Tag: Italy

[Thoughts on the Table – 99] Taste and Flavor Flashbacks with Jason and Paolo

As Thoughts on the Table approaches 100 episodes, I chose to dedicate episode 99 to the series’ beginnings, dating back to August 2013. I was an avid podcast listener and, inspired by great productions like This American Life and Stuff You Should ... Continue reading

[Thoughts on the Table – 96] What makes a dish Italian? With Eva from Electric Blue Food

In this new episode of Thoughts on the Table, Eva from Electric Blue Food is back to help me break down a massive topic: What makes a dish Italian? To non-Italians, Italian food may be what appears on the menus of Italian restaurants or anything ... Continue reading

Making Basil Pesto in a Blender

This article is about basil pesto, the second most famous Italian pasta sauce, of course after tomato sauce. However, this is not about the traditional way to make “Pesto Genovese” – using a mortar; there are plenty of good resources ... Continue reading

Paccheri with Mushrooms, Gorgonzola, and Mascarpone Cream

Paccheri are undoubtedly the most majestic kind of short pasta one can find! With a diameter of 1 ½ inch (4 cm), thick walls, and a rough surface, each guarantees an unbeatable bite, or two! The Paccheri shape originates in the Campania region of ... Continue reading

Herb and Ricotta Ravioli with Sage Butter Sauce

Butter and Sage sauce is often what comes to mind when showcasing ricotta-filled ravioli, and especially spinach and ricotta ravioli. In Italy, meatless preparations like this are sometimes called “di magro” (literally, “of ... Continue reading

Eleven years of blogging, eight of podcasting

Another year! The good news is that this blog is still active and luckily keeps being found by those searching for Italian specialties like pizzoccheri or canederli or Italian misconceptions like my 6 Italian myths. The bad news of course is that I ... Continue reading

[Thoughts on the Table – 91] Introducing Podcaster Wendy Holloway from Flavor of Italy

Cannolo Award winner Wendy Holloway shares her fascinating story on what brought her to Italy and how she started Flavor of Italy, a company offering bespoke travel and culinary experiences for over 25 years. During the episode, we discuss ... Continue reading

[Thoughts on the Table – 90] Italian Words Gone Wrong – Mistakes on the Menu

This unusual episode is the audio version of the article Italian Words Gone Wrong – 6 Mistakes Native Italians Don’t Make. Despite the broad title, the post focuses on the types of mistakes that are commonly found on the menus of ... Continue reading

[Thoughts on the Table – 88] Chinotto – The Other Way of Drinking Dark

This episode is dedicated to the soft drink Chinotto and it’s unusual in that, for once, I am not in the company of a guest (although I’d like to think that I still have a guest: you, the listener!) In this episode, I try to break ... Continue reading