Filippo Berio Olive Oil

Filippo Berio, dressing your dishes in olive oil all year round…     Popular olive oil company Filippo Berio has launched a new stylish tin just in time for those early Christmas shoppers. This year’s tin features “The Lady of Viareggio” from one of Italy’s most stylish, Tuscan resorts and home to Filippo Berio – […]

Euro Woes: Supporting the Italian lira

When the countries of Europe embraced the euro they sacrificed part of their identities – Mario Matassa ponders the much-loved lira, and the growing number of Italians who are beginning to support its return… Dolore Euro Più di un semplice valore monetario, una moneta può avere un’anima? Qualunque sia il clima economico, non potrei mai […]

From Here to There: Autumn in Amalfi

The Amalfi coast is an array of colour as the first sign of autumn reaches Italy… The first signs of autumn arrive quietly on the Amalfi Coast. I try to hold onto the last warmth of the summer days, which seemed as if they would never come to an end. Yet, the evenings are already […]

Italian Parmesan Cheese Review

Named after the region in which it is produced, delicious Parmigiano Reggiano is by far Italy’s most popular cheese. We test seven and give you a flavour of our findings… The recent earthquake in northern Italy has deeply affected the production of Parmigiano Reggiano. During the disaster, high stacks of shelved cheese wheels – each […]

Tuscany Review

Find your way around beautiful Tuscany with this extensive guide… TUSCANY by Rebecca Ford, Footprint, £13.99 (paperback) Tuscany has an embarrassment of riches for the visitor, and so it’s no surprise that this exhaustive guide book runs to 320 pages. It features in-depth advice and tips for all the major parts of the region and […]

The Honoured Society Review

Delve into the story of the Mafia in this gripping non-fiction novel, ‘The Honoured Society’… The Honoured Society by Petra Reski, Atlantic Books, £17.99 (hardback) This exposé of the Cosa Nostra reveals the startling breadth of the Mafia’s corrupting influence in Italian government and details the expanding operation of the competing ’Ndrangheta whose reach now […]

The Art of Pasta Review

Look no further for authentic Italian pasta recipes than Lucio Galletto’s and David Dale’s The Art of Pasta… From the culinary luminaries who brought Lucio’s Italian Restaurant to Australia comes this new guide to making and cooking pasta. The Art of Pasta is filled with 160 authentic recipes, complemented by elegant artwork and photography. The […]

The Last of the Vostyachs Review

Diego Marani’s new novel, ‘The Last of the Vostyachs’, is an Italian translation that should not be missed… The Last of the Vostyachs by Diego Marani, Dedalus Books£9.99 (paperback) Some of you may have already heard of Diego Marani. His last novel New Finnish Grammar has been a runaway cult success, and rightly so – […]

Pasta Artigiana Review

Enjoy a wealth of pasta recipes with Nino Zoccali’s Pasta Artigiana… Pasta Artigiana by Nino Zoccali, Murdoch Books, £20 (hardback) If you miss the taste of Italy while waiting for your next overseas trip, Nino Zoccali’s Italian recipe book should help sate those cravings. As the title suggests, this is a heavily pasta-based cook book, […]

Pete Evans’ Pizza Review

Test your palette with Pete Evans’ weird and wonderful pizza recipes… PIZZA by Pete Evans, Murdoch Books, £18.99 (hardback) Over the course of some 250 pages, award-winning Australian chef Pete Evans details a whole range of pizzas, including some intriguing variations such as breakfast pizzas with sausage and fried egg, and some less obvious toppings […]