When selecting restaurants in Italy, I primarily rely on the Gambero Rosso “Ristoranti d’Italia” guide. They award one, two, or three gamberi (shrimp) to trattorie and one, two, or three forchette (forks) to restaurants. Whenever I am on vacation in … Continue reading Dining in Italy: Trattoria da Amerigo*
The Italian guide Gambero Rosso awards one, two, or three gamberi to rate trattorie in Italy. In the 2026 guide, only 49 trattorie were honored with the highest rating of tre gamberi. Due to the rich food culture, a large … Continue reading Dining in Italy: Antica Osteria del Mirasole
Many Italian recipes for chard only use the leaves, which are called bietole. This can be confusing, as the word literally translates to beets. The stalks are known as coste, or coste di bietola in full. When preparing dishes like … Continue reading Italian Gratin of Chard Stalks Recipe
I had some pumpkin and sage in my fridge that needed to be used up. I thought they would make a great risotto, especially with the addition of some homemade pancetta from my freezer. This combination is a classic of … Continue reading Risotto with Pumpkin, Pancetta, and Sage (Risotto zucca, pancetta e salvia)
This recipe is quick, delicious, and impressive as an appetizer or amuse-bouche. You can also serve it as part of a seafood antipasti spread. Along the Venetian coast, restaurants serve various seafood dishes baked under a crispy crust of breadcrumbs, … Continue reading Capesante alla Veneziana (Venetian-Style Baked Scallops)
Italy has officially made history as the first nation to have its entire culinary system protected as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. In this post, I’ll explore the significance of this designation and weigh the official submission against my 25 years … Continue reading Why UNESCO Was Right to Recognize Italian Cooking as World Heritage
