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 […]
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 […]
Join resident chef Mario Matassa as he shows us how to make perfect panna cotta with step by step instructions! In Italy, panna cotta, like tiramisù, zabaglione and budino, falls within that category of dessert known as dolci al cucchiaio – desserts that are to be eaten with a spoon. Very little is known about […]
Join resident chef Mario Matassa as he shows us how to make perfect focaccia with step by step instructions! To say that Italians take their focaccia very seriously would be a simple understatement. Once, a dentist friend asked me if I’d like to take a quick drive with him as he had a hankering […]
There are so many incredible Italian breads to choose from, it can be overwhelming! Learn more about some of our favourite kinds of bread in this guide of 5 Italian breads to try in 2021… Images © iStock unless otherwise stated 1. Focaccia Focaccia is popular all over the world. Oven-baked, its name comes from […]
Julia Kolbert tells the little-known story of Tiramisù: The Perfect Italian Pandemic Pick-Me-Up For all the extolling of their Mediterranean diet, the Italians do have a decidedly sweet tooth, especially at breakfast time. All those buttery brioches filled with jam, and their predilection for cake, Nutella and sugar-laden coffee are too much for this […]
Italy’s cheeses are famed throughout the world – and with good reason! Here are our top five… which is your favourite?! Photos by iStock/ Getty Images 1 Parmigiano-Reggiano, the undisputed king of Italian cheeses (above), comes from a designated area around Modena, Parma and Reggio Emilia, and is a grana, or hard cheese, with a nutty, […]
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 […]