Twitter Plate Swap
on Nov 3, 2009 in Deb's Blog A few months ago a discussion developed on Twitter where folks were complaining that they were getting tired of photographing their food on the same old plates time and time again and one Twitter friend named Cheryl Tan, or @cheryltann88 on Twitter...

Our First Olive Harvest
on Nov 3, 2009 in Deb's Blog When we bought our two farmhouses in the heart of Umbria less than a year ago, we were both quite excited that there were 75 mature olive trees growing across the property. My husband so enjoyed owning these olive trees in fact, that he had 15 more p...

Olive Harvest Part Two ~ From The Mill To The Table
on Nov 3, 2009 in Deb's Blog I awoke a little sore but well rested and quite excited to see the process through at the olive mill so we could bring home the fruits of our two days of hard work. I was surprised to see my husband managed to cram all 11 cases into our small little...

It's Chestnut Time!
on Nov 2, 2009 in Deb's Blog Here we go again.....it seems I am now over my "crostata" phase and have moved on to focus on two of my fall favorites, chestnuts and fall squash. I have made so many new dishes with these two delicious ingredients lately that I am waiting for my hus...

BBA Challenge #21 Pain A l'Ancienne
on Nov 2, 2009 in Deb's Blog I must admit that I took an unplanned break from my Bread Baker's Apprentice Challenge. First we were in Canada for two weeks, had guests visiting, became ill, and then last week we had to pick and harvest our olives. I am back in the swing of things...

Festa Del Bosco in Montone
on Nov 1, 2009 in Deb's Blog This weekend was the Festa del Bosco in Montone so we headed up there Saturday morning to check things out. Montone is a beautiful little town in Northern Umbria that sits high on the hill with gorgeous views from all sides. We had only visited Monto...

Black Celery Festival of Trevi
on Oct 28, 2009 in Deb's Blog I am quickly learning that Umbria is a wonderful place to be in the fall with the grape harvest at the end of September to the olive harvest starting a month later. Add to that the many food festivals celebrated in between, and there is always someth...

The Holy Trinity Of Italian Cuisine
on Oct 20, 2009 in Deb's Blog A holy trinity in cooking is simply a combination of three aromatic ingredients, whether they are vegetables, herbs or spices, that are gently sauteed together to provide a flavor base for other ingredients to build upon. These ingredients are usuall...

The Ever Popular Biscotti
on Oct 19, 2009 in Deb's Blog Biscotti have taken the world by storm. These subtly sweet, crisp cookies can be found in different countries around the globe, although they can be traced back to Italy as far back as the fourteenth century. In fact it is said Christopher Columbus c...

Just Stuff It!
on Oct 18, 2009 in Deb's Blog I meet so many people that tell me they get bored cooking vegetables as they simply can't find new or interesting ways to prepare them. This quite frankly amazes me personally because I never run out of ideas myself. I do understand though that most...