Meascia, a type of bread cake, was a staple of cucina povera – an inexpensive way to make dessert using whatever was in the store cupboard. Mario Matassa shows us how to make it I’ve used apples from the nearby Valtellina in this version of meascia, but it can also be made with pears and you […]
Mario Matassa brings us this trout dish, known in Italian as filetti di trota con pesto di olive e capperi – make it tonight! Lake fish, like trout, naturally features strongly in the cuisine around the lakes. It was once a staple but overfishing was such that, for a time, other sources of fresh fish […]
This gnocchi dish originates from the Como area, and uses a local taleggio cheese, which combines with the tomato and pancetta to make a flavourful sauce, says Mario Matassa There is a long tradition around the Italian lakes of making homemade gnocchi – this dish is an easy way to recreate the flavours of the […]
Bresaola is air-cured beef fillet, which works well in a salad because the olive oil moistens the cured beef. Mario Matassa shares his recipe here… Bresaola comes from the Valtellina and the Valchiavenna in Lombardy. This is an easy and delicious recipe to try, but be sure to serve your bresaola salad soon after it […]
Fresh fish from the waters and other produce from the mountains are the staples of traditional cooking on the Italian lakes, as Mario Matassa explains Understand the landscape of the Italian lakes and you understand the food. The waters of Lake Como cover 60 square miles to a depth of 1,300 feet, so freshwater […]
Start the new year right with our gallery of photos from January’s reader photo competition. Which one do you like best? This month’s winner: “I took this on a foggy morning in February. It’s just by the Rialto market in Venice, just as the city was waking up and before the tourist hordes arrived.” by […]
In the heart of the Venetian lagoon lies a private island that has long been a mystery, but after years of renovation Isola Santa Caterina is now an eco-friendly luxury retreat Photos courtesy of Isola Santa Caterina Settled in the fifth century as part of a group of garden islands known as Ammiana, Santa […]
Camilla Purdon discovers the secret world of the Venetian lagoon with a culinary cruise on board one of the region’s last historic fishing vessels. Photos by Camilla Purdon unless otherwise stated I’m standing on the deck of Eolo, one of Venice’s last historic fishing boats, looking out across the limpid green waters of the […]
An old hay barn that has been transformed into a beautiful villa. Well maintained garden with view of the Monte Sibillini, the Marchigiani hills and the Gran Sasso in Abruzzo, and an outdoors terrace from which to enjoy the views. The infinity swimming pool measures 4x14m. On the ground floor there is the kitchen and […]
Restored stone farmhouse in a panoramic hillside location in Umbria. Original features and all the comforts of a modern home thanks to an anti-seismic restoration and thermal insulation. Surrounded by a garden for a total land area of 1.2 hectares. All the tranquility of the countryside yet not isolated. First floor: large, bright living area […]