The city of Lucca has always been my favourite. Not only because it is only 25 minutes away from our home and I go there at least two or three times a week, but also because you do not feel like a "tourist" there.
Gala Placidia's activity
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In this icy cold weather, hot drinks and comfort foods are a must. Preparing and consuming them are good ways to spend time when we cannot venture outdoors.
Wed, 02/08/2012 - 06:10
The cold weather is affecting most of Italy and creating difficulties concerning energy supplies. Russia, the most important supplier, has been reducing the provision of gas up to 30% due to increasing demand in their area.
Tue, 02/07/2012 - 02:22
The San Francisco Chronicle publishes today this most interesting article:http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/
Sun, 02/05/2012 - 12:45
Whenever we are in Italy, we love to visit antique and vintage markets and fairs, looking for that special piece that we would love to have. Sometimes, we find it...
Wed, 02/01/2012 - 02:47
One of my favourite activities in Italy is to visit those markets that sell antique and vintage items.
Tue, 01/31/2012 - 06:38
Some members may have noticed that I have been fairly quiet for the past month and a half. The reason for this was that we have been visiting our daughters who live in San Francisco (CA).
Fri, 01/20/2012 - 02:59
The new Italian government has been announced and it is obvious that we will have a fight between technocrats and politicians.
Wed, 11/16/2011 - 14:24
A lot has been written about the dangers of overheating Teflon coated cookware. Toxic fumes can be extremely dangerous for our health. Personally, I have never liked that type of cookware and I do not buy it anymore.
Sat, 10/29/2011 - 06:24
In another thread, we were discussing Tuscan herbs and "funghi porcini". Tuscany is a paradise for herb lovers and many varieties, such as rosemary, sage and "nipitella" grow wild.
Thu, 10/27/2011 - 11:23
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Welcome to the Community. Enjoy!
Caritas works locally, helping people in need, the elderly and immigrants. It is run by the Catholic Church. Contact any parish church for information.
Bologna´s real estate prices are normally high and I agree with Sebastiano that you may get more of a difference in some rural areas. It all depends on the property and its location. Compare prices with other townhomes for sale in the area.
Another interesting sauce also from Liguria is "Salsa di Noci" or Walnut and Pine Nut Sauce. Goes beautifully with pasta.INGREDIENTS:20 large walnuts, blanched and peeled and then chopped50 gof Pine Nuts1 garlic clove minced1 bunch of parsley chopped1 carton of fresh cream (250 g)salt and pepper to tastefreshly grated parmesan cheesemelted butterPREPARATION:Mix the nuts, garlic and parsley. Add the fresh cream very slowly. Season with salt and pepper.Serve with freshly cooked pasta tossed with the melted butter and the parmesan cheese and add the nut sauce on top.Enjoy!
Hi Debora and welcome. It is great to investigate your family origin.
As Adriatica mentions, Timballo is another resourceful dish in Italian cuisine. As it is the case with lasagne, there can be as many versions as cooks and they can be fairly simple or highly elaborated ones. In my opinion, the most memorable version is from Sicily and it is portrayed in Luchino Visconti´s film "Il Gattopardo", based in the award winning novel by Prince Lampedusa. It is a mixture between a timballo and a pie, with a variety of fillings and sauces and it includes truffles and penne rigatte and many spices. All encased in a puff pastry base. A fabulous festive dish with a great presentation, but the word "Moderation" does not apply. Each mouthful will be about 5,000,000 calories.....
Moderation is the key word and it is true that a glass of wine with your meals has excellent therapeutic effects. Many doctors are in favour of a moderate consumption of red wine in particular.Very interesting article.
If you can´t get beyond the small seedlng stage, I would buy a mature next time. Transplant it into a large terracotta pot with good quality soil and choose a warm, sunny spot. Keep the soil moist and see how it goes. Keep on cutting the young shoots to try to make it as bushy as possible. And see how it goes. The location may be a problem, make sure that the plant gets at least 6 to 8 hours of full sunshine. And experiment during the warmer season. Basil hates cold weather!Good luck!
Obviously, the best lasagne sheets are the ones that are homemade; however, Barilla makes quite a good "Lasagne all´uovo" , in their "La Collezione" selection, which does not need pre-cooking, a real blessing. A few tips, though, to get the best results:1.- As Paola says, start with a generous layer of béchamel, besciamella or white sauce. I always do this, but particularly if I am using this type of pasta.2.- Try to find a baking dish which will hold a certain number of sheets without having to break them into pieces.3.- Prepare the dish at least half an hour before you bake it as this will allow the lasagne sheets to absorb some of the sauce.4.- You can freeze any leftovers or you can bake two lasagne at the same time and freeze one. Very handy to have in the freezer.Basically, you can create your own favourite lasagne according to your personal taste. Experiment with fillings and do not forget that herbs and spices are the ones that make a big difference. Good cheese or using different varieties of cheese can also add to the dish. And do not forget a pinch of nutmeg for the white sauce.Happy cooking!
Basil is relatively easy to grow providing you have the right spot for it (sunny and frost free), you keep it well watered and you pinch the tops to encourage new growth. Do not allow it to bloom so that the leaves get all the strength. You can propagate it from seed, seedlings and even cuttings.