Fleur Kinson shares the low-down on different parts of Lombardy to help you decide which area would be perfect for your new life in Italy. Photos by Getty Images Lombardy is the economic powerhouse of Italy, and prices here reflect that, especially in the capital, Milan, which is one of the most businesslike and affluent […]
The stylish region of Lombardy combines romantic Alpine lakesides and elegant little cities. It’s long been loved by foreign property buyers, and with good reason, says Fleur Kinson Lombardy photos by Getty Images With an annual GDP that’s double the size of Italy’s next most productive region, Lombardy has been rightly dubbed the ‘economic […]
Mario Matassa shares his paradise cake recipe – a cake that miraculously improves with age and is better if made one or two days in advance… The name ‘paradise cake’ comes from the fact that the cake is as light as air (like paradise). It has a dry, fragile texture, so is usually filled with a […]
For a festive centrepiece Italian-style you can’t go wrong with roast guinea fowl (faraona ripiena). Mario Matassa gives us the low-down… There are a number of ways to cook guinea fowl, but at Christmas a roast seems almost obligatory. The key to a good roast is to make sure you do not overcook. You might […]
This delicious appetiser is perfect in its simplicity and requires minimal preparation time. Mario Matassa shares the recipe with us… For this crostini dish it is important to find plump prawns and to make sure that the pancetta is sliced very thinly as it has to become crisp just as the prawns are cooked: Serves 4 […]
These golden balls of deep-fried dough smothered in honey and decorated with candied peel make a wonderful centrepiece for the festive table, says Mario Matassa Struffoli, from Naples, are prepared and eaten all over Italy at Christmas. Here’s how to make them: Serves 6-8 Preparation time 30 minutes, plus resting Cooking time 45 minutes Ingredients: • 300g […]
Full of the strong flavours that are typical of the region, this Campanian dish will evoke memories for anyone who has ever visited Naples – Here’s Mario Matassa’s take on ‘reinforcing salad’: Insalata di rinforzo (‘reinforcing salad’) hails from Campania in the south of Italy. Its name refers to its capacity to reinforce the appetite. It can […]
Baccalà alla napoletana (salt cod) is a hugely popular dish in Italy, and is a popular Christmas Eve dish among Italians. Mario Matassa shows us how it’s done… Baccalà is sold everywhere in Italy in the run-up to Christmas. It is important to buy it in advance as it needs to be soaked in water for […]
A midwinter’s dawn breaks at Poggio Alemanno in Oltrepò Pavese, illuminating the remains of the previous night’s light snowfall. Photo by Getty Images We tend to associate winter snow with northern Europe, but in fact snowfall in Italy, in the north at least, is a lot more common than we might imagine. In the mountains, […]
Mario Matassa reveals the secrets of Italian festive food. Though Christmas Day provides the climax of the occasion, the Christmas Eve feast provides the perfect opportunity to warm up for the big event Photos by Mario Matassa Festive holidays are always special occasions in Italy, and none more so than Christmas. In a country where […]