No matter the size of your guest list, a birthday party can be a daunting event to prep for. One detail that you shouldn’t have to stress about is the menu. The simplest way to go is a meal that’s affordable and accessible. Providing food can be as easy as requesting the nearest pizza delivery. […]
Sous vide cooking with Anova Nano
Time to play I have had some fun playing with my new Anova Nano precision cooker lately. If you are at all culinary inclined you have probably heard of sous vide cooking, the method of vac packing or bagging a food product and then cooking it in a water bath. Precisely controlled The water can […]
Provisions – a book review
Dark and Dreary months During these dark and dreary months here in the Pacific North West it was like a ray of sunshine when I opened my copy of Provisions a cookbook with roots in Caribbean cooking. Written by sisters Michelle and Suzanne Rousseau, very successful restaurateurs in Kingston Jamaica with their groundbreaking restaurant Ciao Bella, fusing classic […]
Matera Unesco World Heritage Site
Matera Unesco Heritage Site Waking up and walking out onto the balcony we looked out the Sassi of Matera. We were over two months into our grand tour of Italy and the spectacle of this ancient city had reinvigorated our hearts and imagination with its Escher style architecture filled with surprises. Some quiet spots We […]
Altamura to Matera in 20 minutes
Pulling out Pulling out of Altamura our Fiat 500 was filled with the smell of fresh bread still working its magic sitting in the sun on the back seat. Looking forward to a brisk jaunt of twisting scenic country road to our next destination, Matera, I was sadly disappointed with a new boringly straight stretch […]
Panificio Di Gesù and Altamura’s DOP Bread
Half-asleep or half-cut I awoke to the sound of the shower running. Nat was already up but it was going to take a lot for me to get out of my envelope of comfort and warmth in our cozy hideaway in Altamura. The rain was still pouring down but the weather was expected to improve […]
Tales from the Table: Pein Assutt
Getting to Altamura After the snow, rain, sleet, construction, high street and low, we found ourselves approaching the glorious little town of Altamura in the comune of Apulia in the province of Bari. The sun had popped out and I made an awesome sighting of a group of wild boar (cingale) that barreled over a […]
Florence to Pescara and Arrosticini
Sunday morning It was a chilly and quiet Sunday morning as we pulled out of the parking garage onto the empty streets of Florence. Our Fiat 500 felt tight and images of the Italian job passed through my mind. It was still early so we had the streets to ourselves and in no time flat […]
