On summer mornings, right after sunrise, there is a very surreal and peaceful lapse of time, usually about an hour or less, between the first Sun beams hitting the fields,…

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My friend Anthony Bourdain used to say: “When you travel, always try to skip airplane meals, only a few things are as exciting as arriving hungry in a new place”….

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If you were to travel through Tuscany the first bruschetta you would ever encounter would be consisting of a slice of unsalted bread, untoasted, and a finely chopped tomatoe salad…

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We know this is supposed to be an appetizer, but it is also fantastic as a light supper.  We strongly recommend opening a nice bottle of Chianti, use it in…

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Like many other good discoveries, we created this recipe by accident.  Cleaning out the fridge of leftovers, we made these as a snack, and now it’s a favorite. A grating…

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Here’s a free art history lesson to go with a wonderful salad. The original version of carpaccio, paper-thin slices of beef drizzled with a pale mayonnaise, has been on the…

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My father taught to cook three things: meat on the fire, beer fritters and Mozzarella in Carrozza. You could say this is the Italian version of the grilled cheese sandwich; a…

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A shepherd used to live on my family’s farm in Tuscany and herd his sheep in our pasteur. My grandfather, a man ahead of the times, never charged the shepherd…

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Shredded vegetable salad (aka slaw) is not very well known in Italy. The first time I had Southern- style pulled pork here in the US, it was served with coleslaw, and…

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Since I was growing up I enjoyed eating “crudo”; both land and sea can offer flavors that sometimes are best if consumed uncooked. My father and I used to slice thin…

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When traveling in Tennessee, we were struck by the similarity between the local country ham and Italian prosciutto. Both are sweet, salty, and silky at the same time. I only…

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We have great memories of al fresco meals, both in the Tuscan countryside and in our Brooklyn back- yard. But this particular combination of simple lentils and creamy burrata is…

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This recipe is straight out of my grandmother hand-written book. Since forever she has kept a very elegant and petit hard cover book by her stove, some recipes have been…

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Summer at times is tricky! It’s the perfect time of the year to entertain, throw parties, hang by the pool… relax. At the same time you do not want to…

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When summer finally hits my farm in Tuscany, a dramatic  change occurs in the way my mom runs her kitchen. It’s not really a matter of ingredients, but a whole around…

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As the warmer season approaches, so do the opportunities to spend time with friends and entertain! What will you serve in your backyard this summer? This recipe is perfect as…

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While growing up this recipe has always been one of my favorites. Straight out of Nonna Lola’s kitchen, this dish encompasses everything that a family meal is about: comfort, happiness,…

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There is something very special about the Italian Summer and the profound attachment we have to our local seafood… I remember being woken up at the crack of dawn by…

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I have created this recipe a few years back when developing the menus for The Montauk Yacht Club in Long Island NY. It was my very first culinary consulting job…

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Pizza is the perfect template for being creative with food. You can pretty much put anything you want on the dough, sweet or savory, bake it and at the very…

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Octopus is one of those ingredients that’s present in the Mediterranean diet wherever you go. In Italy, during the summer, it’s really easy to find octopus salads or pasta with…

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Unsalted Tuscan bread is unsalted because in Tuscany we love food that has a lot of flavor and the tapenade is the perfect example of a condiment that has a…

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These are the flowers that grow off  the zucchini. Ever since I can remember this was a favorite Summer dish growing up. I clearly remember going to the vegetable store…

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Italian cuisine thrives on appetizers. Whenever you have family events, dine out or on any special occasion the appetizer is essential in gathering the family to the table and starting…

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Artichokes, along with beets and mushrooms represent for me a moment of growth for my palate. I still remember clearly (you know those memories you cannot shake off) my parents…

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Farro salad is a stable of any given Italian summer. Its freshness and lightness are perfect for a picnic or an evening appetizer, especially and if you happen to have…

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When I started posting videos on Youtube a few years ago I never thought it could have brought me this far… I just got back from a very intense three-days-food-marathon…

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Renato was my grandfather, the one that I inherited the farm from. When I was a kid, we used to drive his car through the fields. It was one of…

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When you think about appetizers, you really don’t have to go to extreme lengths. Simple ingredients are always the best, keep that in mind. Fresh honey that comes from somebody…

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Artichokes are a wonderful vegetable. I am flabbergasted by the size of the gigantic artichokes that I can find here in the states. A few years ago I was finally…

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I’d never made fresh cheese until last year. Now that I have kids I am prone to try new things that aren’t just kitchen things, but can be fun for…

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Frittata is a wonderful snack in Italy which is used for an appetizer, for breakfast or whatever. It’s mostly used to recycle  any leftover you’ve got in the fridge like…

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Fava beans are one of the most common ways that Spring gets celebrated in Tuscany… A handful of fresh raw beans, a chunk of salty pecorino cheese and a glass…

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This is our first bruschetta. In Italy, by definition, a bruschetta is a flame toasted thick slice of bread dressed with any kind of sauce, topped with Extra Virgin Olive…

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Let’s not indulge in conversation, here’s a new recipe that deserves and demands your full attention… This one “has to be scheduled”; so, crack out your device, punch in your…

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It is summer, it is hot, it is still! Today we decided not to cook and whipped out a quick tuna salad that made a perfect date lunch by the…

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Today’s lunch could have easily been a mid-August family feast. The kitchen filled up with wonderful smell of roasted peppers, and both Debi and I have been transported somewhere else……

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Today, for the very first time, we will be cooking with butter instead of olive oil. This succulent and kids friendly dish comes again from my grandmother’s kitchen; it is…

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This is possibly our most used sauce in the kitchen. Not only it truly represents a staple pasta sauce throughout Italy but it also serves as a simple base for…

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