Pumpkin pie recipe (from scratch): All Saints or Halloween?

For the first time, I made an American pumpkin pie to celebrate Halloween and All Saints' Day. In Italy, although Halloween related festivities are increasingly celebrated, the real holidays are All Saints Day (Festa di Ognissanti) on November 1 and All Souls Day (Giorno dei Morti) on November 2. Not an Italian pie but the American pumpkin…

ByMonica17 October 20220Comments

COURSES First Course

Cookbooks and chestnut flour tagliatelle with mushrooms

Grandma's cooking was very homely and substantial. While seasoning chestnut flour tagliatelle with mushrooms, she said the flavors of the wood call to each other. So simple. But her repertoire changed on the occasion of holidays, events, and Sunday lunches. At that time, even religious precepts affected the family menu. Women's stories through cookbooks Reading and studying old cookbooks,…

ByMonica3 February 20220Comments

Bologna Food Cakes and Cookies COURSES Gluten-free INGREDIENTS OCCASIONS RECIPES

Fave dei Morti cookies for Halloween. Italian tradition

Fave dei Morti cookies are typical of All Saints' Day. And when I was little, I didn't like them. Cemeteries, family, and biscuits. What I did enjoy was the traditional cemetery tours and visits to relatives we never saw. The tradition of the annual visit to the loved ones’ graves is almost lost. When I was a child,…

ByMonica28 October 20200Comments

COURSES First Course Gluten-free INGREDIENTS RECIPES Rice and Grains

Comfort Food. Rice Casserole With Potato And Porcini Mushrooms

When I say comfort food, the first thing I think of is a hot, steaming pot. But how does a plate of tortellini in broth or, as in this case, a casserole of rice and vegetables, make us feel a sense of well-being similar to an enveloping embrace? And what exactly does comfort food mean anyway? First a…

ByMonica2 October 20200Comments

COURSES Desserts Fruits INGREDIENTS RECIPES

September, The Month of New Beginnings And Fig Crostata

I look at the bowl on the table and can't wait to make the fig crostata, an appointment I look forward to every year in September. September has always been the month of new beginnings. And while I indulge in the memory of the beautiful things of summer, with the arrival of September I change step. In…

ByMonica7 September 20200Comments

Fruits INGREDIENTS OCCASIONS Preserves RECIPES

How to Make Homemade Old-Fashioned Preserves

New post from my kitchen pantry on how to make homemade old-fashioned preserves like an Italian nonna. But keeping in mind today's needs! If you're in the mood for jams and marmalades, even cooked-and-eaten, but a genuine, old-style taste, you might need a post with Grandma's advice. What I've learnt. There was a time when at home many…

ByMonica30 May 20200Comments

Aperitivo COURSES Gluten-free INGREDIENTS Main Course OCCASIONS RECIPES

Savoury Pumpkin Fritters, Before The Season Ends

New post from the pantry. And savoury pumpkin fritters recipe. Pumpkin is one of my fav among vegetables and April calls for the latest recipes that can be made with it that, in Italy, we find on the market stalls for a very long period from late August to April. The pumpkin is one of the iconic vegetables…

ByMonica6 April 20200Comments

COURSES RECIPES Soups

Pancotto a la Romagnola (Bread Soup) recipe

For my grandmother, born in the Romagna countryside, bread was precious: not even its crumbs were wasted. Born in not prosperous economic conditions, she remembered the difficulties caused by the Second World War . Two conditions made her an exceptional woman and a great housewife. Even when she only had leftovers or a handful of ingredients…

ByMonica26 March 20200Comments

Bologna Food Cheese Christmas COURSES Eggs INGREDIENTS OCCASIONS RECIPES Soups Sunday Lunch

Zuppa Imperiale, The Traditional Minestra Of Bologna

When outside it is cold, I can't think of anything better than steaming soup. Despite its name, Zuppa Imperiale is not a soup but a minestra . And a typical recipe of Bologna. Unlike other Bolognese pasta dishes, you don't need to make sfoglia (pasta dough) to make Zuppa Imperiale. For its easy preparation, you will…

ByMonica31 January 20200Comments

Bologna Food COURSES First Course OCCASIONS RECIPES Sunday Lunch

Green Lasagna alla Bolognese, The Original Recipe of Bologna

Have you ever made green lasagna alla Bolognese? But the original ones. Rich and sumptuous. Green lasagna alla bolognese. Over the centuries Bologna has conquered the nickname of "Bologna la Grassa" (Bologna-The-Fat) also for dishes like this one. Layers of ragù and béchamel held by a shiny, green sheet of pasta dough represent a triumph of colors…

ByMonica28 January 20200Comments