Smoky ham and cannellini bean soup

Aromas, like flavors, are evocative. A single fragrance can transport you to many places. Take, for example, smoky, warm, enveloping aromas. In my case, they awaken pleasant, comforting olfactory memories. Wood burning in the fireplace in the basement. Bonfires in the countryside mark the change of seasons. On the rare nights he is at home, I see my father…

ByMonica1 February 20260Comments

Chocolate Christmas COURSES Desserts INGREDIENTS OCCASIONS RECIPES Sunday Lunch

A chocolate and red wine cake. And the book that will be

Never underestimate the miraculous power of a chocolate and red wine cake. And never forget how important it is to create memories and preserve them. This reflection also gave rise to the idea for the book that will be . First, let me tell you about this recipe for chocolate and red wine cake.…

ByMonica1 November 20250Comments

Bologna Food Christmas COURSES INGREDIENTS Main Course Meat OCCASIONS RECIPES Sunday Lunch

Wrapped cotechino recipe

Wrapped cotechino, in Italian cotechino fasciato, also known as cotechino in galera (in prison) or cotechino vestito (dressed cotechino), is a traditional roast from Bologna and my family. It is a robust dish that, paired with a good red wine, is perfect for the cold season. It is a recipe for special occasions, which I cook…

ByMonica12 December 20210Comments

Bologna Food Cakes and Cookies Christmas COURSES OCCASIONS RECIPES

Panone cake. The Christmas cake of Bologna from cucina povera

Panone and Certosino are traditional Christmas cakes from Bologna. Similar yet different. Panone was the sweet of the Bolognese countryside, while Certosino was from the city. Both recipes are ancient and belong to the Northern European tradition of cakes made with dried and candied fruit, honey, and wine. They have a rich, slightly old-fashioned flavor,…

ByMonica5 December 20210Comments

COURSES Gluten-free INGREDIENTS Main Course Meat OCCASIONS RECIPES Sunday Lunch

Chicken in the pan with red peppers. And Sunday lunches, according to the season

Chicken in the pan, with or without peppers, whatever colors you want, but the brilliant red is an invitation to sit at the table, was the dish that replaced roast chicken when it was too hot to turn on the oven or when Grandma was in a bit of a hurry. In terms of…

ByMonica30 April 20210Comments

Bologna Food Cakes and Cookies Christmas COURSES OCCASIONS RECIPES

Certosino cake: the traditional Christmas sweet of Bologna

Certosino, or Spiced Bread (Pan Speziale), is a typical sweet of the Bolognese Christmas tradition The recipe, of medieval origin, was reworked by the Carthusian (Certosini) monks of Bologna, from whom the cake takes its name and has passed down to us. It is incredible that the recipe I am still cooking dates back to 1300.…

ByMonica14 December 20190Comments

Breakfast and Merenda Cakes and Cookies COURSES Gluten-free OCCASIONS RECIPES

Buckwheat pumpkin cake with almonds. An Italian gluten-free pantry cake

As I placed the ingredients for the pumpkin cake on the table, this is the right recipe for those who, like me, prefer sweet but not too sweet desserts. Although I indulge in obscenely sweet treats like meringues filled with cream every now and then. What desserts do you prefer? The answer depends on the…

ByMonica19 October 20190Comments

COURSES RECIPES Soups

Potato and Leek Minestra Recipe. Pure Comfort Food

Sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of hot tea that smells of flowers and citrus fruits, I write down the recipe for the soup I made recently, thinking about the pleasant comfort that only hot food can provide on the coldest days. S oups, minestre, and vellutate are home-cooked dishes that are…

ByMonica21 January 20180Comments

Aperitivo Appetizers Christmas COURSES Gluten-free INGREDIENTS Legumes OCCASIONS RECIPES Sauces and Pâté

Lentil paté: creamy, tasty and vegan

Lentil paté introduces a topic that I find very interesting. The comparison of easy and complex recipes. The recipes of the first type are within everyone's reach and perfect for workdays. They are the preparations where you go by eye and change the taste here and there. Then what was the original flavor? Who knows! Simple does not mean…

ByMonica30 December 20172Comments