top of page
Search


Lolida's Carnevale
I rarely write about desserts, let alone post recipes, because 1- I don't really like to make desserts (too much precision required), and...
Jennifer McIlvaine
Mar 22, 20192 min read


Research: Torta al Testo
Will the real Torta al Testo please step foward? Umbrians are by definition, traditionalists. So I was floored the other day when, dining...
Jennifer McIlvaine
Mar 22, 20194 min read


My Favorite Sagra (that I've never been too)
I have been recommending to friends and tourists alike to attend the Festa del Bosco in Montone for years... but I've never been to it! ...
Jennifer McIlvaine
Mar 22, 20192 min read


The Secret Garden of Umbria
I have a secret place…. And this place has a secret garden…. I don’t remember how I found it…. I think I was driving around with...
Jennifer McIlvaine
Mar 22, 20191 min read


Sotto Sopra
In English we say that we are “putting up” when we talk about preserving fruits & vegetables, but in Italy, many things are “put under,”...
Jennifer McIlvaine
Mar 22, 20192 min read
Sagra-landia
It’s that time of year again, when small towns in Umbria (and the rest of Italy) literally explode with festivals. Some are music...
Jennifer McIlvaine
Mar 22, 20194 min read
Corn, Corn Everywhere... but not a kernel to eat...!
It cracks me up when my neighbors pull me over to tell me something “top secret.” This time it was about corn….well not just corn, which...
Jennifer McIlvaine
Mar 22, 20192 min read


Stracciatella Affogatto al Caffe': The Anti-Cappuccino
Well, I’ve done it! I’ve cracked the code. I should get an award or something from the general Italian population. I figured out a...
Jennifer McIlvaine
Mar 22, 20192 min read
Ciao Thyme Culinary Intensive: Umbria
Spring has just sprung... but we are already thinking about Autumn! Ciao Thyme of Bellingham, WA, in collaboration with me at...
Jennifer McIlvaine
Mar 22, 20191 min read


Il Piatto di Sant'Antonio
This weekend I participated in one of my new favorite annual events: Il Piatto di Sant'Antonio or Dish of St. Anthony. From what I...
Jennifer McIlvaine
Mar 22, 20191 min read


Menu di Pasqua a Casa Nostra
Menu for Easter at our house- the Easter meal is usually centered around a baby lamb - we had a whole baby goat from a cheesemaker in...
Jennifer McIlvaine
Mar 22, 20191 min read


It's Official...
After over 3 years of living in Italy, I am officially an official resident! Why did it take so long??? Well my permesso di soggiorno...
Jennifer McIlvaine
Mar 22, 20192 min read


A Simple Thanksgiving for 50
Choosing which holiday to spend in which country can be difficult, but after 3 years, I've got it down: Christmas: USA - Umbria is so...
Jennifer McIlvaine
Mar 22, 20193 min read


La Nostra Vacanza
Our Vacation through Abruzzo, Puglia, and Basilicata: 12 days / giorni c. 2000 kilometers 1 itinerary / programma 300+ photos/foto 2...
Jennifer McIlvaine
Mar 22, 20191 min read


Becoming Cannarese...
Cannara: "Welcome to the land where the nature smiles at you and the traditions have a heart." What one needs to live in Cannara: a love...
Jennifer McIlvaine
Mar 22, 20191 min read
Vinitaly 2009
Sunday and Monday I was in Verona for my third annual VinItaly trip. By chance I spent almost the entire day Sunday this year tasting...
Jennifer McIlvaine
Mar 22, 20192 min read
...but will there be a Turkey??
ahhhh...the burning question these days..... I am planning to have a 4th of July party at Basilikó this year just for fun, and because...
Jennifer McIlvaine
Mar 22, 20192 min read


2 Sundays...2 Big Dinners... 2 Much Wine
Two weeks ago I made my way up to Verona for the annual VinItaly fair to do some wine tasting for the restaurant. Last year I went for 3...
Jennifer McIlvaine
Mar 22, 20192 min read


Le Terme di Viterbo
What to do when winter's got you down, you feel overworked, and summer is just too far away... (though I've heard they've already started...
Jennifer McIlvaine
Mar 22, 20191 min read
The Year in Review
One year and 2 days ago, I arrived in Italy and turned a new page in my life - looking back, its been quite a year! In 2007 I .......
Jennifer McIlvaine
Mar 22, 20191 min read
bottom of page