More tender things for you. Sign up HERE to subscribe to my exclusive monthly newsletter on all things tender and slow living including recipes, food & wine, Italy travel tips and more….. Inspiring choses tendres for elevating the everyday, hoping they may joy to your life and be an encouragement to seek the poetry inside us and all around that lies in most unexpected places and in the most simplest things.
Le Marche, a lovely name, just perfect for this ravishing region. Its immense beauty simply knocks you off your feet. The Adriatic sea and smooth hills descending towards it from the Appennine mountains. embrace the Marche district.
Its fantastic geographical position creates a unique dialogue between “terra e mare” reflecting in its culture as well as in nature. Characteristic towns nestle in the highlands and rigorous secular olive groves and vineyards bless the landscape. Le Marche has it all: sea, rolling hills, mountains, valleys, sublime cuisine and glorious art sites. Starting off our itinerary amidst the saline perfumed nature of Portonovo, nestled in Ancona’s sea resort, Conero Park will make you feel one with nature at a glance.
Mussels, as clams and oysters, are extremely nutritious as very delicious. Those plant-like bivalves could add to food security in aquaculture, that we need so much now. They filter their food from the water, cleaning thus gallons of water by day, and that of course improves the habitat for other sea creatures around them. It is obvious that the cleaner the sea, less hard work for them and purer and healthy product. Now is the high season for the “moscioli”, wild mussels of the Conero regional park area, Marche region, Italy, that starts from april and ends in september. Visitors of the Conero riviera, are ever so lucky to get to taste those exclusive sea gems. I made a simple sautéed version. Mussels are such a great food, just be careful of pick well when buying them.
The inlands of Finale Liguria are a real paradise for outdoor activity, and you have concentrated inside the circle of a few coastal towns a world of various landscapes and hidden treasures, both naturalistic and gastronomical.
There is something for everybody: comfortable beach walks, climbing in the area of rocky caves, Roman bridges and a charming archeological park in Orco Feglino. Here you find three hints for your Finale Ligure weekend.
Baccalà and pizza have one thing in common: they can be prepared in endless ways. Let’s just try to imagine all the pizza variations we have seen recipes of, and the salted cod recipes: An infinity. Baccalà fillets, is an ingredient that I connect to my childhood in Iceland. For children the mashed potato version was and sure still is a big favorite….. with some butter of course to make it even more appetizing. In time I’ve made a pizza version of my beloved baccalà & potato mash.
Spring is a wild season, an awakening season, so full of new, fresh perfumes. One of the top ingredient of the season is the wonderful asparagus. So delicious, so versatile, so rich of minerals and vitamins, and so joyfully green, or sweetly pale. Love it on the pizza with eggs, creamy cheese and parmigiano cheese, maybe with an egg, and some parma ham. This one is a wild one, topped with pea pesto as well, pine nuts and detox artichoke. Feta or fresh goat cheese on top. Whole grain pizza loaded with greens.
Zabaione, known also as zabaglione or zabajone, is an extremely simple italian dessert made of egg yolks, sugar and sweet wine. Marsala or vin santo are the most common wines used in the preparation, but moscato wine is also a delightful ingredient choice, and gives this fantastic dessert a “summerly” air. Topping it with fruit in summer is popular, in winter you could dust some cocoa powder over it for extra comforting richness in taste. The classical lady finger biscuits (savoiardi), or other hard biscotti are always a delicious way to spoon up this tempting egg nog pudding, that N.B. inspired the creation of the historical egg liquor Vov in the 19th century.
Sweet Sunday Morning. When starting the day with a sweet bite, it becomes even sweeter itself. That is at least my theory. Some honey in your tea, a little cinnamon in the milky rice, some fruits in your yogurt, a marmalade on your toast…. and once in a while a little more indulgence, like these mini pancakes, with caramel ricotta, chocolate covered “in season” strawberries & toasted pine nuts. Various fruits are perfect here, use your fantasy and look out for possibly what’s in season.
Spring on toast & toast for spring. Grab the season of rebirth and cherry blossoms into your hand and savor these springful toast slices accompanying your senses into the new cycle of life with colors, delicate taste, seasonal food, elegance and a completely natural sparkling wine from LaStaffa, a classical method biodynamic verdicchio wine with a small percentage of trebbiano grapes, a true rarety, cultivated in the rolling hills of Staffolo nestled in the hills in the north of the Marche region, in the Esino valley. In fact its name is “Mai sentito” (Never before heard of). It is a perfect match here and its so appropriate to make a toast to spring, summer coming up and Mother Earth, with this fresh, crisp, fruity and extremely convivial natural spumante, expressing in such a beautiful way the distinct characteristics of the area.
Asparagus, bacon strips, butter. A classic. Like a 19th century novel or a Bach minuet. Everything perfectly in place, in harmony as it should be, yet so inspired. The orange pepper and the parmigiano butter give a little twist to this all time classic, to be enjoyed with asparagus in season.
