Cinque Terre is pretty as a picture, but a colourful coast and stunning scenery aren’t the only things offered by these vibrant seaside villages. Discover five delicious reasons to visit Cinque Terre… 1. Luscious lemons One sight you can’t fail to notice throughout the rugged terrain of Cinque Terre is the many lemon trees that […]
We go behind the scenes of an Italian Christmas with Mario Matassa as he explores the rich and austere festive food and traditions of Italy… To describe a celebration of food as both ‘rich and austere’ might seem something of a contradiction. Yet I can think of no more apt a description of this, the […]
Get the family together and bring the flavours of Italy right to your table with Mario Matassa In a country that loves and lives to eat well and, as a general rule, adheres to the principle of eating seasonally, it should come as no surprise that for many Italians spring is the most anticipated time […]
Pan-fried salmon recipe with toasted pistachio and lemon butter – Salmone con pistacchi tostati e burro al limone This dish is simple and takes moments to prepare. Make sure the salmon is fresh and from a sustainable source. It is best served with a light spring salad. I used spinach with grated baby carrots and […]
Spring pasta – A Pasta primavera recipe Pasta primavera is a prime example of the principles of Italian cuisine. Pasta, being the most versatile of Italian staples, is well matched to any occasion. Here it is given a spring dressing. I’ve used asparagus, peas and baby leaf spinach but the options are practically endless. Artichokes, […]
A recipe for ‘Cheat’s’ Mimosa cake – Torta primavera ‘furba’ By Mario Matassa This cake is an amalgamation of two cakes synonymous with the season: Mimosa and Colomba (which means ‘dove’). Mimosa cake first made an appearance to mark International Women’s Day on the 8th of March (Festa della Donna in Italy). It’s so called […]
Recipe by Lello Palomba with recipe image taken by David Loftus. For more information visit here. Cantabrian Anchovy pasta with red pepper pesto Anchovies pack a flavour punch in any dish and none more so than the ones from the MSC certified Cantabrian fishery in Spain. These tasty and sustainably sourced little fish will keep […]
Join resident chef Mario Matassa as he shows us how to make perfect struffoli with step by step instructions! These little balls of sweet dough, golden fried and coated in honey, are one of the most characteristic and anticipated of the Neapolitan desserts. During the festive season, no table would seem complete without a centrepiece […]
Join resident chef Mario Matassa as he shows us how to make perfect tagliatelle with step by step instructions! When I first moved to Italy, many years ago now, I quickly realised that there was one sure-fire strategy for ingratiating myself with my new neighbours: learn how to make a decent plate of fresh egg […]
Mary Novakovich visited Calabria and discovered the full extent of the locals’ passion for peperoncino in a region of Italy where the love of this fiery fruit reigns supreme. Images by Adam Batterbee unless otherwise stated Of the colours of the Tricolore, red is the one that best sums up Calabria. Not through any political […]