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Like everyone else who grows zucchini, I’m always looking for a new recipe. We’ve had frittatas and gratins. I’ve stuffed, grilled, sauteed and made pancakes. I’m sort of happy that it’s time to move on to fall vegetables, however I’d be happy to have these fritters on my table any time of year. To be […]
I first sampled my new favorite appetizer during our stay at B&B Pietraviva outside of the town of Cisternino in the Valle d’Itria of Puglia. Breakfast is included at this charming trullo and when we heard that it was possible to have dinner prepared for us (at an incredibly fair price) we decided to dine in […]
Looking for a homemade Christmas gift? I always bake a variety of cookies at this time of the year, but then again so does everyone else. I decided that instead it might be nice to make something savory to give to friends. I know it looks like there’s a lot of steps involved with this […]
It all started with cranberry sauce. I grew up eating the cranberry sauce in the can, but as an adult I was on the search for something a little more interesting and with a lot more flavor. I’m not sure where I found the recipe, but it was exactly what I had […]
Need a tasty starter for your next party? The classic combination of figs and blue cheese come together here in one buttery bite. What’s great about this recipe is that there’s no waste at all-you can keep rolling the scraps of dough out and cutting circles until there’s none left. I must admit that these […]
It doesn’t get much easier than this. Before the tomato season is over this is a tart that I encourage you to try. I always have a box of frozen puff pastry in the freezer so there’s no need to feel pressured to make your own dough. If you can find puff pastry […]
It may seem like all I’ve been doing for the last seven weeks is reminiscing about my time in Italy and yes, there’s been a lot of that going on, but I’ve also been back in the kitchen. My first impulse when looking for a summer starter is to grill up some bread for bruschetta […]
I have a tradition of strolling down Via San Paulino on my very first day in Lucca. Two of my favorite shops are located here-Caniparoli Cioccolateria-the chocolate shop I simply adore and Officina delle Pelle-a lovely family owned shop selling leather goods made right in town. There’s no doubt that I will make a purchase […]
Even though I certainly have sampled plenty of wine from the area surrounding Lucca, I had never actually visited the wine growing region of Montecarlo, about seven miles outside of town. It was a clear and sunny and for the first time in days it was warm. The drive up to the winery was lined […]
Six years ago when I began my Panini Girl trips to Lucca I met a very talented local woman whose passion is cooking. By day she works for the archdiocese located a few blocks away from our apartment and in her spare time she teaches cooking classes. We are lucky to stay in an amazing […]
Panini Girl 