trains and sandy feet: santa marinella & and a pot of mussels

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Summer is here and the aroma of spaghetti alle vongole and big bowls of sautéed mussels is in the air.  When I wrote my Marinara article for Great Ocean Quarterly I researched the sustainability of mussels and mussel eating habits around…

a big pot of fish: Sicilian seafood soup

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I've just finished reading a 1001 nights like tale* set in 11th Century Sicily where the exotic Yasmina beguiles a Norman count in order to spare her condemned brother.  As you can imagine it all resolves around the myriad of flavors that are…

autumn gold: pumpkin risotto

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The best Italian pumpkin is to be found in the Mantova in the North of the country, about halfway between Milan and Venice and just above the super food cities of Parma and Modena.  This is where the Alps tumble down onto the wide Padana…

Autumn recipes from Milan

This time 5 years ago I was in Milan with my wonderfully talented friend Robyn Lea, researching the food element for her stunning book Milan: Discovering Food, Fashion and Family in a Private City.  It was an unforgettable experience; being…