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 […]
Going to New Heights at the 360 Restaurant
Toronto’s city skyline is distinctively punctuated by one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World, the CN Tower. Hovering 553m over the metropolis, the famed tower houses 360 The Restaurant which is known for its Canadian Ingredients, Canadian Wine and Canadian View. At the helm, creating an unforgettable dining experience for patrons is Executive […]
Sawdust Spaghetti to Celebrate San Giuseppe
In the Italian culture, the date March 19th is a significant one; it is the day that we honour St. Joseph and all fathers. While most are familiar with the sweet side of this celebration, Zeppole di San Giuseppe; there are several food traditions associated with this feast day. Because this feast day falls during […]
Happy Pal-entine’s Day!
Psychology dictates that there are different types of love ranging from manic and sexual love to romantic and pragmatic love. Throughout our lives we will all experience this emotion in varying degrees; from the puppy love of my first elementary school boyfriend, to the passion and intimacy of an amorous relationship and the undying and […]
Pizza: The Perfect Palette
Pizza, the famed, oven-baked flat bread generally topped with tomato sauce and cheese and often supplemented with various meats, vegetables and condiments. From its humble beginnings in Ancient Greece as bread covered with oil and herbs to its now esteemed Protected Designation of Origin status in Naples, it is a dish that has become entrenched […]
Canada’s Food Guide – Change is Good
It was a big day in the Canadian world of food yesterday as Health Canada released the highly awaited changes to Canada’s Food Guide. This document that has been referenced as the quintessential guide for food education and meal preparation in this country finally received a much-needed update. The Food Guide which hadn’t been updated […]
Friday Night Fast Food
Utter the words fast food and many call to mind the fried fare available under golden arches (and their relative counterparts). While I grew up enjoying the occasional burger and fries my concept of fast food was, and still is, something entirely different. Even now as a mother, my definition of fast-food has very little […]
Come and Spaghet It: National Spaghetti Day
Alla carbonara, puttanesca, cacio e pepe, al’aglio, olio e pepperoncino or with a slow simmered Sunday sauce (with the meatballs on the side), however you serve it, enjoy it today (January 4th), in celebration of National Spaghetti Day. The long, thin, tubular noodle comprised of semolina and water is probably one of the most recognized […]
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 […]
Emilia-Romagna: A Treasure Trove of Taste
Situated in Italy’s Northeast, the region of Emilia-Romagna has now been added to my must-visit list the next I travel to the bel paese. “Why?” you ask. The answer, because it is a territory from which some of the most exquisite flavors in all of Italy are born. Emilia-Romagna is a veritable treasure trove of […]