PECORINO CHEESE: WHAT IS IT ANYWAY? Pecorino cheese is any hard, semi-hard or fresh cheese that is made using sheep's milk. Seven pecorino cheeses have protected designation of origin status, or DOP, under the European union law. This means they’ve been aged upwards of 8 months and are a stagionato, pasta dura (hard) cheese. The Italian word for sheep is pecora, which stems from the Latin word pecus (livestock), hence the name pecorino ..read more

Women’s  History Month, and the 2023 theme “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories” - Four Italian women storytellers from the 1900s: Alba de Céspedes - Novelist Storyteller, and her newly released "The Forbidden Notebook" - the NYT says she's “one of the few distinguished women writers since Colette to grapple effectively with what it is to be a woman." Jeanne Caròla Francesconi - Culinary Storyteller, sharing Naples cuisine in her 500 recipe cookbook, The Marchesa Colombi - Journalistic Storyteller & Prolific author with 40+ books, and Emma Stebbins (American sculptress living ..read more

A roundup of Milan's best restaurants, tastiest classic dishes and must-visit cultural icons, + the food (& drink) Milan is famous for. “Milan is a skyscraper metropolis, a city half avant-garde, half provincial, a mixture of risotto and steel.” says Alberto Lattuada, Italian Filmmaker, in his quote that captures the cultural and food scene in Milan. Think risotto, Osso Buco, Christmas panettone, delicious Northern Italian wines and cocktails. If you want to know more, catch this episode and dig into the details of the unparalleled Milanese cuisine ..read more

Brunello di Montalcino is one of Italy's - and the world's - most renowned red wines. Made in Montalcino Tuscany - near thermal baths, cheese producers, and immersed in breathtaking, rolling hills. And just a 2 1/2 hours drive from Rome. Wine Searcher says it's “One of the pinnacles of what the Sangiovese grape variety can achieve, Brunello di Montalcino is a global touchstone for the variety – and great red wines in general.” The 2022 Brunello has just been unveiled: join me on today's episode to learn all about this magnificent wind and the exquisite area, and Terroir it comes from ..read more

What you need to know before moving to Italy! Lots of details to think about! You need to sort out your finances, learn some Italian, choose your housing (did you know there are all kinds of free housing opportunities available in Italy?) And what about work? Italy has approved the digital nomad visa so bloggers and other online workers should check this out! Do you want a warm climate and seaside? Or do you want a super efficient city like Milan or Turin in the north?  Listen to this episode and check out the blog post to get answers to every single detail you need to know before you mov ..read more

So much of what we assume is fact about gladiators comes from what we've seen in movies, or read in novels. This fascinating two part podcast episode chat with gladiatorial consultant Alexander Mariotti is just the place to start to dispel some of these myths. Alexander helps us to better understand gladiators and gladiatorial combat back in ancient Roman times. Did the crowds eat the animals slain at the gladiatorial fights? Were all gladiators slaves and did they fight to the death? Were there women gladiators? You'll be surprised by the answers to these questions... Head to the Flavor of It ..read more

Molise - listener questions answered: "What's Molise anyhow? I thought it was part of the Abruzzo region? Is it?" Molise is a tiny little Italian region – the second smallest in Italy, and as of 1970 when it separated from Abruzzo it's a region all on its own. It's a magical secret region with exquisite food, and its very own wine made from grapes like the Tintilia grape, which only grows in the Molise region. Have a listen to this episode to discover the region, and take a deep dive into its fabulous food and wine and culture. If you're looking for a delightful place in Italy to visit that's ..read more

Don't miss the unexplored, little-known Abruzzo region! The Abruzzo region offers an abundance of history, culture and Abruzzo region food experiences: * Visit the hands-on sustainable farm Fattoria Valle Magica with unique heritage breeds, delicious artisanal salumi and local food. * Take a cooking class featuring Abruzzese cuisine.....arrosticini, pizzelle and spaghetti alla chitarra. * Join a day, weekend or weeklong food tour. Find all the details with links and photos on the Flavor of Italy website ..read more

The fantastic world of honey and the many things you probably don't know about it! Did you know that almost all beekeeper’s honeybees are Italian? Or that only the female bee produces honey and she produces a mere 1/12 of a teaspoon of honey during her lifetime! Italy has a long history of honey tasting, using the same sensory analysis techniques used in wine tastings: sight, smell and taste.  Not to mention the Royal Jelly that bees produce! Don't know what it is? Tune in to the episode to learn this, and so much more from the one and only Honey Sommelier, Marina Marchese! Head to t ..read more

One of the joys of the Holiday Season is baking cookies, and other delicious treats. They make great gifts and are a pleasure to bring to the table on Christmas, New Year's, the Befana, and throughout the holiday season. Have a listen to this episode: Michelle and I share some of our favorite holiday treat recipes that stem from rich Italian tradition, our own holiday family dessert traditions, and a few more newbie cookie and dessert recipes we've run across. Are you part of my Substack community yet? Look for me on Substack – Wendy Holloway's Substack - and dig into lots of great Italian rec ..read more