This lemon and ricotta plum-cake is perfect for a coffee or tea break. Actually, in Italy we love it for breakfast, too. A baked dessert, very fragrant and tasty, is perfect for your kids’ afternoon snack as well. It is so simple that you can have fun making it with your children, as well! This way you will create precious and indelible memories – at least this happened to me, when I was messing around in the kitchen with my mom and grandmother. Let’s close the parenthesis on childhood, equip ourselves with the ingredients and go to the kitchen!!! PLUMCAKE AL LIMONE E RICOTTA (LEMON AND RICOTT ..read more

Homemade Aperitivo at Lake Como video!  Aperitivo is certainly one of the most fun food experiences that you can try in Italy. It has a long history, even the Romans drank something similar to the modern aperitivo, called mulsum, consting of wine and honey. The word comes from Latin – Aperitivus– and means something that “opens the way”; in fact, it usually involves a cocktail drink (alcholic or non-alcholic) before dinner to stimulate your appetite. The consecration of aperitivo to the kingdom of Italian symbols came, however, at the beginning of the 20th century with the diffusion of so ..read more

This simple and vibrant kale salad with apples and raisins will become your go-to! It is tangy, tart, sweet, and full of flavor. If you have not tried kale yet, now may be the time. Kale is super nutritious and delicious, making it a super salad green. Kale is a highly nutritional vegetable, rich in fiber, calcium, potassium, antioxidants and folic acid (if consumed raw). The most tender kale is the one harvested in late autumn and early winter after the first frosts. It is one of my favorite winter salads. You can enjoy it as a main dish (larger portion) or side dish to accompanied roast turk ..read more

This Pumpkin Flan is creamy and delicious, one of the best pumpkin appetizer recipes you should try this fall, perfect even for your Thanksgiving meal! Actually, it is good as a side dish as well, with some chicken or turkey meat, for example. My favorite is with bechamel sauce topped off with truffle paste. If you don’t like truffle, you can add some Gorgonzola cheese or any other topping with piquant flavor to highlight the sweetness of pumpkin. Flan is a beautiful custard recipe you can find in so many cuisines across the world. From Europe to Asia and all the way to South America. The sign ..read more

The conditions of our skin and how it ages are influenced by a number of factors with genetics and lifestyle playing a major role. Prolonged exposure to the sun, smoking, alcohol, poor hydration and a diet rich in processed and sugary food take their toll. Food has a tremendous effect, the secret to younger-looking skin could lie in your kitchen. It is easy: you can choose fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin C, E and A, minerals and antioxidants. Papaya is one of my all-time favorite beauty foods. It is rich in antioxidants such as vitamin C, E, and carotenoids (lycopene). Together, these hi ..read more

Aperitivo time – Do you want to surprise your guests with a homemade aperitivo? The preparation is of these mini strudel is quick and simple, and I recommend using puff pastry to speed things up. The traditional strudel dough is made of flour, oil and water and is pulled very thin, until it’s almost transparent; this is the secret and also the hardest part! You can use the filo dough too. Robiola is an Italian soft-ripened cheese of the Stracchino family made with varying proportions of cow’s, goat’s and sheep milk. I love goat robiola, is very tasty and healthy. My favorite one is the organic ..read more

Quinoa, avocado and mango salad is one my favorite exotic salads. It is a tasty, healthy and EASY meal to prepare. It is worth to try! Quinoa provides essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber. It helps regulate the digestive system and keep you fuller and more satisfied. In addition quinoa is gluten free, therefore suitable for people who are allergic to gluten. There are hundreds of cultivated types of quinoa, but the most common versions available in stores are white, red, and black quinoa. Avocado is tasty and beneficial to one’s health and beauty. Hemingway called it: food that has no rival ..read more

Do you like the sweet taste in a savory dish? Try my blueberry risotto! You will love it! The intense color is due to some pigments – called anthocyanin. This pigment gives an inviting look and healthy benefits too. Don’t forget that we eat first with our eyes. Anthocyanin is a type of flavonoid, a class of plant compounds with potent antioxidant properties. Blueberries are also rich in fiber that improves gut health. Goat Robiola is an Italian soft-ripened cheese of the Stracchino family. I like to eat plan with some extra virgin olive oil and pepper and to add it to my recipes when I want a ..read more

This delicious dark chocolate cake flavored with Senera vermouth and served with whipped cream and raspberries is a truly treat. Chocolate has several compounds that have been linked to one’s mood and pleasure, such as phenyl-ethylamine which has amphetamine-like stimulating properties and tryptophan, related to serotonin, a substance associated with ecstasy and happiness.  In addition to its “love effects”, dark chocolate – rich in antioxidants – provides other beneficial properties such as reducing your levels of free radicals, which are responsible for cellular damage, aging and cancer ..read more

Gnocchi, pronounced gnawk-KEY, (dumplings) with pumpkin and goat ricotta is a classic autumn/winter dish when pumpkin is in season. Let’s take advantage of it before spring arrives, only a few weeks away! These dumplings are small pieces of pumpkin and ricotta dough, usually round or oblong in shape, which are boiled in water and then served with melted butter and sage. Goat ricotta has more distinct taste and is more digestible than cow milk ricotta. And if it is organic, it is even tastier and healthier. The taste of this recipe is delicate, a little bit sweet and inviting. Gnocchi is an eas ..read more