To an American, carrot cake means a rich spiced cake frosted with super-sweet cream cheese icing. But to a Tuscan, this moist cake has no spices at all. In fact,…

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Nutella is the chocolate and hazelnut spread that is on almost every Italian’s short list of favorite indulgences. It is typically spread on bread as an afternoon snack with a…

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Like all boys, I had more than one favorite dessert. But there was something about my family’s chocolate salami that was fascinating because of its trompe l’oeil appearance—it looks just…

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My grandmother Lola used to bribe my brother and I with this recipe: “First do some chores, then I’ll make you dessert”. Her recipe was a little more straight forward…

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Panna Cotta is that kind of dessert that you would expect in any Italian restaurant, it is a staple, a must, something that screams from the menu: “We are Italians…

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You could get lost browsing a display window of a Tuscan bakery; we surely have a sweet tooth, and aside from real pastry shops, most bars in Italy always carry a…

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Something happened to almost all my cake recipes after I had children: they were turned into muffin recipes. I remember spending my Sundays as a kid in my grandmother kitchen,…

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Pandoro is a traditional cake that appears on every family’s table during the Christmas Holidays and delivers a bountiful of sugar and butter to underscore everybody’s celebratory mood! It has been…

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It does not matter how in advance or how well you try to plan some Holiday playtime for your children, you eventually will have to brake out a cookie cutter. This…

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I did not grew up celebrating Thanksgiving in Tuscany… I vaguely remember a couple of American kids attending my middle school, and how jealous I was when their family made…

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I have a very special relationship with this recipe as it has always been one of my favorite desserts of Fall but also because of the incredible heritage associated with its…

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This cake recipe is absolutely fantastic, not only for the incredible way flavors are layered or the stunning way it looks when served on a platter, but for the surprising…

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Every household has a few favorite baked items; meet our favorite cake! Schiacciata alla Fiorentina is a traditional cake of Tuscany’s Carnival, and it is so appreciated that a few bakeries…

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When in Tuscany it is fairly easy to realize the almost exclusive savory use that people make of ricotta. I remember the last glory days of our farm, when on…

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This recipe has accompanied me during summertime since I can remember. Anytime we would have a grill going either at the farm or at the beach, we would sear peaches…

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We are right now having a blast in Fiesole, shooting the 5th season of Extra Virgin. The girls are running through the fields chasing hares and pheasants, Debi is obsessively…

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I do not like baking that much. I think it is because of the restrictions imposed by working with exact measures and quantities. Not being able to improvise in the…

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Do you ever wake up with a craving? Do you ever start titillating with the idea of a luxurious dinner, even before taking the first sip of your morning coffee? I…

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I remember making Madeleins for the first time when I was a kid and my parents would drop me off at my grandparents for the weekend while my dad was…

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There is no Holiday season without treats! Let us then present you with a luxurious recipe to make sure your taste buds can celebrate properly this coming Christmas.The main ingredient…

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Let’s not be of any disgrace to the common Italian Stereotype, and introduce this recipe for what it is… Tiramisu’ is the Italian food equivalent of Viagra, and it comes…

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It’s the holidays, and this year I won’t be able to go back home to Tuscany… and I know, I will terribly miss seeing my grandmother! It used to be…

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Baking is not really my piece of cake! I do enjoy spending hours at the time in the kitchen, I am ecstatic when I work hard to treat my family…

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Originated in Venice, the Sgroppino is nothing more than a scoop of sorbet drowned in a glass of Prosecco, and it is in Italy a very common summer after dinner…

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Two notes about my cupcake philosophy: More cupcakes, less icing! First. Kids need to know that cupcakes are good, regardless of the color of the icing… I cannot count how…

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This two recipes also are coming straight out of our family book. Since I can remember in fact, every Carnival season my grandmother Lola used to deliver to our house…

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It is almost the end of summer, and if by any chance you happen to have a fruit tree in your backyard or in your garden, this is probably the…

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We do not have much time to indulge in chatting today… we’re all scrambling to get it together before Thursday (Xmas 2008). In case you have some time left in…

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