The limoncello and mandarinello are ready! We picked mandarins and lemons in Amalfi last month, and the rinds have been infusing in pure alcohol since then. It's longer than usual for the recipe from the Mamma Agata Cookbook that I use, but I simply kept forgetting to finish them off! The final ...
The New Year
The beginning of a new year is always a special time - for reflection, for a pause in the hubbub of daily life and for hope for the year ahead. Even though it's just one of the many days each year, it still feels something like a blank canvas or that crisp, empty page of a new notebook. Boy there's ...
Christmas Eve Fireworks in Amalfi
If you've spent time exploring the little side streets and alleys in Amalfi, you'll have quickly learned that there are a lot of stairs to get pretty much anywhere. A lot. Late on Christmas Eve we worked off the big dinner by climbing about 200 steps to meet some good friends for a drink while ...
Buon Natale 2012!
Wishing you a very happy holiday season & peaceful 2013! Auguri!! Laura ...
Autumn Colors on the Amalfi Coast
Much of the beautiful autumn colors that I look forward to each year on the Amalfi Coast have been blown away by a few big rain and wind storms. However, on the drive to the airport in Naples last week, I was happy to see some beautiful colors still lingering up in the mountains above Tramonti. I ...
Happy Thanksgiving from the Amalfi Coast!
On this Thanksgiving Day we woke up to find a beautiful sunny morning after nearly a week of overcast, windy and rainy weather. What a way to start the day, with a lovely reminder of how much there is to be grateful for each and every morning! For all of my family and friends celebrating in America ...
Pomegranate Seeds & Memories
"Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each." - Henry David Thoreau As I broke open the pomegranate and brilliant red seeds tumbled into the waiting bowl, I glanced up at that quotation by Thoreau tacked on the ...
The End of the Season
Like clockwork, the end of October often brings with it a big storm and an abrupt change in the seasons. One day the beaches will be dotted with sunbathers enjoying the last warm autumn days while holding onto summer for as long as possible and then the next the beaches will be barren and covered ...
Book Review | At Least You’re in Tuscany by Jennifer Criswell
As an expat in Italy, I'm drawn to memoirs by writers who have followed a similar journey of uprooting life and going in search of a new pathway in a new country. Naturally, if the book is about expat life in Italy, then it's probably top of my "must read" list. I was thrilled to receive an advance ...
Recipe | Bietola with Mustard Seeds
The change of the seasons is official when it arrives in the markets of Italy. Or, at least, it's officially tasty! Fruits and vegetables suddenly appear that we haven't enjoyed for awhile, and it's fun to see what will be new at the market each week. Shopping seasonally and locally is a healthy ...
