Oh, Go On - Send Me Press Releases

June 16, 2008 · Filed Under This blog · Comment

Well, why not? If you have anything to do with something Italian, or related to Italy, an event for example, then do let me know, and I’ll write a post about it. I’m especially interested in events that are a little different and original, but I’ll consider anything anyone is kind enough to send me.

At this very moment I’m cooking something up about a forthcoming event, and will be ‘going to press’ as soon as I receive a reply to an email. Indeed, it was a recent contact which sparked this little idea.

In return, but by no means feel obliged, if you think this blog helped generate some interest, then a quick mention at the event would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers!

Alex

Tags: Art, Culture, event, Events, exhibition, fair, Italian, Italian Food, Italy, music, press release, press releases, show, venue, venues, Wine

Eat like a God in the Aligia Restaurant, Vrasi

April 11, 2008 · Filed Under Italian Food · Comment

According to my Italy expert, Gaetano Salvo, ’si mangia da Deo’ - ‘you eat like a God’ (rough translation from Italian), or rather ‘the food is wonderful’ in the Aligia Restaurant (map link), down in Vrasi. Vrasi, by the way, is about half way between Salerno and Catanzaro in south Italy, and a little inland from a place called Diamante, as you will see if you click on the link above.

When someone like Gaetano, who has excellent taste in food and wine I might add, praises a restaurant, then it’s worth checking out.

If you find yourself in that neck of the woods, try it, and do let me know how well you ate - especially if you come out feeling all powerful.

I’ve asked Gaetano for some more information on Aligia Restaurant’s menu, and when he sends it to me, I’ll post it here.

Tags: eat, Italian, Italian Food, Italy, restaurant, restaurants

Waste not, want not

January 5, 2008 · Filed Under Italian Food · 1 Comment

Yesterday I cooked up an improvised cacuicco, which, if you do not know, is an Italian fish soup. I’d had this soup several times, so I though I’d have a go at making it, in order to use up some seafood that had been left over from our New Year’s festivities.

I did not follow any particular recipe, although I had a quick look at one such recipe on the Internet, more or less to confirm how this soup is made. All I did was to pour a bottle of tomato pulp into a pan, add a little salt and pepper, a dash of garlic, a little chilli powder and then a glass of white wine. Then I just let the mix simmer for half an hour or so. Result? Very tasty, and even my Italian other half said it was ‘excellent’. Not bad for some improvisation.

Today, again in order to use up some of the left overs, my other half, following a recipe, created some salmon stuffed with cheese. It cooked in a jiffy, looked great, but, as I realised as soon as I put a piece into my mouth, the salmon had gone off. Just as well I managed to prevent other half from feeding our little one a nice chunk of rancid salmon.

Oh well, you win some, and you lose some. At least we tried to use up this goodies, without throwing them away.

And, this evening, I ran up some vin bruleè, which is the Italian version of mulled wine. I found an ‘Alpini’ vin bruleè recipe on the Internet (great source of genuine Italian recipes - especially if you can read Italian) , and had a go. Result? Highly drinkable, if a little sweet. Less demerara sugar would have made it more tangy, as would have a little more lemon. Still, it’s going down very well, and is just the thing to sort out my annoying little cold, I can tell you. At least that is what I’m telling myself….

Tags: Cheese, drink, internet, Italia, Italian, Italian Food, new year, tomato, white, Wine