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I
am in Verona, one of the prettiest and most historic cities of Norther
Italy -- it was founded by the Romans, who built to last -- there's
still a Roman gate and an Amphiteatro where operas are held in the
summer months -- and also has a great many Romanesque churches,
including San Zeno, which has an 11th century bronze door with frieze
panels that, unlike those of Nicola Pisano's Baptistry door in Florence,
have a very distant feel to them.
Unfortunately, I haven't seen much of this, because I'm at Vinitaly, the
major Italian wine trade show, looking for new wineries to write about.
Four very intense days of tastings and meetings, and then home, to
digest it all.
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Almost Wordless Wednesday: Ragusano
Ragusano
is one of the older and more classic Sicilian cheeses, and is quite
impressive to look at -- this block was close to two feet (about 50 cm)
long,... Read more
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A Belated Happy San Giuseppe!
San
Giuseppe, Saint Joseph's Day, is March 19 -- tomorrow. Since he was
Jesus's father, in Italy San Giuseppe is Father's Day; because he was a
resourceful type, he's also... Read more
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Italian in English: Torta di Ricotta, or Ricotta Cheesecake
It's
time to start thinking about Easter, which is celebrated in many parts
of Italy with cakes that either contain ricotta or are made primarily
from it. They range from... Read more
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Vinitaly, and A Memorable Meal
A
number of years ago Lorenzo Begali, who makes very fine Valpolicella
and an Amarone worth writing home about, invited me to dinner the last
night of Vinitaly. It was pouring, and the roads were flooding, but when
we arrived it was toasty warm, with a fire in the fire place, and they
had also invited other winemaking friends (all local), who had brought
in addition to wine, food. So when the coffee arrived I found myself
taking jotting down the recipes...
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