Rome: Ciambelline al Vino with Dipping Chocolate

There’s a very good reason why Rome is so storied and romanticized and revered. It deserves it. I first visited Rome on an organized bus tour with my mom in 1999, then with a girlfriend a few months later while studying abroad in Paris in college. Those visits were very short, but I instantly knew […]

Puglia: Spicy Pepper & Herb Taralli

For most people, visiting Italy means Rome, Florence, Venice, maybe Milan, right? Let’s throw in Bologna or Pisa if you wanna get real fancy. But how many tourists make it to the southern part of the Boot? Destinations like Napoli, the Amalfi Coast, and even Sicily might be on the list after hitting the main handful of hotspots; but an […]

Amalfi Coast & Positano: Wild Strawberry Ricotta Cheesecakes

Everyone has their own idea of paradise, whether it’s a tropical island, a lake in the mountains, a tranquil forest, or whatever place brings you pure joy. Maybe even one’s own backyard. My happiest Happy Place is of the Italian persuasion… which you might have guessed by now. 😉 One place in particular that I […]

Lombardia: Torta Sbriciolata with Cocoa, Ricotta & Chocolate Chips

Last year I waxed poetic about a cake from northern Italy that I had discovered called torta sbriciolata (sbree-cho-LAH-tah), which consists of a crumbly base and top layer sandwiching a creamy or fruity filling. And I was all, “This cake is amazing!” and “This cake is so easy!” and “I’m going to post so many flavors […]

Baked Sunday Mornings: S Cookies

I’m slowly building my repertoire of Italian pastries, and I’d like to think that I’m getting fairly familiar with a wide array of regional specialties. (I’m even thisclose to finally posting my blog series based on my two recent trips to Italy– this has been literally years in the making.) But S Cookies? Never heard of ’em. […]

Baked Sunday Mornings: Tricolor Cake

I’ve made no secret of the fact that Italy tugs at my heartstrings on a daily basis. In fact, I hope to live there one day… However, there’s one little problem with that. (I mean, in addition to not being a citizen, learning better Italian, getting a job there, and a host of other minor […]

Baked Sunday Mornings: Nutella Chip Cookies

The Italians get it right; when it comes to food, in my opinion their culinary prowess is unparalleled in the world. One such invention is the luxurious chocolate-hazelnut spread that we know and love as Nutella. It is the filling lovingly shmeared on slices of bread by Italian mothers for their children; the ultimate topping slathered on waffles […]

Positano Dreamin’: Amalfi Pear & Ricotta Cake

Imagine, if you will, an Italian beach town paradise with colorful buildings, bright fuschia bougainvilleas, and curly iron balconies cascading down the side of a mountain to meet the perfectly aquamarine Mediterranean Sea. Rows upon rows of orange beach umbrellas carpet the sand in-between, and a few small boats bob in the distance. You are sitting in […]

Kisses From Italy: Baci di Dama

I used to say that I didn’t care for Italian desserts. Even after spending three weeks in Italy a couple of summers ago, I was still fairly lukewarm, except for good cannoli, gelato, and a few other select things that were obvious no-brainers. My tastes have always leaned more towards American and French pastry styles, but that […]