Alison Ranwell's Blog

Venice celebrated its 1604th birthday last week but never have the Venetians felt less inclined to send out their party invitations. As a...

Just as the kitchen is the heart of the home, the piazza has always been the heart of the town. And just as we gather at the table, so we gather in the square.

Songs, plays and performances have been written about an empty space. But the piazza is always full! Historic announcements, celebrations and condemnations, festivals, feasts and family feuds - here are five important Italian piazze and one that's iconic to us.

Piazza dei Miracoli, Pisa

The Square of Miracles was founded as the Piazza del Duomo but changed name after Italy's beloved poet Gabriele D'Annunzio described it as a 'field of miracles'. The beautifully decorated, walled space encloses Pisa's most celebrated landmarks - the Cathedral, the Baptistry, Camposanto Monumentale Cemetery and Tuscany's most recognisable, leaning bell tower. This piazza is a favourite of tourists who flock to photograph the Leaning Tower of Pisa, of pilgrims and the people of Pisa who believe in a quirky legend regarding the walls of the Duomo. "Unghiate del diavolo" marks in the marble resemble devilish scratches, which, allegedly, and spookily, change number every time they're counted! UNESCO site since 1987, the grassy square seems like a film-set sun-trap but escape the crowds and duck into the cool interiors of the jaw-droppingly beautiful cemetery where I found one of my favourite statues during a solo trip around Tuscany.

Piazza delle Erbe, Verona

Enter into Italy's fair city and at once, you're through the gates and faced with an enormous arena surrounded by a grand, paved piazza within which grows a garden of cedar and pine trees! Verona's Piazza Brà is Italy's 8th largest square, at an impressive 25 000m². You can picture chariots, beasts and ancient crowds flocking around the 2000 year old arena and the square still stands as an important meeting point but to the people of Verona and indeed, many Italians, the smaller, more central Piazza delle Erbe, is truly where their love lies because this favourite spot has been buzzing since before Christ.

Embodying the charm of a bygone forum built to house a spa at one end and a temple at the other, Piazza delle Erbe was the first piece of the city laid out in plans when the Romans set to designing the streets of Verona.

"Underneath it lies the ruins of a rectangular Roman Forum, built smack bang in the middle of the city and double the size of the current piazza. At the head of the forum once lay the main temple of the city, the capitolium, dedicated to Jupiter, Juno and Minerva while on the side of the forum, town planning had included a basilica and tabernae - food stalls where you could eat and drink.

2 millennia later, the piazza is lined with Osterie and beautiful restaurants where you can still eat and drink to your heart's content - taste Truffle or Amarone risotto and a glass of Durello, Verona's sparkling white wine. The piazza is abuzz with a daily market, historically selling spices and vegetables, which is where it gets it's name - 'delle Erbe', of the herbs.'

This is a good place to start for a weekend in Verona, packed with osterie , nightlife and a collection of monuments and buildings you can feast your eyes on. There are a couple of towers on the square: the Column of Saint Mark which stands to prove the power of the Serenissima Republic of Venice who ruled Verona in the 15th century, The Gardello Tower - oldest clock tower in Verona and The Lamberti Tower  which you can climb 368 steps up for gorgeous views over the city (or take the lift for 1 euro). Note the arched entrance to Piazza delle Erbe  near the Municipal Commune  with a curious giant whale rib suspended beneath. There's all kinds of legend about the bone in Arco della Costa  but it was simply brought to Verona by a spice merchant in medieval times and hung here at the market.

This is a special place with history beneath your feet which you can sense in the ancient stones; it's worth spending a long, lazy lunch under one of the porticoes just to gaze upon the buildings including the painted Mazzanti houses which will no doubt catch your eye."

From our blog post: Verona For the Weekend

Piazza Garibaldi, Napoli

This gigantic space hardly feels like a piazza. 70 000m² partly covered in geometric roofing and housing a lower level of shops, this is more like a hub and indeed, Piazza Garibaldi was built in 1870 facing Naples's main train station, Napoli Centrale. Named after a statue of Guiseppe Garibaldi in the square, Neopolitans fondly refer to it as "a' Ferrovia" - the Railway, once simply known as Piazza della Stazione - the Train Station Square.

Used by commuters to short-cut to transport links and swiftly cut through to other parts of town, there's a road running through the square right up to the station entrance. Piazza Garibaldi is continuously frequented and signposted all over Naples as the 'main station reference'.

Piazza San Marco, Venice

A beauteous construction photographed by over 5 million visitors a year, we often think of Piazza San Marco as a rectangular (ish) shape. Lined by 16th century Procuratie extending from the front of St. Mark's Basilica, the square reaches all the way down to Canal Grande with a perpendicular arm called la Piazzetta - the Little Square.

Piazza San Marco is the only official piazza in Venice as the myriad of other spaces in this city of never-ending turns and passageways are called campi or piazzale. The square has always been the religious, state and community seat of Venice with it's direct access from the sea. The likes of Marco Polo, Napoleon, Casanova and Lord Byron all lived and loved the opulence, Napoleon called it “the world’s most beautiful drawing room”.

As the lowest point of the city, the huge square quickly fills with lagoon water during a yearly high tide, becoming an enormous, surreal expanse of water which never seems to bother the Venetians. Every house and shop has barricades at the ready and acqua alta boots. There are wooden boards and trestles propped and ready assemble in the case of high waters and life carries on. Waiters serve spritzes, bands continue to play and Piazza San Marco's grandeur is hardly tarnished, it almost becomes more alluring.

As I write this post, it is Carnival!

Right here in Piazza San Marco is where you can experience this joyous time of year at its height.

"Carnival officially opens with " La Festa delle Marie" 10 days before Shrove Tuesday. 12 costumed maidens are presented on centre stage in a beauty contest with the winner crowned the “Maria del Carnevale”. She earns the privilege of becoming next year's angel to fly from the bell tower. Traditionally, the 12 maidens were beautiful young brides presented to Venice's Doge who'd gift them a wedding dowry. Nowadays, they're the most exquisite photo opportunity.

Il Volo dell'Angelo

On Sunday, after the last ring of San Marco's twelve o'clock bell, a Carnival Angel flies down towards the Piazza Stage and an awaiting Doge. She descends from the famous bell tower in the carnation of last year's Maria of the Carnival, flying above a sea of 100 000 up-cast faces to an epic hush on one of the world's busiest squares. It's an awe-inspiring sight preceded by parades, shows, jugglers and performances.

In the same vein, Lo Svolo dell’Aquilam - The Eagle's Flight  takes place around the same time, but instead of a beautiful maiden, the eagle takes the form of a famous Italian celebrity.

La Maschera più Bella - The best masked costume

Every morning and afternoon main stage hosts an array of mask wearers who compete through poetry and performance for the audience's vote on the best mask. On the last Sunday of Carnival, the grand finale takes place with the highest honour bestowed upon the best mask and its wearer."

From our blog post Carnevale - A Time of Raucous Indulgence

A square not without its secrets! Discover the gruesome, romantic and quirky legends in Piazza San Marco's Secrets!

Piazza Unità d'Italia, Trieste

"Trieste's charm lies in the underrated Italian art of ' il dolce far niente '. In Trieste, the so-named 'City of Coffee', you're enticed by piazzas and grand streets stacked with endless amounts of chairs and tables to simply sit. Visit Trieste to amble and relax, sit and sip your coffee, to take in the views from San Giusto, enjoy an aperitivo and simply 'do nothing' - fare niente ."

From our blog post Trieste- Italy's Grand, Adriatic Port

Sometimes referred as Europe's largest square facing the sea, the Unity of Italy Square does seem vast and quite empty except for when it hosts a concert! Green Day and Iron Maiden have played here, squeezing over 12 000 fans into the space and Trieste's grand piazza does host a variety of enormous unities such as Holy Mass held by Pope Francis in July 2024 and Putin meeting Letta for bilateral talks in 2013 or the Western Balkans Summit, but stride the length of the square on a winter's day, towards cruise ships dwarfed by Piazza Unità's generous dimensions and if Trieste's famous wind, the Bora is whipping through at 70 km/hour, it suddenly feels kind of lonely.

From Piazza Unità d'Italia, in both directions, extends a sea-side promenade with a number of vintage cafes and glitzy restaurants offering up age-old traditions of coffees and teas in a city binding Slovenian, Croatian, Austrian, German and Italian cultures. If you're a cruise-ship holiday-maker, this stop is a good one.

An Iconic Italian Piazza to Us!

Piazza Giovanni Battista Cima, Conegliano

The last piazza in today's post is one that's dear to us, for romantic reasons.

When I moved to Italy from London for a teaching position, I found myself in the small city of Conegliano. I'd never visited Italy before and couldn't speak the language, I didn't even know what Prosecco was! But then neither did the rest of the world at that time.

As one of Veneto's most industrious small cities where commerce and family businesses flourish, Conegliano is also 'Prosecco Capital'.

In the shadow of a 10th century castle built on a prominently visible hill, lies the main square within the protective contrada walls. It is named after Conegliano's cherished Renaissance artist, Cima who lived down the road and no doubt as a boy spent his afternoons playing on the piazza.

The gently-sloping square spreads out before Conegliano's Accademia Theatre where a range of performances take place throughout the year but especially during Operatic Season. If I think of Piazza Cima, I think of balmy summer nights and tiny osteria tables. We'd sit out until late with no idea of the time sipping on local table wines and snacking on cicchetti from the counter. When I first moved to Conegliano and met Francesco, we'd spend most nights in Conegliano and many on this square.

One of Conegliano's festivities is the Dama Castellana in June. Knights and dames re-enact battles and perform dances on the square in a captivating feast for the eyes. The whole city joins the celebrations in the oldest part of town where in the same vein, a series of draughts competitions called Enodama takes place amongst the characteristic bars and taverns with the final on Piazza Cima.

"...played on the piazze  and in the old osterie  of the city in an attempt to establish a yearly champion, (but) this is not any old draughts game. The draughts are glasses of wine, red vs white, and when one is 'taken' it must be drunk. I was always Francesco's 'right hand lady' - he's pretty good at playing draughts..."

From our blog post Conegliano - Prosecco Capital

And the rest is glorious history.

One of the most beautiful aspects of Italian cooking is its sheer variety.

Instead of pizza and pasta - think piadina, risotto, canederli and spätzle, depending on the region.

Outside of Italy, we easily assume it's all garlic and oregano, carbs and creams, but get stuck into into the true soul of Italian cooking and you'll notice a rich diversity proudly rooted in every region.

Paging through the recipes in our cookbook 'Appetito', we're reading up on food culture in Italy as much as the classic and quirky recipes that feature. We're looking at where dishes originate, how they're embedded in a region and the celebrations around them. Food is never 'just food' in a country that places an immense proportion of time and value on the table. Just as dishes 'belong' to an area, sometimes specifically to a village, ingredients become the pride of territory, heritage and history explaining why it's an 'insult' to overcook Italian pasta because it's been so lovingly made!

Starting in the north:

Alto Adige - Bolzano

The bustling commercial and cultural centre of Italy's most northern territory, Alto Adige, enjoys regional food you can count on finding at markets, on menus and in homes. The air you breathe seems Austrian because Bolzano once belonged to Austria and the food here reflects this. Wild Alpine herbs and field flowers are sprinkled into sauces or chopped into canederli, breads are made of rye and fennel seeds, cakes are made from buckwheat. You'll find sausages and cabbage and spätzle gnocchetti, würstel sellers in town, creamy mountain cheeses and fruit strudels as parts of this beautiful, wholesome cuisine:

Canederli bead dumplings flavoured with porcini, beetroot or spinach

Tyrolean cabbage salad with cumin and slivers of Speck

Spinach spätzle gnocchetti in a creamy sauce flavoured with Speck

Heading south, we encounter

Veneto - Venice

A city that is close to our hearts, is also close to our house so the food of this region is what we serve up most. It must be said that Venice itself has very particular plates featuring lagoon and Carnival food we look forward to only here, it also has a very recognisable dialect. You'll struggle to find the likes of schie con polenta, grey, lagoon prawns on polenta, or fritole col buso, circular Carnival fritters, anywhere but on the island.

Making the most of what the sea offers up, there's squid ink risotto, moscardini octopus and baccalà mantecato whipped stockfish cream as what have now become sought-after gourmet delights with their origins deeply rooted in cucina povera. This beautiful octopus salad is not specifically Venetian but adored throughout the region of Veneto:

Traditional beef meatballs (polpette) found in the bacari of Venice as a casual cicchetto snack

Venetian fritole Carnival fritters made with sultanas and dusted in sugar

Warm octopus salad with tomato, potato and parsley

Bordering Veneto and stretching almost east to west, we find

Emilia Romagna - Bologna

Fondly called 'Foodie Capital', this city packs quite a number of steady staples into its cooking journals, indeed, the whole region does. When recipes are internationally famous and in need of geographical protection, the mighty Camera di Commercio steps in. We can picture the bolognesi people breathing a collective sigh of relief in 1974 when the Brotherhood of the Tortellino 'deposited' their city's eternal recipe into the Bologna Chamber of Commerce for no-one to alter. The tortellino recipe is there for all to see with wonderfully precise instructions on what ingredients to use stating only 'real' Bologna mortadella for the filling and a 'farmyard' hen for the broth. I especially love the first sentence of the official 'Method': 'Deve essere molto accurata. Il lombo va tenuto in riposo per 2 giorni...' You must be very accurate. The loin must rest for 2 days...

Tagliatelle with traditional ragù alla bolognese

Prosciutto di Parma as an antipasto wrapped around slices of melon during the summer months

Sharing Emilia Romagna's southern border is the region of

Tuscany - Florence

One of the most vibrant food memories I have from Italy happened the first year I moved there, the year 2000. Perhaps, the facts I was travelling alone, could hardly speak Italian and was discovering a country I'd never anticipated living in, contributed to a sensory recollection as clear as if it was yesterday. It was Volterra on a blue-sky day, a cobbled winding road just inside the Etruscan city gate. A tiny trattoria and wobbly table for one with glass of Tuscan 'red' and tomato bruschetta. Tuscan bread has no salt in an act of defiance against taxes once placed on the prized condiment, so, the flavours of olive oil, garlic, tomato and basil compellingly combine to create one of Italy's simplest but most flavourful of delicacies, la bruschetta. In a region where warming soups, prized meats and bowls of meaty stews pair with bold wines we all know and love, it feels almost 'ancient' eating around here:

Tomato and garlic Tuscan bruschetta

Tagliata sliced beef steak served on a bed of rocket with shavings of Parmigiano Reggiano

Lazio - Rome

From North to South, we get stuck in the middle. People often ask me to name a favourite region food-wise and every time I say something different because I struggle to choose. However, if I was to be stranded on a dessert food island in the form of a city, it would be Rome. Just the thought of a plate of Roman pasta or a deep-fried artichoke sways my vote - big city, big legacy, big flavours:

Spaghetti alla carbonara Romana with egg yolk and guanciale cured pork cheek

Bucatini all'Amatriciana - hollow pasta with a rich tomato, guanciale sauce

On our journey south, bordering Lazio is

Campania - Procida, Capri & Napoli

I could ramble on about Naples and mention recipes from my book but this one tiny island in the Gulf must equally be spotlighted and I do like to shout out the little guys. This 'piccolina' is Procida. The pastel, postcard island boasts a gorgeous pesto recipe that's a flavourful as it is simple - Procida Lemon Pesto. If you love the 'quirky', a quick mash (or whizz) of organic lemons, pine nuts, herbs and parmigiano is all it takes for your spaghetti or gnocchi to sing. Campania tastes of Mediterranean citrus, fruits of the sea and San Marzano tomatoes, find capers, olives, flaky pastries and creamy buffalo mozzarella in a region as beautiful as it is abundant:

'Parmigiana' layers of aubergine, mozzarella, basil and San Marzano tomatoes

Procida pesto made with Lemons, garlic, parsley, basil, pine nuts and olive oil

Almond, chocolate Torta Caprese from the Isle of Capri

Puglia - Bari

We get to the heel of the boot and it's pulses, breads, soups and seafood. This is a cuisine I adore, but I guess that's not saying much. To cook pugliese is to celebrate the season and what's abundant around you. This region of resourceful farmers have taken unwanted vegetable stalks and made them sublime; they look at olive oil as a key ingredient, create creamy soups from humble pulses and frisa bread from grains. To me, Puglia is the embodiment of 'simple being sublime'.

Fava bean 'crema' with garlic, chicory leaves

Focaccia Barese made with potato and scattered tomatoes and olives

Orecchiette traditional pasta with broccoli rabe, anchovies and garlic

If you enjoyed our journey from north to south exploring the culinary diversity of Italy and would like to bring these beauties to your table, you can find the recipes in our new book 'Appetito' available from retailers in England, Europe and launching in America on 27th January.

Always support indie where you can, purchasing from Bookshop.org or your local bookshop who'll happily order a copy in for you while you chat about how wonderful Italian cooking is...

Don't you agree?

Buon appetito e buona cucina!

During the Serenissima Republic's glorious heyday, Venice's printing houses were flourishing.

By the late 15th century, the city was known as a hub for business and trade, housing over 400 printing presses and drawing the likes of outspoken artists and writers who thrived in the forward thinking, cosmopolitan climate, far from the reach of the Vatican.

Few Venetian printers remain to this day but there are some who keep the art alive, such as La Bottega del Tintoretto, and la Stamperia. The majority of old Heidelberg printing machines may have rusted away but the glory of Venice's printing age does live on in the bookshops of Venice, each one possessing a personality as unique as the city itself.

On a rainy day in October, dazzling lights from shop windows danced gold on glistening paving stones as tourists bustled by and drizzle soaked the city. I walked the misty calli to visit seven bookshops of Venice. From brightly-lit and busy to rooms where time stood still, let's look at their seven personalities one by one:

La Feltrinelli - San Polo 2245a

The first bookshop I visited was a homely melange of warm tones, rustic stone walls, wooden beams and swirly floors. A glowing older sister, La Feltrinelli is the trusted, confidant you can always come to having published a stack of Italian writers and provided all a book lover may desire in over 100 bookshops since the late 1950s. I love the renovation they undertook a year prior, highlighting the features of this stunning space.

La Feltrinelli stocks our cookbook 'Appetito' as a hardcopy with an e-book coming soon to their website.

Studium - S. Marco, 337

Tucked away behind the Basilica di San Marco, find an ancient shop turned modern. In 2022, Studium transformed into a perfumery bookstore featuring Venetian titles and a collection of 200 scents representing The Merchant of Venice olfactory library. Studium is the slick, polished businessman who spares no expense.

Ubik Goldoni - Calle dei Fabbri 4742/4743

I found Ubik bright and busy. In the 20 minutes spent flicking through picture books and tourist paraphernalia placed around the counter, it seemed a hub for everything and anything 'Venice' - maps, guides, souvenirs, one lady even asked for a pack of Venetian tarot cards! Mums bought their children's school books, the queue moved quickly and the shop assistants bustled about in the lively and bubbly Ubik Goldoni.

Acqua Alta - C. Longa Santa Maria Formosa  5176b

Peeking out from behind an old fig tree, this bookshop may as well give up hiding. As the most posted Venetian bookshop on Instagram, Libreria Acqua Alta wants to cuddle up in a quiet armchair with one of its cats and watch the boats go by but welcomes a mass of enthusiastic fans who shuffle through its beautiful rooms daily. Named 'High Water', the stacked bathtubs, raised shelves and gondola (yes, gondola) packed full of books were initially functional rather than aesthetic, to prevent the prints from damaging in high tide, and the visitors love this! With no intention whatsoever, the offbeat Acqua Alta has become an internet institution with customers flocking from far and wide to snap its quirky corners and climb its outdoor 'ruined books' steps for a view of the canal in the courtyard of the self-proclaimed 'Most beautiful bookshop in the world'.

Libreria Acqua Alta stocks our cookbook 'Appetito'.

La Toletta - Dorsoduro, 1214

Founded in 1933 by Angelo Pelizzato, this is the oldest bookshop and claims to be the largest in Venice. Housing a collection of Italian classics, La Toletta has always been socially active, standing with the partisans, hiding arms amongst the book shelves and offering sizeable discounts. La Toletta became a publishing house in 2008 and continues to host conferences and debates in a space that has remained unchanged for 90 years. Stoic, unassuming and non-conformist, Toletta's well-worn walls have got some stories to tell.

Marco Polo - Sestiere Dorsoduro, 2899

I visited Librairie Marco Polo in the Dorsoduro quarter, there are two. This one is positioned at the quiet end of Campo Santa Margherita, where an unassuming doorway leads up to a few rooms packed with books. This is an unpretentious bookshop where the smell of printed paper lingers and a bygone Venetian tempo is measured by Claudio who takes his time to share his views. We spoke youth, economy and punctuation (or the lack of) while he calmly rolled tobacco for a cigarette telling me he didn't stock recipe books. As Venetian as they come, Marco Polo makes no excuses.

Cafoscarina - Dorsoduro 3259, 3224

I love this little leafy square beside Venice's Ca' Foscari University. With a water fountain, benches to rest and a sleepy air, it's pure escapism from the crowds. On one side is the little bookshop Cafoscarina, actually there are two shops. Casfoscarina 2 serves Uni students with publications of history, philosophy, literature, theatre, architecture, poetry and more.

Cafoscarina 3 stocks an impressive range of international reads in a multitude of languages from Chinese to Arabian to Indian and all in-between. Functional and beautifully orderly and neat, Cafoscarina is the inquisitive and worldly-wise scholar, keen to explore.

You can find our recipe book ' Appetito ' in the Venetian bookshops of Feltrinelli and Acqua Alta.

Italy's move towards making simple foods divine has a name - La Cucina Povera - 'poor cuisine'.

Whether it's the cuisine 'of the poor' or a 'poor cuisine', non centra , it doesn't matter, because the country's deep love of good food steps up for the most basic of ingredients, whatever the dish.

The frugal use of as much as you can of every ingredient means bread is never thrown away for example, in Tuscany. There are a few favourite dishes which have become part of Tuscan food culture celebrating the humblest of ingredients, one of them being stale bread, something we'd bin in the blink of an eye, yet here, they would never.

Hard times often call for resourcefulness simply to stay warm, stay healthy or feed your family. When farmers were once forced through necessity to become inventive in their cooking and food storage, a plethora of Tuscan recipes emerged which have now become favourites in the region's list of classic plates. They're not as fashionable in Tuscany as they may be internationally, that's because in central Italy, and in fact throughout all of Italy, cucina povera is simply a title for a certain style of cooking that encourages us to use of all parts of the plant or of the pig, or of the loaf of bread. Something we might aspire to in our current climate of kitchen waste.

Bread, legumes, polenta and pasta can masterfully be fashioned into flavourful, wholesome food reliant on fragrant olive oil, vegetables from the garden and herbs to create memorable meals capable of filling an entire family's tummies while hardly spending any money at all. The trick is being inventive and knowing how to store your supplies.

Tuscany is often mentioned first when talking 'Cucina Povera' but many regions of Italy celebrate this style of cooking. Puglia, for example, as an area away from from industry and commerce, showcases local produce like fava beans and the region of Campania around Naples relies on its juicy San Marzano tomatoes and salty anchovies to bring simple dishes to life.

Cucina povera dishes you can find in our recipe book Appetito :

The humble Paccheri allo Scarpariello gets its name from the shoe-makers once working in the busy city of Naples. The story goes they'd repair their customers' shoes (scarpe) for cuts of meat, garden produce or pieces of cheese and fashion a dish from these ingredients. The flat, wide pasta tubes called Paccheri are a southern pasta shape that have earned themselves a certain status through the perfection of the 'Paccheri Slap' at the Cerea brothers' Michelin Starred Restaurant Da Vittorio in Bergamo. Read all about the 'Paccheri Slap!' in our blog post about this quirky institution.

The simple Napolitan Paccheri allo Scarpariello takes deliciously ripe local tomatoes, fragrant garlic and handfuls of basil leaves, mixing grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese with acqua della cottura (pasta cooking water) for a creamy, silky sauce which the paccheri finish cooking in. The result is a mouth-watering plate of pasta that gets its creaminess from a masterful emulsion made by vigorously stirring in the cheese, just like the 'mantecatura' of risotto. One forkful transports you to the bustling streets of Naples where bold flavours reign supreme.

Orecchiette con Cime di Rapa is to Puglia what Carbonara is to Rome. There's no pasta dish more regionally pugliese than this one and it's so satisfying in taste, comfort and character that you'll find it hard not to place in your favourite pastas of all time. Cime di Rapa translates as 'tops of the turnips' but it's easier to think of these as sprouting broccoli or broccoli rabe. When farmers would sell their produce, the broccoli tips were always less prized and left behind. Just as tasty as the flowery heads, the small leaves and florets would be picked out and kept for this particular dish to be made at home. Sauteed in garlic and anchovies using the bold, fragrant olive oil of the land, these broccoli tips quickly become a local delicacy. Toss them into cooked orecchiette and there you have it!

Cheese was a luxury in Puglia when times were hard so as wonderful as a sprinkling of aged Pecorino may sound, in Puglia a sprinkling of bread crumbs is what happens. Not just any breadcrumbs though... these are toasted in garlic in olive oil for flavour and extra crunch.

Like Tuscany's iconic panzanella salad fashioned from stale bread, tomatoes and cucumbers, north Italy's Canederli uses stale bread as the main ingredient. Essentially a bread dumpling, the Alpine canerderlo takes what's available locally to bring the flavour. Speck is a north Italian cured meat used in small chunks for a salty, smoky taste or wild herbs or cheeses can be chopped into the mixture, or even foraged porcini. The canederlo is then boiled in broth and brought to the table in melted butter or a bowl of more broth. It's a wonderfully warming food we look forward to when heading north into the Dolomites or to typically Tyrolean cities like Bolzano.

Crema di Fave con Cicoria takes what we'd consider a garden weed to wholesome foodie heights in another dish from Puglia. The chicory plant is such a contender in the Italian fruits and vegetable market that it takes up most of the salad section in various shapes and forms. Purple variegated radicchio heads or long, curly stemmed Radicchio di Treviso fronds as well as the 2 foot long thick bunches of stems and pointy leafed catalogna are all chicory sisters and the bulbous white bunches called puntarelle. You'll find pale green heads of salad, frilly endives and tight purple chicories that we can cook or eat raw, depending on the recipe. This one uses dandelions.

Pick the youngest leaves from your garden or a field, wash well, steam and fry in garlic for a bitter condiment to the creamy fava bean. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil and if you like, add a little dried chilli. As my go-to winter lunch, I mix up the greens with cavolo nero or fennel bulb to bring a warm smile to a grey day every time.

Find these recipes with a collection of family favourites and regional specialities from all four corners of Italy in our beautiful cookery book Appetito available to pre-order now.

Buona cucina!

Train travel is a wonderful way to see Italy getting from A to B, Milan to Naples or the Dolomites to Sicily. This summer, I journeyed to, from and around Italy with our dog Coco. Here are my tips for travelling on Italian trains:

When I moved to Italy to teach English 25 years ago, there was no English!

I think trains are the best way to travel the land but with last minute announcements in fuzzy, italiano rapido, the train station platforms used to fill us with dread. Back in the day, we even had to timbrare or woe was us when the conductor came around and our ticket wasn't stamped!

Luckily, these days, announcements and bookings are multi-lingual in major stations and almost everyone understands and/or speaks a little English making Italian train travel a dolce vita dream.

Here's what to do (and what not to do) for smooth Italian train travel:

Book online - to avoid the queue at the ticket counter with a thick glass sound barrier and impatient seasoned travellers behind you, simply head to one of these two websites (conveniently multilingual) to book your tickets:

Trenitalia - a network of regional and intercity trains with the option of Le Frecce high speed links.

Italo - From Rome, Florence, Venice, Milan, Naples, Italo offers modern trains at discount prices but add-ons are costly, like pets!

Book in advance for great deals and low prices. I found that the direct trains and overnight sleepers sell out very quickly. Train tickets are released 3 months in advance so if you know your dates, it's worth grabbing them. There are flexi-options with refundable or changeable tickets so always check the small print and look out for summer or holiday specials especially if you're travelling with family, friends or pets.

Use the ticket machines at the station - these are multi-lingual, easy to use and dotted around every station.

Get there early and use the ticket counter - It's undoubtedly easier to talk to someone and add your pet or bike (which might be tricky online) but you do run the risk of your chosen train being fully booked.

Italian train stations have wonderfully retro printed posters of Partenze/Departures and Arrivi/Arrivals on all platforms and around the station. Sort through the destinations in alphabetical order, find yours and you'll see all the times listed in tiny print with a platform number. Always double check the platform number on the screens just to be sure. 20 years ago, these posters are what we relied on before smart phones!

Timbrare - once upon a time, the biggest worry as a foreigner was that you'd forget to timbrare - stamp your ticket. Punching your ticket was essential to prove the timing of your trip so we'd look out for the yellow boxes dotted about the station which would punch the date and time straight onto your ticket. In older stations the boxes are still there and they're still yellow but luckily in these digital times, stamping tickets is not necessary and you can simply show the conductor your ticket or QR code.

When booking regional trains online, check in is required before you can travel. This is done online and you'll receive an email link along with your booking, is this the old fashion stamp turned digital?

Watch the departures and arrivals boards for platform numbers: Partenze = Departures, and Arrivi = Arrivals. Even if your e-ticket states a platform number, it's always good practice to double check as they sometimes change before departure.

Once on the platform, keep an eye on the notices, these will advise you of any changes to the schedule and late arrivals. Announcements will be in made in Italian (and maybe other languages) but they're often hard to follow so the notice boards are your best bet.

If in doubt, ask someone. This is what we all do! Most people speak English and are keen to help a fellow traveller.

Once on the train, depending on the service, upcoming stops are well displayed on screens with timetables, connecting trains and any changes to the service advised clearly.

Double check the train does not split in two and you are on the wrong half - this happened to me last year on my way to Milan! Luckily the conductor suggested a quick changeover in the opposite direction but it was all very tense and unavoidable had I been paying attention. Your best bet is to keep an eye on the screens onboard and listen for announcements in your language. (Once again, ask someone if you are not sure.)

Don't risk not having a pre-bought ticket. Fines can be hefty! That said, if you can't add a pet or a bike when booking, talk to the conductor and explain your conundrum. Coco travelled for free on Austria's ÖBB because the ticket man was so sweet and on Italy's regional train last week, I was only charged for a child's ticket with the fine lifted by another kind conductress.

Travelling with Pets on Italian Trains

We love to take our dog Coco on holiday with us and she absolutely adores the train! She is a medium-sized collie-cross so doesn't fall into the small pet category and can't be put in a carrier.

Pet rules change all the time - it's worth checking Trenitalia or Italo's policy online before you book. As I write this blog post, dogs, cats and small pets travel free on Italian trains if kept in a pet carrier whereas larger-sized dogs must have a ticket.

Trenitalia had a dogs-go-free-discount this summer, all we had to do was add a dog to our adult ticket when booking online.

Italo only allows larger dogs in first class, our medium-sized Coco was 50 euros extra per train journey and we had to call customer-service to add her to our trip - not the easiest or cheapest of options. Italo does provide you with a dog-mat and reserves the last single seat of the carriage so your dog has place to lie down beside you.

Regional trains require a booking for your pet which is 50% of the adult fare, this can be bought when booking online as an option when selecting passengers. A 30 euro fine is charged if you do not buy a ticket so if you purchase tickets from the machine at the station, make sure to add on a child ticket if the pet one is not visible.

Must I muzzle my dog on European Trains?

Rules state that dogs that are too large for a carrier must be on a leash and muzzled. This rule is incredibly lax - on the 9 different European trains I took from Paris to Venice and back this summer (and indeed on every train she's been on in Italy), I was never asked to put her muzzle on. Unless your dog is used to a muzzle, I'd recommend a soft one. We purchased this one for Coco on Amazon which she got used to quickly and kept it ready if anyone asked. Generally, there's a true love of dogs and you'll see many passengers and train staff are ready with a big smile and a little cuddle for your pet. It's a wonderfully relaxing way to travel around Italy especially if your dog loves adventure and can sit quietly for long periods of time. Coco is 15 so she sleeps a lot! Her favourite part is when the train doors open and she is somewhere new.

Travelling with a Bike or Large Luggage on Italian trains is easy if there is enough space. I'd suggest you book your seat whenever you can and use the luggage racks provided. Bike areas are specified on certain coaches and tickets can be purchased online. With Trenitalia, a bike ticket is required (except for Le Frecce trains) while Italo cyclists can bring their bike for free.

My journey back last week went across northern Italy from Conegliano to Venice to Bologna to Milan and then on to Zurich in Switzerland and Paris in France on SNCF trains. From Paris to London I used the fabulous BlaBlaCar app, making sure there was time for gelato, but that's a story for another day...

Buon viaggio amici!

Thursday is gnocchi day in Italy! How to make these delectable potato dumplings from scratch.

Gnocchi are plural, one gnocco, two gnocchi.

Much like most of Italy's pasta - one spaghetto, two spaghetti, one fusillo, two fusilli and so forth. It might sound strange to hear, "Can I taste a fusillo?" But we do say it.

Why would you bother to make gnocchi from scratch you may ask.

And I feel the same because they're readily available to buy in so many delicious versions (chestnut and pumpkin gnocchi are my absolute favourite) plus in Italy you can find 'artigianato' gnocchi in supermarkets, meaning they're not made in a factory.

But I know so many Italian mums who would never dream of buying gnocchi, they always try to convince me to make them saying it’s as easy as pie. You can make a big batch of gnocchi because they freeze well and can be cooked from frozen for an easy meal so there’s no reason not to make them, is what they always say.

And they're right, homemade gnocchi are lusciously soft and special and delicious, there’s no doubt about it.

You'll see making them is actually surprisingly easy!

It's also a wonderful way to keep the kids entertained.

You don’t need anything particularly complicated to bring some floury fun to the kitchen on a dreary day. Potatoes, flour and an egg will keep everyone happily rolling out gnocchi sausages all afternoon, you can even get fancy with a fork or wooden gnocchi board but we never do...

and what better than homemade gnocchi for dinner when all is cleared away in the kitchen and you're left with trays and trays of gnocchi ready for the cooking.

Rumour has it that the trick to good gnocchi that don’t fall apart is the type of potato you use. Farinosa, ‘floury’ is what they also say, although some might swear by waxy, we use white potatoes and they always work well as long as you knead the dough enough.

So here goes, it’s giovedì gnocchi, ‘Gnocchi Day’, the day you'll find trays of floury potato shapes for sale by the kilo in Italian pasta shops, bakeries and rosticcerie. Once in Rome, according to an ancient poem, Thursday was Gnocchi, Friday was Fish and Saturday was Tripe.

It's Thursday, so we’re making gnocchi.

There are so many sauces which accompany the fluffy potato pillows we all know and love - gorgonzola or quattro formaggi, four cheeses is favoloso, as is ragù or pesto genovese. You can’t go wrong with a simple sugo di pomodoro, tomato sauce but there's a classic condiment that is offered as a happy option in Italian restaurants to children who are undecided about the menu and that is burro e salvia - butter and sage.

It may sound like a simple combination and an easy cop out, but to taste gnocchi burro e salvia is to love them. If you get your hands on smoked ricotta, a grating of this soft but compact cheese brings the most beautiful smoky flavour, we always have Grana Padano in our fridge so that's what we tend to use.

Find the recipe and a collection of more gorgeous primi in our new cookbook Appetito ❤️

Buon giovedì e buon gnocchi!

Between April showers and March thunderstorms, you'll find us in the fields picking sciopetin .

Foraged plants and funghi play an important part in Italy's food culture as a celebration of each season. Spring seems to come earlier and earlier each year in Italy and as soon as it does, we're scouring the fields for tiny sciopetin shoots.

Seeing as the tradition of picking from the land gets handed down through families, ancient dialect names tend to stick through the years. Where we live, the plant Silene Vulgaris is called sciopetin from the dialect word sciopar - meaning to burst because of the bell-shaped seed pops that pop open in summer from this particular wild flower. Around Venice, the same herb is called carletti, that's what Francesco's granny calls it and that's what you'll find in the local springtime vegetable markets if you don't have time to spend picking or fields to pick in.

Only the top shoots and lower leaves are used when cooking with sciopetin and there are many different dishes you can these in. Frittata is wonderfully quick and delicious, as is a pesto you can make the traditional way with pine nuts, olive oil and Parmigiano or Grana Padano. Risotto is Francesco's speciality so that's what we always make first!

Think of sciopetin or carletti as a delicate spinach flavour, you need quite a bit to make a 4 person risotto - about 300g of curati leaves. I love the word curare to describe the job of getting food ready to be cooked.

You can curare funghi but gently brushing off the soil and trimming any unwanted bits, you can curare fish by removing the innards and descaling the skin and you curare strawberries by washing them and removing the leaves. Curare is translated as 'to cure' in English, but also means 'to take care of'.

I think it beautifully describes the love and appreciation of good food we've taken time to harvest, maybe grown ourselves or found at the market. Usually it's the elderly nonne who's job it is to curare. They have time, patience and a chair placed outside in the sunshine.

Read up on our blog post on how to make good risotto, there's an established Italian trick called La Mantecatura which takes a little time but makes all the difference!

If you know your foraged plants well, feel free to use whatever you have in your fields, forests and garden. Wild garlic is delicious, as are nettles and anything safely forageable. It goes without saying to only harvest what you know!

Find the recipe for Risotto coi Sciopettin in our new cookbook Appetito ❤️

Come find the heart of Modena's famous food culture at Mercato Albinelli.

Market shopping forms the cornerstone of Italy's culinary culture and in foodie city, Modena, this historical, indoor market is close to celebrating its 100th birthday. Its here at 7 o'clock in the morning, you'll find restaurant chefs brushing shoulders with busy nonne in search of the freshest produce of the day, you may even bump into Massimo Bottura from Osteria Francescana.

Mercato Albinelli is the city of Modena's go-to spot for regional specialities with all you could ever ask for under one, big Art Nouveau roof. You can stop by for fruits and veg, find seasonal inspiration for lunch, top up on balsamic vinegar and other kitchen staples like local olive oil, aged Parmigiano Reggiano and fresh, creamy cheeses. You can buy your meat, fish and eggs for the day, grab a loaf of bread and then sit down for cappuccino e brioche because all this happened before breakfast! If you decide to drop by in your pausa pranzo, find a spot at the wooden tables and pick a wine - perfectly accompanied by slices of Prosciutto di Parma and Modena's flat breads, tigelle. Grab an orange, a peach or a punnet of strawberries and wash them in the fountain to munch on your way back to work, strolling under tranquil, celeste skies to the sounds of glasses clinking from nearby restaurants. This is the slow life, the good life, la dolce vita.

Over 100 stalls fill the busy market 6 days a week from 7 o'clock to 3 in the afternoon. Many of these are family businesses handed down through generations, proudly keeping their trade alive. You'll find fresh fruits, flowers and vegetables, a seafood and fish stall, cheese and cured meats stalls, breads, pickles and antipasti galore. There are local wine merchants who offer a glass at their simple, wooden tables and fresh pasta stalls selling homemade gnocchi and polenta. The butchers have been here for decades as have the cake sellers with their local wares. Step through the black wrought iron gates off via Luigi Albinelli or access the market from the secondary entrance on Piazza XX Settembre and you step into years of tradition.

The History of Mercato Albinelli

Founded in October 1931, the market was Mayor Luigi Albinelli's drive to put a roof over his vendors' heads and spruce up the hygiene of a long-standing town market packed into Piazza Grande. The area chosen to house Modena's new market was the old Contrada Carceri which by the name, suggests where the old prisons stood and where one could already find butchers and fishmongers selling their wares on the square. After an extensive restoration project, 1000 square metres of covered market space was designed in Art Nouveau style to encase Modena's newest market decked out with marble fish counters, running water at every stall and a special system to clean the floors. In the centre, a fountain was fashioned - the pretty statue of a girl carrying a basket of fruit: “La fanciullina con canestro di fiori” by Giuseppe Graziosi, a local sculptor.

Since then, the market has increased in stall numbers and is now visited by an average of 30 000 people a week! It's an unmissable spot in the serenely potent city of Modena who holds many a claim to her fame. You'd never guess Modena was home to Ferrari and Lamborghini, Luciano Pavarotti, Osteria Francescana ('World's Best Restaurant' voted twice) and culinary delicacies like Aceto Balsamico and Lambrusco which are all produced here. Modena is one of the 'foodiest' of hubs in Italy's central region of Emilia Romagna that boasts the most IGP (Geographically Protected Products) in the whole of the country. You'd be forgiven for soaking up the bright sunshine, lounging on wide, open piazze, sipping on Lambrusco and thinking this was a sleepy place, just like I almost did...

Local Specialties to Sample

Make sure to seek out these regional specialities at Mercato Albinelli. The stall holders are always friendly and keen to chat 'food', especially their own region's. They'll offer up recipe suggestions or let you taste samples whilst heartily suggesting local produce to try. Here are a few not to miss:

Tigelle are Modena's palm-sized flat breads made between iron or clay discs and best warmed and stuffed with creamy, spreadable stracchino cheese, mortadella, cured meats or grilled vegetables, also known as Crescentine.

Tortellini are Emilia Romagna's pride and joy. Sold by weight, find piles upon piles of tortellini strictly made the traditional way.

Aceto Balsamico di Modena must be sampled here in Modena, its home! There are different variants according to age mainly but the taste is simply incredible - a lot like a fortified wine, it is often treated as such. If there's one thing you go home with, pick this!

Lambrusco is one of Italy's rare sparkling, red wines. Light in colour and fresh in fruity flavours, before you knock it, you have to try it! This is the best place to do that. Pull up a chair at the little market wine stall and ask your host for, 'Un bicchiere per favore."

Parmigiano Reggiano from the city of Reggio Emilia, 30 km west along the A1, is another local product which will leave you with a lasting memory. Forget all you know about cheesy pasta dishes, this stuff is gold. Crumbly, crystally, tangy and simply divine just on its own, or perhaps with a glass of Lambrusco?

Gnocco fritto - the 'fried gnocco' (yes gnocchi are plural) is a golden, puffed-up pillow of deep-fried dough which the Modenesi love for breakfast with jam or with meats ad cheeses for lunch. Definitely one worth trying, you won't find it anywhere else.

Mamma mia, all this regional food talk has made me hungry!

I'm off to find the closest market.

What are you having for lunch?

Mercato Albinelli Market Stalls:

Open from Monday to Friday 7am -3pm and Saturday's 7am -7pm.

Restaurants and Bars:

Open from Monday to Sunday midday to 3pm and 6.30am to 11pm.

We're in full Carnival swing!

So, what are we eating?

Carnival is more of a time than a day.

With excitement building from the beginning of the new year, February is known as Carnival Month in Italy so we're busy enjoying the most deliciously indulgent of dolcetti - Frittelle.

In Veneto, where Venice Carnival is a winter extravaganza, there are two main contenders for Carnival treats, Frittelle and Crostoli.

Both deep-fried but very different, you'll spot the appearance of these Carnival favourites throughout the region in supermarkets, patisseries and bakeries as soon the Christmas decorations come down on the Epiphany, 4th of January. We may enjoy a casual frittella here and there in January, but when Carnival Month rolls around, we're indulging in our favourites with regular gusto until it all ends on Shrove Tuesday in a flourish of confetti, masks, costumes and street parades. If you're lucky enough to experience Carnival in Venice, make sure to find a spot on Piazza San Marco to witness the iconic flight of the Carnival Angel!

What are Crostoli?

'These are also deep fried, but instead of soft, doughy balls, crostoli are crispy and flat. Made in different shapes and called different names throughout Italy - Frappe, Chiacchiere, Bugie, Cenci, Sfrappole, in Naples they're dipped in a rich chocolate cream called sanguinaccio, as it contains pig's blood.'

From our Blog Post: Carnevale - A Time of Raucous Indulgence

What's a Frittella?

From the Italian for 'fried' - fritto, these palm-sized dumplings are essentially a type of doughnut. A dough of wheat flour, eggs, sugar and yeast is spooned into hot oil and then typically stuffed with a filling, and here's where the party gets started...

Whilst frittella fillings traditionally include crema (custard cream), Nutella, whipped cream or zabaione (an egg-based boozy crema with Marsala liqueur), every Carnival that comes around brings something new - apple, crema di pistacchio, lemon or dark chocolate - we're never getting bored of these 'spongy inside but crispy outside' delicacies!

The Origins of Frittelle

Considered 'Capital of Italian Carnival' (by the Venetians of course), it's natural they claim the origins of the frittella. These Carnival favourites are found mainly in Venice's region of Veneto so story goes that they were first made here in the 8th century even if little balls of fried dough called frictilia were also a thing in Ancient Rome. Back in the 17th century, every quarter of Venice had its own fritelero whose job was to sell freshly-fried frittelle di Carnevale to passers-by from their pop-up. Their recipes were handed down to their children, as was their business, and so the tradition continued.

The first Frittelle di Carnevale were made with dried fruit to add flavour and dusted in icing sugar, these can still be found in Venice called fritole. The rest of Italy calls them zeppole and makes them according to regional preferences - in Naples, they're made for Father's Day with custard crema and called Frittole di San Giuseppe.

Types of Frittelle

One of the first questions you'll be asked when purchasing a tray of frittelle (outside of Venice) is, "Con o senza uvetta?" - 'With or without raisins?' Much like panettone at Christmas - with or without canditi?

But on the island, there's only one true type and that's the classic fritola veneziana made with raisins, pine nuts, orange peel and a local liqueur like grappa. These are Venice's favourite Carnival treats which are lovingly made at home by le mamme as soon as Carnival month comes around.

Castagnole are another ancient Carnival dolcetto here in Venice. These were originally baked but now are deep-fried and even if the dough sounds similar to that of the frittella, castognole are smaller, harder and never filled, they're named after the chestnut.

An interesting version, if you ever get the chance, is the apple frittella - slices of apples, battered, fried and dusted in sugar - deliziose!

In Venice's oldest of pastry shops, Dal Nono Colussi, fritole are still made col buso - with a hole, just as they were in the 600s when they were sold by the frittelle-sellers on a stick. You'll find fritole veneziane all over the city during the period of Carnival, some patisseries refuse to make anything else out of tradition and principle so if you're after the gorgeous version with a filling, Majer has pastry shops dotted all about with a huge range! We say, "Pick one of each!"

Don't expect to pay more than €2 for this gooey, moreish Carnival treat and do what the Venetians do - pop into a pastry shop on your way to wherever you're going and grab a tray,we're all expecting one...

Make the most of Carnival decadence while you can because after these heady days of indulgence, along comes the gran finale of Shrove Tuesday - Martedi Grasso (Mardi Gras or Pancake Day) and all festivities, including frittelle, disappear from Ash Wednesday until next year.

Find the recipe for Frittelle alla Veneziane in our new cookbook Appetito ❤️

Buona frittella amici and happy Carnival!