Meet Paolo Arrigo

Paolo Arrigo

Christine Smallwood meets up with Paolo Arrigo and finds out about his deep-rooted connection with the soil Photos courtesy of Paolo Arrigo   Last spring I rediscovered a book that has been on my shelf for a decade. As I planted some veg seeds in my garden for the first time, From Seed to Plate […]

Stuffed chicken thighs (coscie di pollo ripiene)

chicken - pollo

In this recipe Mario Matassa has used chicken thighs, but if you prefer white meat, you can opt for whole chicken breast (just remember to keep the skin on) Serves 4 Preparation time 15 minutes Barbecuing time 25 minutes Ingredients: • 8 tbsp fresh breadcrumbs • 8 tbsp grated Parmesan • 2 tbsp finely diced cooked ham […]

Squid with chilli and lemon sauce

squid calamari

Mario Matassa shares his technique for cooking squid (calamari) on the barbecue – a real showstopper for seafood lovers Serves 4 Preparation time 15 minutes Barbecuing time 3 minutes Ingredients: • 1-2 fresh hot red chillies (depending on how hot you like it) • 1 tbsp sun-dried tomato paste • 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil • juice […]

Grilled vegetables with couscous

grilled vegetables with couscous

Mario Matassa shares a recipe for grilled vegetables with couscous (couscous con verdure grigliate) – a perfect complement to any barbecue Serves 4-6 Preparation time 10 minutes Barbecuing time 10 minutes Ingredients: • 2 courgettes, sliced lengthways • 1 red pepper, core and seeds removed, sliced • 1 yellow pepper, core and seeds removed, sliced • […]

Sirloin steak (tagliata) with home-made salsa

sirloin steak

Mario Matassa’s sirloin steak with tomato, red onion and caper relish is sure to become a firm favourite recipe for your barbecue… Serves 2 Preparation time 10 minutes Barbecuing time 7-10 minutes Ingredients: • 1 large tomato, finely diced • 1 small red onion, peeled, finely diced • 1 tbsp capers • 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil […]

Polpettine di tacchino (turkey meatballs)

polpettine

Meatballs (polpettine) are generally fried in a pan, but they can also work on the grill if you ensure that they remain moist, says Mario Matassa Serves 4 Preparation time 15 minutes Barbecuing time 15 minutes Ingredients: • 2 thick slices of day-old rustic bread • 100ml milk • 400g turkey breast mince • 4 limes […]

A taste of Italy: the barbecue

sirloin steak

The start of summer means one thing – it’s barbecue time! This month Mario Matassa shares some classic Italian recipes for la grigliata Barbecue food photos by Mario Matassa Nothing stirs the appetite quite like the aroma of a good barbecue on a summer’s evening. Italians first take to their grills from late June and […]

Puglia dining & accommodation guide

octopus ceviche

Adrian Mourby shares some of his favourite places to eat in Puglia, plus places to stay with a focus on local gastronomy… Puglia photos by Kate Tadman Mourby  Where to eat Gran Bar Pugliese This superb café and fish restaurant sits on an old harbourside just 15 minutes from Bari Airport. Ideal for a first […]

Drink Italia! summer rosé wines

rosé wine

The perfect complement to a clear blue sky, we take a look at some of Italy’s best rosé wines, with something special to suit every budget With rosé, as with red and white, Italy has a large variety of wines, and their respective styles vary tremendously, reflecting the diversity of grape variety, soil type, climate […]

How to do a foodie tour of Venice

bacarando in corte dell Orso

Sara Scarpa shares her tips for taking in Venice’s gastronomic highlights like a local, and finding the very best places to eat and drink in the city… Photos by Iain Reid In her article Giro d’ombre: a cicchetti and wine tour of Venice Sara Scarpa shares the Venetian version of the pub crawl with us. This […]