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

Answer to: geco
Thu, 07/16/2009 - 03:20

Plenty of them around our house in Bagni di Lucca. As we are on the river, I think that there is plenty of wildlife to observe, including some weasels.  

Answer to: Bouganvillea
Wed, 07/15/2009 - 13:30

 Frost and altitude may be a problem, but the Purple Bougainvillea (Bougainvillea magnifica traillii or B. glabra) is quite hardy. And you are right, I've seen them growing in Granada (Spain) at 800 m altitude, so I think that it could survive. I have also seen a few growing around Bagni di Lucca (LU) and they looked great. I would give it a go. Just let us know how it works.

Tue, 07/14/2009 - 12:30

Hi Conrad and welcome. Enjoy your search for the perfect place. That will be a difficult one.And keep us posted about your progress.Best wishes 

Tue, 07/14/2009 - 05:32

 I have been thinking about the problem and, jokes apart....very funny Gerbillo, sometimes severe hailstorms can trigger a fungus or bacterial infection in plants and trees. Hailstorm damage is easy to detect but an infection is more complicated. There are some excellent copper based treatments. Talk to the garden centre people particularly if you see the leaves turning yellow or brown and falling.Best luck!

Tue, 07/14/2009 - 05:16

No problems here and the new group is appearing. I joined it. See you there. 

Mon, 07/13/2009 - 16:44

 We have at least a couple of weasels in our watermill in Northern Tuscany. A friend of us who knows a lot about wildlife identified them. No problems with them up to now....

Mon, 07/13/2009 - 16:36

Are the leaves falling off? Are the spots just plain brown or are the leaves loosing their colour and becoming yellow? If they don't I would not be too worried. Take a couple of the affected leaves to the garden centre if you notice any of those signs. It could be a fungus and they will be able to give you a treatment.

Answer to: Piacere!
Mon, 07/13/2009 - 03:33

 Hello Chris and Jacqueline and welcome to the Community. I trust that somebody will be able to give you accurate information about the state of the roadworks as a 4 hour detour in summer is no fun at all.Enjoy the concert and the holidays!

Sat, 07/11/2009 - 16:04

I am not so sure about that mention. To me, it sounds as if that particular passport is only valid within the EU and to transit through non EU countries (i.e. Switzerland). Just check its validity as the US Immigration is not easy to deal with if something is wrong. I have checked my EU passport (Spanish) and there is no restriction or mention regarding the countries it is valid for. 

Answer to: myabruzzohome
Sat, 07/11/2009 - 15:49

Great to see you here, myabruzzohome.