The perennially popular Italian folk tune “Bella Ciao” has roots in 19th-century farm laborer protests in northern Italy, but this simple yet stirring…
Amy Gulick
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Amy, a California native who called Tuscany home for 20+ years, writes about Italian feast day traditions, food folklore, and food-related trends and issues in Italian society. She has also translated several Italian cookbooks and works as an English and Writing professor.
Articles by Amy Gulick
Thu, 02/02/2023 - 15:09
Arguably no gastronomic product is more strongly connected to Milan than panettone, Italy’s beloved Christmastime fruitcake made with candied fruit pe…
Mon, 12/19/2022 - 11:20
While Italy’s cast of Christmas characters includes some very familiar figures — Babbo Natale (Santa), naturally, and La Befana, the frumpy Christmas…
Wed, 08/10/2022 - 06:39
On August 10, Italians celebrate San Lorenzo (Saint Lawrence), patron saint of cooks, brewers and vintners, butchers, bakers, confectioners, restaurat…
Recipes by Amy Gulick
Thu, 06/23/2016 - 02:32
A refreshing and pretty twist on the classic spritz. Use peppermint, spearmint, or other variety of fresh mint to make the liqueur. For very sweet…
Fri, 05/27/2016 - 04:45
Versatile mackerel or sgombri in Italian are a great fish for grilling, baking or frying. Like all oily fish, sgombri should be consumed as fresh…
Fri, 04/29/2016 - 05:21
Purists will scoff, but you really can make lasagna out of just about anything. The vegetarian version here gets all its wonderful flavor from fresh…
Fri, 04/08/2016 - 04:10
Meaning something like ‘small bundle’, involtino is the diminutive of the Italian word involto, which in turn is rooted in the Latin involvo and…
Mon, 03/21/2016 - 16:28
If you’ve got a backyard sage plant, soon enough you’ll be up your elbows in fresh leaves. This resilient aromatic perennial—long used in cooking,…
Fri, 03/04/2016 - 05:26
These gnocchetti or ‘little gnocchi’ are another great way to use up old bread, made much in keeping with the spirit and practice of the Italian…
Fri, 02/19/2016 - 04:22
Photo By Emiko Davies
The cucina povera has given us some remarkable Italian dishes. From stale bread-based specialties like pappa al pomodoro and…
Fri, 01/22/2016 - 04:16
The clam known as vongola verace in Italy (Venerupis decussate) is from the large Veneridae family and is without a doubt the most prized clam to be…
Thu, 12/31/2015 - 02:11
Popular in Sicily, where it's known as c'anciova e muddica, this pasta dish combines savory and sweet flavors with the crunch of toasted muddica—…
Thu, 12/24/2015 - 02:41
This dessert is a sweet twist on the classic orange-and-Campari flavor combination so popular in drinks like the Negroni, the Americano, and a spritz…
Fri, 12/11/2015 - 05:25
For a small town, Vicchio del Mugello in northeast Tuscany holds a goodly share of historical fascination. Among its notable sons are Giotto and…
Tue, 11/24/2015 - 02:47
Ponce is one of those fun Italian words lifted from the English language — from the word punch, in this case — just like bistecca, taken from the…
Fri, 11/13/2015 - 02:32
Zabaione is an Italian dessert made from egg yolk, sugar, and sweet or fortified wine such as Marsala, Moscato, or Porto. Countless variations exist…
Fri, 10/30/2015 - 06:21
Much is known about Giuseppe Mazzini’s fondness for coffee, chocolate, and sweets. Perhaps apocryphal, a rather beguiling quote about chocolate is…
Fri, 10/16/2015 - 02:49
Calamari, one of various types of squid popular in Italian cuisine, takes its name from the Italian word for inkwell, calamaio, given the creature’s…
Thu, 10/01/2015 - 14:27
Canederli are a dumpling-like dish popular in South Tyrol, otherwise known in Italy as Alto-Adige, where German-speaking Italians know them as Knödel…
Fri, 09/18/2015 - 02:05
In Italy, the four most common porcino varieties grow under chestnut, beech, oak, and pine trees in not-too-densely forested areas, thriving on a…
Fri, 09/04/2015 - 02:00
Ricotta has been around for a long time. The Romans and Etruscans made a form of curd cheese obtained from boiled milk, likely ricotta’s antecedent;…
Thu, 08/20/2015 - 09:32
A sformato or sformatino is a custard-like dish that takes its name from the Italian word sformare, meaning to ‘unmold’ or ‘turn out.’ They can be…
Thu, 08/06/2015 - 04:31
Unknown to—or at least uneaten by—ancient Greeks and Romans, eggplant was introduced to this part of the Mediterranean world by the Arabs during…
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amygulick replied to a question: I am interested in moving to Italy when with: "Hi Lois,"