While on our Mediterranean cruise, the ship stopped for a day in Genoa, Italy. In my excitement, the night before, I booked a 40 min boat ride to Portofino. While going alongside the Italian coast, I was amazed of the typical Italian colorful architecture. Continue reading The best boat ride of my life to Portofino, Italy
Gnocchi, pronounced “Njocki” rather than “Gnotschi”, is the Italian variant of Nocken. In Italy, three main variants are distinguished: Gnocchi di Patate made from potatoes, Gnocchi di Polenta made from corn semolina and Gnocchi alla Romana (Roman wheat semolina dumplings). Continue reading Gnocchi di Patate, a pasta with Italian origin
This original Pizza dough recipe is from an Italian Pizzeria owner in Naples, and is simply tastes unique. Best of all, it has quality simple ingredients you can easily make the dough yourself at home. Top your pizza dough as you like, or make pizza bread, Garlic Knots or pizza sticks from the dough Continue reading The original Italian Neapolitan Pizza
On my Romans in Rhineland fact finding trip I became interested in bread baking like it was done in the antiquity. After some research, I plunged into baking the bread like the Romans did as depicted in paintings, and found as carbonised loafs in ovens of Pompeii. Continue reading Baking Bread of ancient Rome
A day after I visited Cologne and saw the monuments and Roman history there, I discovered that there was a museum called RömerWelt in Rheinbrohl near my river cottage. That morning I set my alarm for 7.30, made some coffee and got ready for a new adventure. That day exceeded my expectations learning more about the ancient Romans in my area Continue reading The rich Roman history of the Rhineland
According to a widespread legend, this dish goes back to the Italian Carbonari, who made charcoal in the Appenine mountains. It is said this Spaghetti dish was cooked over a fire in a cast iron pan during their breaks. Continue reading Spaghetti Carbonara has a long history
To make one thing clear, the Spaghetti Bolognese dish is not an Italian invention. Nevertheless, you can often find it on menus in many other countries prepared in different ways. The name “Spaghetti Bolognese” is actually used when you mean the long pasta that is served with minced meat sauce. So whenever I am in the mood and tired of the common red Spaghetti sauce I use the recipe below. Continue reading What? Spaghetti Bolognese not from Italy??!!
Last time I was at the Freiburg Münsterplatz I visited their large International Market and had fried Calamaris with Aioli sauce. That was the first time I tasted this sauce, and I have been bragging about it ever since. This spread or dip is used with the cuisines in Spain, the Balearic Islands, Murcia and eastern Andalusia, Valencia and Catalonia. Also in France (Provence) and Italy, Sicily and Liguria and Calabria. Continue reading Aioli, a Mediterranean dip
