In the valley below my in-laws’ house in Manfredonia, there is a sea of prickly pear cactus, and this time of year they are overburdened with multicolored fruit. They tell me at one time, the whole area was covered with them. In the mornings, I often saw older men walking through the cactus valley, picking…
Catching and Eating Ricci di Mare – Sea Urchins
One of my favorite experiences during vacation was going to the beach at Mattinatella, in the Parco Nazionale del Gargano in Puglia, Italy. Other than the beautiful beach, the water was great and though I sometimes miss the waves of a raging ocean, it’s nice to float and swim for hours as if I was…
3 Times the Robiola – Sweet, Savoury, Solo
I spent the weekend in Rome, enjoying friendships like this one and relaxing as much as possible in a city and neighborhood that was my first “home” in Italy. I only wish I had discovered the grattachecca much much sooner. Rome of course welcomed us back in its true fashion, that is, by nominating S…
How to Order an Italian Coffee in Italy
How to Order an Italian Coffee in Italy is now a book on Amazon Kindle with dozens of full-color photos and an Italian pronunciation guide! Buy your copy now! There are so many different types of Italian coffee, and by now we know them all, right? Latte, mocha, Frappuccino… You won’t find a single drink…
Valrhona Chocolate Box and Swiss Chocolate
Today I’m heading to a country known for its cheese and chocolate (and not France). I’m heading to Switzerland on business. Since chocolate is on my mind (I hope at least to bring back something for the office), I thought I’d add my most recent “taste” of designer chocolate – something I permitted myself to…