Leicestershire-based Debora and Chris Everard own a one-tenth share of a large, luxurious farmhouse in Le Marche. They have the run of the whole property for five weeks a year, and have no complaints about their experience of fractional ownership… “We’d never heard of fractional ownership before we read an article in a lifestyle magazine,” […]
The Scuola del Cuoio shares the secrets of leather making with students from all over the world, turning them into skilled artisans… Picture a 13th-century Franciscan monastery right behind the basilica of Santa Croce in Florence. There, under imposing brick vaults, a small number of international students are learning the techniques of leather making. Welcome […]
Jessica Haden lives in the idyllic countryside near Siena as Education Director for Spannocchia, a farm bringing the ancient breed of Cinta Senese pigs back to the market… How did you end up living on the Spannocchia farm? A few years ago, my love of Italy and food lead me to Slow Food’s University of […]
We review a book on learning how to make authentic Italian fodder, a new pasta cookbook by Gino D’Acampo and two new releases from young fiction writers… Pizza Pilgrims: Recipes from the Backstreets of Italy by James and Thom Elliot, HarperCollins, £20 (hardback) This is the story of James and Thom Elliot, two brothers who […]
The Marketing Manager of De’Longhi UK explains the difference between the main coffee beans, and which one is best… A ROBUST ARGUMENT Q. There has been much debate as to which type of coffee is the best; arabica or robusta. The general consensus seems to be that arabica is far superior. Can you tell us […]
Artist Alan Reed talks about what particularly attracted him to Italy and why he chooses it more than any other country for his paintings… THE ARTIST’S ADVENTURE Q. You have chosen different settings around the world for your paintings. As an artist, what is it that particularly attracted you to Italy? A. It was my […]
With such a multitude of classic pestos adorning the supermarket shelves, it’s important to choose the best for your store cupboard. Here are our favourites… Simple and versatile, the humble jar of pesto is a staple ingredient of Italian cooking. It originated in Genoa, the capital city of Liguria in northern Italy, and has since […]
Guanciale is a Roman speciality of cured, peppered pig’s jowl. James Gingell tells us how to use it in everyday cooking… There are eight cuts taken from in Lazio. Originally a dish claimed and a pig, and guanciale is one that celebrated by the Abruzzesi, it was ‘stolen’ the Italians do particularly well. by the […]
Decaying, flood-prone, overcrowded and expensive, Venice still manages to be the world’s most beautiful city. Perhaps even lovelier in gloom than sun, this is the capital of paradoxes, says Fleur Kinson… Coming in to land, the aeroplane window frames views of a sodden, misty-grey landscape that fragments into the Adriatic Sea. It’s a world half […]
Emilia-Romagna has a reputation for food which is unsurpassed in all of Italy. Mario Matassa looks at the excellent produce that comes from Parma, with plenty of ideas on how best to enjoy its famous prosciutto… The range and quality of products that stem from the region of Emilia-Romagna is staggering and it is little […]