Thanks to my wonderful husband, I have the perfect assortment of herbs growing in a pot just outside my kitchen door.  It makes adding fresh herbs like Basil, Oregano, Thyme and Sage to my cooking so easy. A few tips: […]

It’s the end of the tomato season and at the fresh vegetable market you can now by tomatoes buy the box for as little as $10. It’s the perfect time to be canning your own tomatoes. The fruit is ripe, full of […]

It’s hard to imagine cooking without Solanum Lycopersicum aka the Tomato. But this fruit is actually relatively new to the gastronomic world. Most likely the first variety to reach Europe from South America was yellow in color, since in Spain […]

Did you miss Rima at NapaStyle in Yountville last weekend?  Not to worry – Claudia will be demonstrating the art of making Risotto at NapaStyle, Los Gatos this Sat. Sept. 25th from 4 to 7 pm.  You have seen the […]

This morning my daughter wanted muffins for breakfast and was resistant to my suggestion of making them from scratch.  She was very hungry and wanted them NOW! Nothing new with a teenager.  I told her that I could make muffins […]

In Italy we have the habit of eating fish when we are by the seaside and meat when we are inland. I know that nowadays thanks to fast modern transportation we can have fresh fish, even sushi grade anywhere, but […]

Many of you are fans of our 5 Minute Focaccia Mix.  For a flavorful twist, put these Caramelized Onions on top of the focaccia before you bake it. Saute’ 1/2 onion – chopped fine, 1 clove garlic – minced and […]

To make Panzerotti, also called Sgabei, we use pizza dough. Panzerotti are a typical dish of Toscana and Liguria. To be exact, the recipe originates from the Lunigiana area. This is what the peasant’s wifes used to make with the left over pizza or bread dough. Nowadays Panzerotti are served […]

We have been asked by the producers of the show Sacramento and Co. ABC  channel 10 to demonstrate on TV a typical family dinner. Now that school is back, parents are preoccupied planning meals that are easy to make, nutritious for the kids and easy […]

I am back in California and still struggling with jet lag and culture shock. That happens every time I go back home and stay longer than a week! The good thing is that I always get over it. As promised, […]