The Culture and History of Homemade Grappa Homemade Grappa is traditionally made from grape stalks, seeds and stems (essentially the remaining components of the wine making process) and has been around since the Middle Ages.  Grappa was understood very little outside of Italy until after the War when some mass production started to take place.   Like many Italians, my […]

(photo: great, bright, yellow color in the Gargiulo oil) Olive Oil Tasting There are a few Italian food products that take some getting used to; I would include items like amari or digestivi, authentic espresso, meats such as rabbit and goat, etc.  High quality extra virgin olive oil may also take some getting used to if the individual is not […]

(photo: Columbus Artisan line seasonal cacciatore) I’ve written about Columbus’ Artisan salumi line in the past (including their hot sopressata, cacciatore, finocchiona, crespone, salami secchi, and standard Sopressata) and their high-end line is outstanding as it’s made with a higher grade of pork, allowed to age 21-90 days, hand tied and stuffed, and made with natural casings.  Click here if […]

You can tell that a country is serious about preserving food culture when they issue “protective status” labels for cheeses, meats, wines, etc.  Italy, for example has standards for wine (such as DOC or Denominazione di Origine Controllata; meaning that any particular wine from an officially recognized region of Italy must be produced in specific well-defined regions, according to specific rules […]

(photo: the beautiful, 1 liter, tin housing Frankies Sicilian olive oil and a salad of tomatoes, red onion, and basil)  Amongst southern Italians there’s a deep rivalry between Calabrians and Sicilians.  If you travel to Calabria’s old capital Reggio Calabria, you’ll see many Sicilian influences from the regional dialect to arancini and the breakfast delicacy brioce (a type of sweet bread that is served with […]

Italian Shopping on Steroids – On the Italian Life and Consumerism: Our Review Of Eataly You’ll have to excuse me if I sound a bit crabby this morning, as I just finished reading a New York Times review of the mega supermarket Eataly (located in New York City).  While the Times article was somewhat critical of the 50,000 square foot space […]

What is Good Espresso and Can You Make it at Home? Over the last few weeks or so I’ve been giving some serious thought to purchasing a semi automatic espresso machine.  My rationale for buying a home machine (including a burr grinder) includes two premises: 1. it’s very hard to find quality espresso at cafes (even in major cities like […]

Farro: History and Guide to the Ancient Grain The ancient whole wheat grain farro has a long and interesting history and for many years fed almost the entirety of the Mediterranean and Near East – hence our article Farro: History and Guide to the Ancient Grain.  Specifically, it fed the vast majority of Romans from 44BC to the collapse of the […]

Honey is one of the world’s “first foods” and it is produced in the deserts of Yemen, the jungles of Bormeo (Indonesia), and the drab factories of Beijing.  Honey, like wine, meat, coffee, etc., is a byproduct of terroir; namely, it tastes like the land and region it was grown in (one of my favorite examples of terroir <which has […]

(photo: the varying parts of a pig, photo courtesy of Meat Salt Time by Tony Seichrist)  I have to admit, I have an addiction.  Specifically, my addiction is centered on the mighty pig and it’s cured off-spring, Salami!   Salumi (the plural for salami) is made from either a single, whole, cut (e.g., Prosciutto) or ground parts of the pig. […]