Category Archives: CHESTNUTS
The mulino is a building from the past that is becoming part of the future of the Garfagnana. Chestnut flour used to be so important in the local diet that there were seven water mills in the tiny valley below … Continue reading
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The sweet chestnut has three layers of protection, which makes for much hard work for those who want to turn the fruit into flour. There’s the green spiny outer covering. When the chestnut is ripe at the end of September … Continue reading
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Super-highways rarely belong to the country they’re in. While racing along with cars and lorries overtaking on all sides, you could be anywhere, except for the blurred glimpses of houses or fields beyond the crash barriers. The village of Molina … Continue reading
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Artisan or traditional style?
Last week I went with Debra Kolkka to the Mostra Internazionale dell’Artigianato at Florence. You can read her views o ...
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Weeds for Lunch
Guest blog by Penny Barry
I had an adventure last weekend. Heather returned to Cambridge leaving me with a sub-contra ...
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Use Your Nose
So what did I learn at the first sommelier course lesson? Apart from the party trick of how to open a bottle of champagn ...
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7 Shades of Orange
Blood oranges have character and flaunt their diversity; every morning as I cut open two of them, I watch with anticipat ...
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Meaning in a Glass of Wine
I’m about to embark on a three-month wine sommelier course at Lucca. It’s not that I want to become a wine expert, b ...
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Another Zuppa
I've written about zuppa alla frantoiana, a typical seasonal soup of Lucca, so many times that you'd think I'd be bored ...
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Snow Patterns
The travellers' image of Tuscany is all sunshine, olive trees, vines and cypress-lined roads, and if you come in spring, ...
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Seasonal Eating 5: Pimpinella
L'insalata non è bella se non c'è la pimpinella!
The salad isn't good (beautiful) if there isn't any pimpinella!
...
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Weaving a life of happiness
If you come on my Tastes & Textiles tour, you’ll meet Romeo and Nadia, two of my local heroes. Not love-struck tee ...
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Orto in February
It takes some willpower to go down to the vegetable garden on a cold, gloomy February day. But as soon as I'm out the do ...
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Moments of Glory
Three times every winter we organise an Advanced Salumi Course. During the course participants learn the theory of Itali ...
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Fare La Scarpetta
Scarpetta means slipper, but fare la scarpetta doesn't have anything to do with making slippers. It means to wipe your ...
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