This Gelato has a Pizzo of my Heart
Have you ever heard of, or better yet tasted, Tartufo di Pizzo? Tartufo di Pizzo as its name suggests, hails from the Calabrese city of Pizzo – a small fishing town on the region’s west coast. It is also affectionately referred to as the “city of ice-cream” because of this very particular confection, which was […]
Turdilli: The Deliciously Twisted Calabrese Cookie
Turdilli are a traditional Calabrese dessert made during the Christmas season. They are wine cookies that are fried and coated in honey. They hail from the province of Cosenza. Fig honey is traditionally used to coat them as it is typical of this Calabrian province, and it gives these treats a distinct coloring and flavoring. […]
Ciambella San Martini: A New Twist on Holiday Tradition
Tradition [truh-dish-uhn]: the handing down of statements, beliefs, legends, customs, information, etc., from generation to generation, especially by word of mouth or by practice. The holidays are when traditions seem to be most prevalent and I have spent the last decade chronicling those traditions to be able to carry them on and share them with […]
Calabria: Savouring Italy’s South
In Italy’s south lies a peninsula within a peninsula, the region of Calabria. The toe of the boot as it is often referred to, has an incredible geographic makeup. A mountainous landscape of hill-top towns, juxtaposed against dense forests, overlooking a dramatic Mediterranean coastline. Calabria, much like Sicily, has been shaped by its contact […]
Taste of Calabria
If you’re Calabrese, you likely know, or have heard the word angulèja which is dialect for “craving”. This is a word I often use in reference to the craving I have for Calabrian cuisine every year that I don’t get to travel to the toe of the peninsula. Thanks to the Italian Chamber of Commerce […]
Must-Have Mastazzoli
If you’ve ever visited a fair or festival in Italy you’ve likely seen City squares crowded with banchini (booths) where vendors are selling their wares. These often include religious articles, souvenirs and regional fare. Among them you will typically find mastazzolari selling celebratory confections known as mastazzoli Mastazzoli, typical of Soriano Calabro (a town in […]
Pining for Pignolata
While I’m always aiming to capture and maintain my cultural culinary traditions, I make a special effort during the holidays. Each year at Christmas I fire up the fryer for a festive family favourite. This dessert, like many, has several different identities, Neapolitans know it as struffoli; in Abruzzo it is cicerchiata and if you’re […]
The Way to My Heart is Through the Stomatico
My parents recently returned from a stay in the Bel Paese, specifically Calabria. This southern region from which they hail is known for certain specialties, the spreadable salumi known as nduja, smoky ricotta affumicata, citrus scented bergamotto, sticky sweet torrone and one of my absolute favourites, spicy stomatico. Stomatico (which strangely we call pan i […]