I can’t believe I haven’t written about this yet. It was just such an incredible experience that I had to let it marinate for a while so that the words came out right…. but then I forgot about writing it. So here we are, six months later. Seuppa valpellenentze ready to go in the oven […]
About Annie
An Ode to Agretti
Agretti, Agretti, how do I love thee! I’m sure the neighbors think I’m crazy. I’ve been waltzing around the house proclaiming my love to this deletable vegetable in song. But if ever a vegetable deserved to be serenaded, it is agretti. I stopped by our village vegetable market on my way to picking up some […]
Roasted Brussels Sprouts…I love you!
I think I have a Brussels sprouts problem. I used to hate them. Passionately. I remember being dared to smell one as a child, and it scarred me for life. However, I recently started craving them out of the blue (it freaked me out, to be honest. Who craves Brussels sprouts?), and I’ve been roasting- […]
Why I’ve been MIA….my soap business!
Sorry that I’ve been away! There are many wonderful things to write about, but I haven’t had a spare moment. In a nutshell, I’ve finally started up my handmade soap and natural body care business here in Italy! It is called ‘Fleur de Lune’, and it’s going even better than I anticipated. Unfortunately, I can’t […]
The Désarpa, AKA Cows with Flower Towers
Get excited or run away, but it’s time for yet another post about one of my favorite subjects…. cows! I don’t know what it is about ‘cow culture’ that fascinates me. More than anything, I guess it is that I am fascinated with the local fascination with cows. You could say cows are a way […]
Pasta e Fagioli….. yum!
Pasta e fagioli…. according to my very Italian husband Gianluca, ‘It is simple and tasty. I can tell you I’ve seen business men eating their pasta e fagioli in their suit and tie, just to tell you how good it is.’ Pasta e fagioli translates as ‘pasta and beans’. Sounds pretty boring, huh? Gianluca proved […]
Fresh Figs Topped with Bleu d’Aoste, Balsamic & Caramelized Onions
I really need to stop making posts about using seasonal foods right when they are going out of season. But this is too good to not share! My excuse is that I was busy eating and creating recipes like the one below, and not writing. Earlier this summer, I had what felt like a stroke […]
Cornmeal Crusted Zucchini and Tomato Tower
Soon after planting my garden this year, I realized I made a mistake. Four zucchini plants are far too many for a household of two! We soon became very sick of zucchini. That is, until a couple of weeks ago when I came up with a spectacular use of the veggie, inspired by a […]
Napolean Lives Here: the strangest museum in the world
Whenever I drive south of my village in Valle d’Aosta, I’ve passed by a bizarre site. It almost seems like a junkyard, but not quite. It is a lot on the side of the road filled with strange constructions made of scrap metal, ancient industrial fans on tall polls with brightly colored paint peeling […]
Jam Making for Jamaphobes
It’s jam season! Yum! Plum & star anise jam on top of local goat toma and organic walnut sourdough bread baked in a wood fired oven Actually, it’s been jam-making season for quite some time, but I’ve been too busy canning to write about it. Even as I’m writing, I hear the plums insisting that […]
