We all have cooking tips and techniques learnt through personal experience or because someone else was kind enough to tell us.
Gala Placidia's activity
Questions Asked
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
You can also, clean them as explained, dip them in flour, then in some beaten egg and lastly dust with breadcrumbs. Fry in plenty of olive oil and serve with lemon juice. A nice white wine goes very well with this.
You are right, the fleur-de-lis or iris has always been the heraldic emblem of Florence. This is the reason why the have the best collection of irises in the world. They say that a long time ago, irises used to grow wild around the ramparts of Florence and this is the reason why they chose it as their emblem. Some of the varieties that they have in the gardens are very rare.
With altitude, you will have some limitations regarding the type of fruit you can grow. Also, generally speaking, the trees and the fruit are smaller in size than in lower altitudes. Then, there are other factors, such as microclimates, which occur in the area. I know that in Bagni di Lucca we have a microclimate that creates milder summer and winters. Fruits that should still grow in that altitude may include cherries, apples and a variety of nuts, mainly chestnuts. Certain varieties of vine can also be grown. The best thing would be to ask around the area and check which kind of trees and plants the neighbours grow. Good luck!
Same problem here...
I think that it would not be a problem to have them together.... as long as none of the plants are infected by the toxin. There is no guarantee, as the problem may come from a neighbour's vegetable garden and it spreads through pollination. As everything to do with gardening or growing vegetables... you need a crystal ball.....
Did you taste the courgettes before blanching them? Were they slightly bitter? Did you notice that same taste if you sauteed them with oil and garlic? Zucchini have some natural toxins called "cucurbaticins" which give a bitter taste, sometimes very strong. This can spread through pollination to other garden vegetables, particularly squash or cucumbers. Perhaps, it is not your plants but they got the toxin also because of pollination. This happens to homegrown zucchinis. Commercial varieties are treated.
Great explanation, Allan, I did not think of that, but it makes a lot of sense. The mystery of the non-sprouting sweet potato is solved! I would replace the old sweet potato by one that has been organically grown. God knows what those sprays can do to the poor thing! Dylano may end up with a mutant.
Well Dylano, it must be a mystery as you have done all the right things... Simply, the sweet potato does not want to cooperate..... which is rather strange.
Buona Pasqua and best wishes.
If you do not know what to cook for an Easter lunch and you want to prepare something typically Italian, have a look at the "Torta Pasqualina" recipe in this thread. It is not difficult and the results are spectacular.