Never would have thought I could obtain these results in my regular oven and without special equipment. But after 11 months of weekly baking, fresh sourdough loaves have become a reliable tradition in our family. I’ve been thinking of posting my method for a while, but only now feel confident that it’s sufficiently streamlined and … Continue reading "Home-Baked Sourdough Bread – At Last!"

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For the first time in this blog, I have the pleasure to feature a guest post. This article is by enologist, writer, and photographer Melinda King. To know more about Melinda, check out The Premise of Italian Cuisine podcast. Melinda King Italian culture is special in ways that are delicately combined, tangible and intangible. It … Continue reading "Geographical Indications: Italian Food, Made Official Or “Complicated Simplicity”"

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For a narrated version of this article, please check out: Italian Words Gone Wrong – Mistakes on the Menu Even though Italian food is prominent in North America as well as other English speaking countries, restaurant menus often use Italian words in ways that are not even remotely close to what would sound natural to … Continue reading "Italian Words Gone Wrong – 6 Mistakes Native Italians Don’t Make"

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I came to Vancouver in 2001, right after getting my Electronic Engineering degree. I had a six-month contract as a software engineer, joining an Italo-Canadian development team. Naturally, I was very excited for the professional experience that awaited me, but I was even more excited for the opportunity to discover a big new city in an … Continue reading "An Italian in Canada – From the Food of Italy to “Italian Food”"

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Proxemics, the study of interpersonal communication, defines “personal space” as the cylinder of air surrounding each person which people consider as an extension of their body. The personal radius is largest between strangers and shrinks down the more people know one another, reaching zero (physical contact) for parent-child relationships and for couples. The personal radius … Continue reading "Personal Space – Why Italians Seem to Require Less of it"

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A few weeks ago, Diana Zahuranec, friend and recurring podcast guest, asked me if I was interested in writing a guest post for her blog: Once Upon a Time in Italy. Having lived in Italy for 5 years, Diana couldn’t help but notice that, when it comes to food, the otherwise chaotic Italians seem to follow a … Continue reading "My Guest Post on The Basic Rules of Italian Food"

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~~~ This article is available in narrated version. Check it out! ~~~ Every year, when I go back to Italy to see my family, I manage to squeeze in a visit to a mercato. As you may have guessed, the word “mercato” means “market”, but what’s a mercato (plural: mercati) to the Italians? I asked … Continue reading "Il Mercato – The Tradition of the Italian Street Market"

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I am very excited to announce that I have been invited to participate in a food lit event that will take place in Turin (Piedmont, Italy) this coming September. The event is titled “Turin Epicurean Capital” and will revolve around the universal meaning of food in life – naturally, a topic I feel strongly about. … Continue reading "Truffles Uncovered"

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Chicken eggs are one of the world’s most popular foods and have a significant presence in the diet of both Italians and North Americans. However, their aspect and the way they are consumed are substantially different between Italy and North America. In this article, I will list 5 of these differences, while also describing why … Continue reading "A World of Eggs – How They Differ Between Italy and North America"

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If you like blue cheese, but you haven’t tried Gorgonzola (), you’re going to love it. If you don’t like blue cheese, and you try Gorgonzola, you might very well start to like blue cheese! In fact, next to the traditional Piccante (pungent) variety, the milder Dolce (sweet) variety meets the palate of those who … Continue reading "Gorgonzola – The Italian Blue"

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