Rustic adj.   1.  of, relating to, or typical of country life   2.  a. lacking refinement or elegance; coarse   b. charmingly simple or understated

Retro adj.   involving, relating to, or reminiscent of things past

I have thought often about changing the name of this blog…  Should it have my name in the title?  Is the name rustica retro too off-centre or too pretentious?  Is there a cleverer expression out there that better sums up what I like to write about?  A good friend then told me that everyone ends up hating their blog name, and that I should just shut up and stick with it.  In the end I do have a penchant for all things rustic, and am a chronic hoarder, and not just of objects, but ways of doing things; recipes, sewing patterns and other things I have learnt from my mother, and she in turn from her mother. The sort of felicità that comes from having recycled the dinner left-overs, patched a pair of jeans and turned an unused linen table cloth into a set of curtains.

I was born in 1970 and christened Alice Esther Mary Adams.  At eighteen I changed my middle name to Kiandra in an act of youthful independence.  In 2005 I came to Rome to spend a year perfecting my Italian and learning more about the voluminous cucina Italiana, and so extensive has that research proved to be that I am still here.   I live between Rome and a small town called Lubriano; which lies between lake Bolsena and Orvieto in northern Lazio.  I am a cook, and as an extension of that I work as a food stylist, and when I get the opportunity I develop recipes (mainly for Italian clients) and write articles about Italian regional food.  I like talking politics, mercatini, and gathering things to cook with.  My favourite restaurants are the nondescript ones where you (almost) always find the most authentic food.

photo: Mark Chew

To view my food styling and published work click here.

I do gastronomic tours and cooking lessons for Casa Mia food and wine, as well as tailored seasonal cooking experiences for which you should email me at alicekiandra.adams@gmail.com

To visit our house at Lubriano on Air B’n’B  click here.