Gala Placidia's activity

Questions Asked

We all have cooking tips and techniques learnt through personal experience or because someone else was kind enough to tell us.

Tue, 08/04/2009 - 05:07

 A fairly comprehensive list of words related to food and wine has been prepared by a few of us. It still needs revision, corrections, additions and you may be able to help as it is a Wiki.

Tue, 06/30/2009 - 04:31

 It is official, the old Casino in Bagni di Lucca is reopening its doors after many years; however, it is going to be a modern version, more "little Las Vegas" style than its elegant and exclusive predecessor.

Mon, 06/29/2009 - 09:04

A few weeks ago I started a thread in the old forum about this topic. I still think that it would be great if we could all share our favourite recipes which our families and friends enjoy.

Fri, 06/19/2009 - 05:29

 I think that there are quite a few members who have married overseas an Italian citizen; however, I am not quite certain whether they have registered their certificate of marriage before the nearest Italian Consulate.It is advisable to do this an

Tue, 06/16/2009 - 03:43

 It is most important, if you own a property, to have a clear description for it. That is possible through the "visura catastale" which gives you and confirms many facts regarding your title.

Sun, 06/14/2009 - 05:21

 Polenta is one of those Italian dishes that you either love or hate. Considered in the past as the poor people's staple diet it is nowadays served in the best restaurants. 

Sat, 06/13/2009 - 17:53

I have just seen on TV some images regarding the Treviso tornado. I sincerely hope that any members in the area have not suffered from this disaster.  

Sun, 06/07/2009 - 16:44

 The base for many Italian sauces and dishes is the "soffritto" (sofrit in French, sofrito in Spanish), a mixture of some diced vegetables which are cooked in a heavy pan with three tablespoons of olive oil (although some other kinds of oil and fa

Sat, 06/06/2009 - 05:37

 Hi everyone, this is a warm invitation to joint this group and discuss Italian food, wine, regional cooking, recipes, tips, cooking utensils, history of cooking and any related subject you may wish to talk about.And welcome, Mimosa, glad to see t

Fri, 06/05/2009 - 08:28

Comments posted

Sat, 11/06/2010 - 15:31

A beautiful, inspiring story. Thank you for sharing it with us.

Fri, 11/05/2010 - 06:05

Great blog, Phil. Next time, have the fig paste with Peccorino Toscano. It is also fantastic with quince paste. From time to time, Lidl has a Thai week and you can buy a small amount of ingredients there. Definitely not the same thing as shopping for Oriental spices in the East, or the USA, or Australia. But not bad at all.

Mon, 11/01/2010 - 05:24

A Forum - or community - with 2735 members cannot be dead. There are cycles in every forum. Personally, I have been away travelling for over a month and when I am not home I very rarely check what goes on. Dead? No!!! Asleep? Maybe... Time to wake up!

Answer to: Renovation
Mon, 11/01/2010 - 05:15

This is not an easy question and there is no easy answer. I would say that you need to know what you are doing and you endeavour to keep renovation costs within reasonable limits; otherwise, you end up with a "white elephant". But most important, it also depends on the initial price you pay for the property and how much those renovations increase its price. Good luck with your project!

Answer to: Kitchen worktops
Sun, 10/24/2010 - 15:30

We had a marble benchtop with grooves for drainage into the sink  installed in our new kitchen and I am delighted with it.

Thu, 10/21/2010 - 05:18

Welcome back and good luck with all your projects. We all look forward to hearing from you.

Answer to: Introduction.
Wed, 10/13/2010 - 04:26

Hello and welcome to the Community. Perhaps some of our Abruzzo members will be able to help you with your question. Good luck and best wishes!

Tue, 10/12/2010 - 08:27

Hello neighbours, Lucy and Dennis. You have chosen a beautiful spot to live. We know!!! Regarding residency, as it has been said, with a German passport it is relatively easy to obtain residency in Italy, providing you show that you have property and enough money to survive (it is not a large amount). If you are under the age of 65, you must show proof of private health insurance. Over the age of 65, you must have your German Health Insurance entitlements transferred to Italy, which could be a bit of a complication if you do not reside in Germany. Check with the nearest German Consulate. In Lucy's case, you can obtain residency as a wife of EU citizen. We are in a similar situation, I have Spanish nationality and my husband is Australian; however, you are right about the problems that may arise in the event of the early death of the EU citizen. Generally, authorities will be willing to grant permanent residency to the spouse; however, I think it may be easier if Lucy takes up the German nationality as the spouse of a German national. It would not be necessary to relinquish the US citizenship as I believe that the US accepts nowadays dual nationality without problems. My husband is taking up the Spanish nationality to avoid any future paperwork. I would contact both the Italian and German consulates and check with them. I do not think that Council at Bagni di Lucca will be prepared to handle a similar situation. Best luck with your plans!

Answer to: Hello Everybody
Mon, 09/06/2010 - 11:45

Hello Flip and welcome. Winter in Tuscany depends on the particular area where you will be living and there are lots of microclimates. Altitude also is very relevant. Best wishes regarding your future plans.

Sun, 09/05/2010 - 10:10

It is certainly a huge project, but I am sure that it will be a very rewarding one. The scenery is really superb. Best wishes