing Palermo street food we’ve joyfully tasted in this episode and Michele shared her favorites from her most recent trip to Palermo. Go to the show notes on the Flavor of Italy website for great Palermo street food links, info and photos.
If you’re interested in making perfect and easy homemade pasta then the Ultimate Pasta Machine Cookbook is a must for you. It’s a great book that not only has wonderful recipes but it clearly lays out everything you need to know about pasta makers from hand cranked to electric. And it also talks a lot about some of the best pasta machine attachments and tools that make pasta-making easy and enjoyable. I have a lot of cookbooks but this has become one of my bibles! Go to today's show notes on the Flavor of Italy website for fabulous photos, recipes and links. And please: Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review!
If you love Italian extra-virgin olive oil then don't miss this chat with the owners of the generations old award-winning Erredi Perrone organic olive oil producer in Puglia! Learn all about their estate and its history plus the ins and outs of producing great olive oil in Italy.
Head over to today's show notes for more olive oil information, photos and links. And please: take a couple of minutes afterwards to subscribe and leave a great review!
Traditional Italian pasta becomes an edible art form in the hands of Laurie de Filippi from Baltimore Home Cook as she creates her pasta art and origami. Pasta, like language, is a constantly evolving cultural part of life and in Italy it’s supremely important. Laurie is steeped in Italian tradition through her 100% Italian bloodline from all four of her grandparents. Listen to today’s podcast episode to learn all about Laurie and how she takes her knowledge of traditional Italian pastas and weaves her magic into each shape to create tantalizing pasta that is not only delicious but a delight to behold.
If you want to learn about the best beaches and surf spots in Italy then don’t miss this episode. I chatted with Steve Brenner, co-owner of The Beehive in Rome, and surfer who describes himself as a surfer who never gets to surf. Steve lays out some of Italy‘s best surf spots, and explains exactly what kinds of waves you’ll be up against in each part of Italy and its islands, plus the best time of year to surf these locations.
Head to the show notes for detailed info on the best beaches and surf spots in Italy, photos and links.
Don’t miss this wonderful chat with Vicky Bennison, owner and creator of Pasta Grannies. Her videos of octogenarian (and older) Italian women making homemade pasta are captivating and heartwarming. Plus they dig deep into the hundreds upon hundreds of different pasta shapes throughout Italy.
Vicky realized right off the bat that video was the perfect platform to capture these delightful women at work making homemade pasta. Video allowed Vicky to bridge the language gap and share what is fundamentally the visual magic of homemade pasta making: the pasta itself coupled with delightful women who have most of them been making pasta by hand for half a century.
Wonderful photographs of these women, links and info in the show notes!
If you visit Alghero on the northwest coast of the island of Sardinia you can count on amazing hidden gems: archaeological remains dating back 6,000 years, gorgeous beaches, delectable food you’ve thus far never encountered, markets, handicrafts, festivals and more. In today’s episode James Martin from Wandering Italy shares his insider secrets into this spectacular corner of Sardinia (Sardegna in Italian). He’s full of Sardinian stories and tips on things to do and eat that you won’t have heard about from anyone else.
Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and check out today's show notes for links and photographs.
Molise, Italy's Magical Secret Region, despite its tiny size is not short on culture, history and rich cuisine. Find out more on today's podcast episode! I chatted with Lori De Sanctis, owner and founder of Molise Cuisine, about her company and about Molise, the often overlooked Southern Italian region jewel.
Sicily is a haven of art and architecture, millennia old monuments and incredible history and food, and Eating Your Way through Sicily is a divine way to enjoy this amazing island. While we are all still waiting for travel to return to normal post-lockdown, enjoy this virtual culinary trip to Sicily as you listen to today’s podcast episode, eating your way through Sicily, with us.
Check out today's show notes for great photographs, links, recipes and more. And please don't forget to subscribe and leave us a review!
In today’s podcast episode I chatted with Pierpaolo Ruta, the sixth generation owner of the oldest Modica chocolate company in Sicily, L’Antica Dolceria Bonajuto. We chatted about the history of chocolate and what exactly constitutes Modica chocolate. He shared all kinds of fascinating details about his family history and their philosophy on making chocolate in Modica.
Be sure to read today's show notes for in depth information about chocolate, the history of chocolate in Italy, plus lots of great photos and must-have links.
Thank you for listening and don't forget to subscribe and post a review of this podcast!
What are all the Italian food and wine acronyms and classifications, what do they all mean and why do they matter anyhow? They are all part of how Italy protects its food and wine.
In today’s podcast episode Michele Di Pietro and I chatted about Italian food labeling acronyms that protect specialty Italian food and wine in the worldwide market. It’s all about defending these products from unfair international competition, but also ensuring that quality and uniformity are maintained throughout time.
Check out today's show notes for great photographs, useful links and scrumptious recipes that use some of these special Italian food products.
Today James Martin from Wandering Italy shared another story about a Farm to Table homestyle pig butchering in Northern Tuscany with his friend Armando. We chatted about how Armando and a few other men took apart the pig and made all kinds of pork delicacies over the span of one morning in his mother’s garage. We chatted about Armando, and the delicious pork products they made including luscious sausages, head cheese, lardo and local mortadella.
This week's show notes is full of great photographs and links so head over to the Flavor of Italy website. Thanks for listening and don't forget to subscribe and leave us a review!
You may be thinking it’s too early to start a new bucket for your trip to Italy, but it’s actually the perfect time. Yesterday Italy opened up after months of lockdown, including churches and museums, so it’s the perfect time to get a jump on your Italy travel plans and here's how to start!
Head to today's show notes full of great links to get you started, plus some fabulous photos!
In this week’s podcast episode you’ll learn all about salt: its history dating back before Roman times, its culinary uses and the important role it plays in our diet. There are those who try to eliminate salt from their diet all together and others who love it, exalt it and use it in fabulous dishes like salt crusted fish.
Tune in to learn more and check out today's show notes for great links, photos and recipes! And please subscribe so you never miss an episode!
In today’s episode James Martin – travel writer, photographer and all around expert in off the beaten track spots in Italy – shared fascinating details about the Lunigiana in upper Tuscany. The Lunigiana is a historical territory in northern Tuscany that also confines with the Emilia-Romagna and Liguria regions. We chatted about some of the delicious local foods like panigacci, a typical unleavened flatbread that is a staple in two towns in the Lunigiana: Aulla and Podenzana.
Please head to the Flavor of Italy website for great photographs and tons of useful links.
Peperoncini – hot chili peppers – and ‘Nduja, the darlings of Calabrian Cuisine, are used to add delightful heat to dishes in Calabria and throughout Italy.
Head to the show notes for lots of information and links, and recipes.
Thank you for subscribing to the Flavor of Italy Podcast!
A chat with Julia Griner, accomplished sfoglina and co-owner of Grano & Farina Cooking School in Rome. Julia learned to make pasta sfoglia – sheets of egg and flour dough, (hence the name sfoglina) – in Bologna, Italy and she shared her story with me: what led her to pursue her pasta-making passion, plus some fascinating anecdotes, along with information on what all goes into the making of pasta sfoglia.
Cooking in the Time of Coronavirus – Episode 5 discusses the changes we have made in our style of cooking since “shelter in place” went into effect. People are gravitating towards comfort foods and at the same time are getting more creative with pantry cooking: putting together ingredients they have on hand. In today’s episode we discuss Cooking in the Time of Coronavirus and share a few of our favorite recipes with you. Check out today's show notes for useful information, links, photos and recipes.
And please don't forget to subscribe!
You may already know and love these delicious little pillows of heaven or you may know nothing about them. Either way today’s Flavor of Italy Podcast Episode 4 tells you All About Gnocchi from its history and tradition to how to make this luscious dish – and more. Be sure to check out today's show notes for useful information, links and photos. And don't forget to subscribe!
Food memories are some of the most evocative that can conjure up vivid memories from way back into childhood. Today my frequent guest and cohost Michele Di Pietro and I discuss the phenomena of food memories and exactly why they are so important, and the science behind them.
Please be sure to subscribe to the Flavor of Italy podcast, and tune in next week!
If you’re struggling with coronavirus and the lockdown (shelter at home policy) you are not alone. Italy was the first epicenter for the coronavirus in Europe and North America, and was the first to adopt a nationwide policy of lockdown.
My home is in Italy and on today’s podcast episode I share my tips on how to survive the coronavirus lockdown.
Welcome to the Flavor of Italy podcast! This short introductory episode will tell you about the content of the podcast.
Each week I’ll take a look at Italian food and recipes, Italian culture, travel and culinary history. I’ll also feature interviews with food personalities, locals and anyone else who has an Italian food, travel or Italian cultural story to share.