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. Andrew Cotto's Cucina series Cucina Tipica is the first book in the Cucina series about Jacoby Pines who travels...
Food & Wine
A Food Guide to Le Marche Region - Episode 52
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. Le...
Puglia Stories - Podcast Episode 50
Holly Grabow has been charming me for years with her delightful Puglia Stories mostly centered around the ordinary life of her wonderful in-laws. About Holly Grabow Holly moved to Italy as a young woman and has been living here for almost 3 decades. She started off her Italian life in Gioia del Colle in Puglia...
The Valtènesi in the Lake Garda wine region, the Conti Thun winery and two local grapes - Podcast Episode 49
Today I chatted with the fabulous sommelier, Cynthia Chaplin, about the Valtènesi in the Lake Garda wine region, the Conti Thun Winery and two unusual local grapes: groppello and marzemino. About Cynthia Chaplin, Sommelier Cynthia refers to herself as a passionate Italian wine professional, educator, writer, presenter, translator and judge. She sees herself as spreading...
Chewing the Fat - Podcast Episodes 46 and 47
Chewing the Fat, an Oral History of Italian Foodways from Fascism to Dolce Vitaby Karima Moyer-Nocchi 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...
Umami in Italian Cuisine - Podcast Episode 45
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, aged Parmesan cheese, tomatoes. History of umami in culinary culture Umami has been a major factor in cuisine worldwide for many centuries although it was only given a...
Buffalo Mozzarella Cheese - Episode 44
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. Buffalo mozzarella is typically made into round shapes often weighing 1 kg each. Sometimes...
Cristina Bowerman, Michelin Star Chef Glass Hosteria - Episodes 42 & 43
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 the Michelin...
Rimessa Roscioli and the Wine Club - Podcast Episode 41
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...
Traditional Italian Christmas Cookies and Holiday Desserts - Podcast Episode 40
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. Almost every single town and region throughout Italy has fabulous holiday recipes and many of these have been adapted by Italian Americans and Italian...
Holiday Gift Guide for the Chef & Passionate Home Cook - Podcast Episode 39
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. (Check out all the links throughout this post!)In this podcast episode Michele Di Pietro and I chat about the...
Soupified: Ditch the Dish and Embrace the Bowl - Podcast Episode 38
It's time to ditch the dish and embrace the bowl: your favorite dishes soupified! When winter rolls around most of us are heavily into soups; how many times have you wished that all your favorite dishes were just a soup?Look no further because Michele Di Pietro in her new Soupified cookbook has you covered. She’s...