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
Questions Asked
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
Comments posted
Great information, Paola. Thanks.
Your question is a difficult one, as there is not such a thing as a "typical" or "genuine" lasagne. Every region and I would go as far as saying that every cook in Italy has a different version, all of them delicious. It is a matter of personal taste. Perhaps, we could say that the basic recipe is made of alternate layers of white sauce, lasagna sheets, ragú (and here you can have a great variety of sauces) finishing the layers with a mixture of white and tomato sauces and plenty of grated parmesan cheese.... but then.... my own recipe alternate layers of a a very rich ragú with onion, garlic, minced veal, sliced mushrooms, strips of oven roasted red capsicum and tomato, with another filling being a mixture of white sauce, ricotta and chopped spinach. I also make a very nice one using seafood instead of meat.They say that the origin of the lasagne is a dish called "princigrassi",which means "fat princes", as they were the only ones who could afford it. The modern version is a dish called "Vincigrassi" from Le Marche. The name was changed to honour the Austrian commander, Count Windischgraetz, who was a fan of this particular dish. The "ragú" used for this dish is a mixture of onion, minced beef, prosciutto or bacon, white wine, sweetbreads and tomatoes, all heavily spiced.If you are interested in Italian cooking, you are welcome to join our group "Il Buongustaio" Circle. Everyone is welcome.
Hello, Italianirish and welcome to the Community. Do you have any Italian ancestry or do you just love the country? Enjoy the Community.
Hi and welcome Gianna. I am sure that you will enjoy the Community. We look forward to hearing more from you. Do you still have relatives in Italy that you visit?
Hello John and Toni and welcome to the Community. A lovely story. Best wishes regarding your future plans.
Perhaps we should start a Wiki with names and addresses of useful tradespeople and professionals in the area. What do you think?
Sound advice by Adriatica and Gerbillo. What we could describe as "finishes" is the most expensive part of the final costs. Always make allowances for double the money and treble the times. Then you should be safe....
Hello Jasper and a warm welcome. Best wishes regarding all your plans.
Hello and welcome, although I must say that this is the shortest introduction I have ever seen. Tell us more about yourself, please.
Hi Browndog and welcome to the community. You are right, residency requires 183 days in the country (half of 366 days which is the maximum in a year). As for purchasing a car, there is plenty of information on the subject. Do a search here and also in the old forum at www.italymag.co.uk/forumsBest wishes regarding all your plans.