It’s been a long time since I last shared a recipe, so I’m just going to get straight to it.
I came up with this recipe to copy a dish I had at Padella, an amazing Italian restaurant right outside the London Bridge tube stop. While its dishes aren’t all traditionally done, they are always delicious, and impressively affordable. (more…)
With building facades covered in beautiful street art and its residents trying hard to look like they’re not trying hard to look like a Hipster™, Shoreditch is the trendy London borough in the East of the city. It’s full of unique food options, fun bars, and indie shops, making it the most popular place for young people to congregate on weekends.
When a friend and I wandered through Shoreditch in a search for a cafe to get some work done, we passed by a tiny Italian restaurant that immediately jumped out at us. This may or may not have been due to the “Michelin Guide 2017” sticker plastered on the window. The sticker meant, as we later learned from our friend Google, that Popolo was awarded a Bib Gourmand, the second-tier award under a Michelin star. (more…)
Boston got hit with a big ol’ blizzard yesterday, leaving us all a little bit buried. And as I stare out of my bedroom window onto the adjacent roof tops all covered in a hefty helping of heavy snow, I can’t help but think about what it means to feel stuck.
I’m pretty sure there is no such thing as “stuck”. We make it up so we feel better about not being able to decide what to do with ourselves. When we’re surrounded by a feeling of heavy wetness that prevents us from even leaving the house, it’s easy to feel as if we have no choice but to stay put. We forget how we used to stomp around when we were kids, bundled up to our eyeballs in snow gear, having snowball fights and building igloos with any other kids that happened to be nearby.
We forget how to unstick ourselves.
Necessity is the mother of invention.
For the past couple of months, I’ve been a staunch vegetarian. I’ve never really eaten much meat, so I naively thought that switching from eating a little meat to eating zero meat would be a cinch.
Well…I was wrong. (And I don’t admit that often. Just ask my boyfriend.)
You need a pick-me-up.
Whether you’re mentally preparing for Game of Thrones tonight and feel too fragile thinking about the fate of Jon Snow to do anything too strenuous, or you just need a Sunday morning boost that’s a little more decadent than your typical black cuppa Joe, you need this.
Last summer I went galavanting through Italy and ate all the things. Check it out here, and also here, where I actually show you what real granita di caffe looks like from the famous La Cassa del Caffe Tazza d’Oro. When wandering the narrow cobblestoned streets of Rome, I got a little too used to walking around in the scorching hot sun with one of these in my hand. (more…)
Simplicity.
It’s something we could all use a little more of.
So I’ll do you a solid and get right to the good stuff, because we both know why you’re here. (more…)
Hello friends! We’re doing something a little different today, and sharing two recipes: a main dish and dessert. Because if a little is good, more is better.
The holiday season in Boston is always pretty magical – crunchy leaves on Thanksgiving to accompany the pumpkin pie, and plenty of snow on the ground to welcome Christmas and the New Year. No matter how cold it gets outside, though, sharing warm, home-cooked meals with family is always the highlight of the holidays. As cheesy as it sounds, we love feeling the love.
So we made these recipes with love, for you. Whether you have 78249395 crazy relatives or your family consists of just you and your cat, these are dishes made to share with those you’re closest to.
For these recipes, we’ve partnered up* with Colavita and Perugina, makers of some of the world’s finest olive oils and chocolates, respectively. Olive oil and chocolate are two of our most-used (and most-loved) ingredients, and we love all things Italian, so this partnership was really a no-brainer. And because we love you too, we’re giving you the chance to enter Colavita’s “Join Our Italian Holiday Table” sweepstakes to win a basket full of olive oil and chocolate goodies. Just click on the link at the bottom of this page to enter to win, and thank us later. (more…)
When August rolls into September and I notice the leaves begin to drift lazily to the ground, I usually breathe a sigh of relief at no longer having to wipe droplets of sweat off my forehead and peel myself off of public bus seats. And like the next girl, I always get a little excited thinking about all those comfy autumnal layers I can soon show off.
But this year?
Summer is hanging around a bit longer. The air is still heavy, and I’m still sticking to things. And it really makes me wish I was back in Italy, letting my tongue chase drops of gelato as they rolled down their cone, while I happily sat under a scorching Tuscan sun. Since I’ve been back in Boston, this is what I’ve missed the most: the obligatory afternoon gelato to keep cool (and sane). Unfortunately, it’s hard to find great ice cream here. And when we do, we don’t eat it every day. Which is a damn shame.
So, this is an ode to the gelato I fell in love with in the handful of cities I was lucky enough to visit this summer: Paris, Venice, Florence, Siena, Rome, Parma and Bologna, with the best for last. I hope it inspires you to get yourself a cone before summer slips away. Enjoy!
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This is the third and final part of Eating Through Europe – read up on Part I and Part II to whet your appetite. Part III is all about my visits to Florence, Siena, and Rome. Let’s do this.
Florence
Traveling from the red city of Bologna to the gray city of Florence marked the transition from the Emilia-Romagna region into Tuscany. Florence and Siena, my two stops in Tuscany, were by far the most scenic, and were home to the most beautiful works of art.
In Florence, after a full day of walking through galleries and visiting the David, my stomach demanded sustenance. Luckily, there was a nearby panini shop, All’Antico Vinaio, that had a never-ending line out the door. The enigmatic guys behind the counter made ordering a panino easy – either you told them what you wanted, or they surprised you with a combination of meats, cheeses, and veggies that melded so perfectly together you could say they were the Michaelangelo of sandwiches. I can’t even tell you what the specific ingredients were in my panino, but I do know there was a hefty amount of pecorino cream on each piece of freshly baked rustic focaccia. It was divine.
Welcome to Part II of this series, Eating Through Europe! This part is all about the places I loved in Italy. More specifically, in Venice, Parma, and the foodie’s paradise, Bologna. (Check out all the places I loved in Paris in Part I).
Venice
I quickly realized that Venice in July was populated by more tourists than locals, and I was a little anxious about falling into one of the many tourist-trap eateries that seemed to be on every corner. Luckily, though, I was able to stumble upon couple spots off the beaten path that offered a more authentic view of Venetian fare. First up, though: the outdoor markets.
As it is surrounded by water, it only makes sense that Venetian dining is heavy on the seafood. The bustling fish markets by the Rialto bridge were a sushi-chef’s dream, and the fresh produce stands that accompanied it were a feast for the eyes.
After a full day of getting lost in Venice’s ancient, narrow streets, cicheti (small bites) were the perfect pre-gelato snack. At All’Amarone, these salty cicheti included toast with various salumi, cheeses, olive spreads, and sardines. I was pleasantly surprised by the baccalà mantecato (salted and dried cod cooked in milk to become a creamy, salty spread). It was rich, yet simultaneously light like a mousse, and was one of my favorite foods in Venice.
My other favorite? Dinner at Osteria del Cason, a modern eatery well away from the hustle and bustle of the tourist-filled piazzas. Spaghetti al nero di seppia, a black pasta dish with cuttlefish in a sauce of its own ink, was saltily delicious and the cuttlefish were plump and meaty. If black pasta turns you off, that’s your loss – this was seriously good. Although to be fair, it did stain everything from my gums to the tablecloth (sorry I’m not a perfect eater, guys). The shrimp at Osteria del Cason were also plump, herbed and buttery, and downright drool-worthy. When in Venice, this is the place to go.
While I was sad to leave Venice, I was thrilled to finally get to my next stop: the Emilia-Romagna region. While each region in Italy has their own cuisine, Emilia-Romagna is considered the foodiest region (yes, “foodiest” is the technical term). It’s famous for some of Italy’s richest foods: meats, cheeses, pastas…basically, all the good stuff. Let’s get into it. (more…)
