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One of the most wonderfully delicious times I’ve had in Italy was when my husband and I joined Arthur Schwartz’s Cook at Seliano group in Paestum. Arthur is a passionate expert when it comes to Italian cuisine—check out two of his many inspiring cookbooks: Naples at Table and The Southern Italian Table. It’s great fun to be around him and his co-host, Baronessa Cecilia Bellelli, who owns Tenuta Seliano, the agriturismo where the cooking vacation is based. Even if you’re not taking class, Tenuta Seliano is a perfect spot to relax in rural surroundings, eat very well, and explore Campania. Just a short walk away areRead More →

I always enjoy dinners with my friend Mary Sherman Indelli, where we trade stories of our Italian adventures. Mary has been in the travel biz for  over 35 years. She was inspired by her passion for her favorite country to create ItalyItalyItaly,  a company that offers customized tours in every region for groups or individuals. I envy Mary’s frequent research trips, where she hops around from countryside villas to boutique city hotels, checks out top wineries, cooking classes, and tour guides–and then comes home with loads of up-to-date contacts and experiences, so she can create itineraries that suit each client. “I always give travelers aRead More →

One stop before Pompeii on the Circumvesuviana train is Torre Annunziata, where you’ll discover Oplontis–an amazing villa where the Empress Poppea Sabina, (second wife of Nero) lived. She was  a high-maintenance woman, who insisted upon being carried about by mules shod with golden shoes, and needed to bathe daily in donkey milk, or as some say, the milk of 500 asses. Romans would come to relax in her villa, that was considered the suburbs of busy Pompeii.  Wandering about, through the salons, dining rooms, and interior gardens, you’ll get a feel of what life was like before the whole shebang got covered in lava inRead More →

As the dark, cold days of winter approach. I am dreaming of sunny, warm days in the heavenly village of Positano on the Amalfi Coast. Which is why it’s wonderful to have Rosa Bella, creator of the gorgeous Bell’Avventura blog as our guest. Rosa has lived in Positano for 25 years, and fills her blog with her delightful experiences and photos of its hidden corners.  It’s not only dreamy to browse through, but also a great resource if you’re planning a trip there–as in check out her Dare to Be Different in Positano post, where she leads readers to such spots as The Best Place for aRead More →

Grazie Mille to all of you who commented with your Golden Tastes of Italy! What a Joy it is to read about all these delicious tastes! There was a Random Drawing, and here are the results: Louise Fiore = 100 Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go, by Susan Van Allen Greg Robson= Flavors of Rome, by Carol Coviello Malzone  Mariann Vandenberg = Secrets of My Tuscan Kitchen, by Judy Witts-Francini Karen (who commented about Cucina Povera Recipes) = Simple and Genuine, Mamma Agata’s Cookbook, by Chiara Lima Nancy Caronia = Cucina Povera, by Pamela Sheldon Johns Sally Watkins = Dream of Italy subscription fromRead More →

To Celebrate the Holidays: GOLDEN TASTES OF ITALY BOOK GIVEAWAY! FIVE BOOKS ABOUT ITALY AND AN ONLINE SUBSCRIPTION TO THE DREAM OF ITALY NEWSLETTER  WITH TWO BONUS DVDS  Will be given away to commenters selected in a RANDOM DRAWING It’s NOT a CONTEST, anyone who comments can win! TO PLAY: Complete This Sentence In The Comment Section Below: One Golden Taste of Italy for me was ________________________ Write the first thing that comes to your mind, for example… That cannoli stuffed with the freshest ricotta I savored in Sicily OR The taralli (flavored with anise) I made for Thanksgiving apertivo, that always reminds me of my nanaRead More →

Laura Thayer has created an enchanting blog, Ciao Amalfi, A Writing Life on Italy’s Amalfi Coast. With her gorgeous photos and writings, she shares the nuances of the tastes, architecture, and nature of this bellissima spot, where she’s lived since 2008. I’ve loved following her to discover such wonders as hidden beaches and Old Man Of The Mountain in Maiori…Check out his sleeping head’s profile cutting into the sky… I’m so grateful she’s joined us during her busy time (planning her January wedding in Amalfi!), to share her Golden Day in her beloved home: If there’s one place in Italy where I can enjoy a golden dayRead More →

The website  Napoli Unplugged: Visit Naples, Discover Napoli and Napoli Unblugged Blog are Must Clicks if you’re headed to Naples or dreaming of Napoli.  They’re created by Bonnie Alberts and her gang of contributors. Bonnie is a freelance writer and photographer with a degree in Historic Preservation, who is passionate about her adopted home. She generously shares her take on the sights, sounds, and flavors of this beautiful city–from up to the minute schedules of events, to fabulous recipes, touring and restaurant recommendations, entertaining stories, and always beautiful photography. Shc even has a Napoli Unplugged Photo Blog, where you browse by subject and get drawn into such places as Napoli’s pizzerias… I’mRead More →

One of my favorite neighborhoods on earth is the Spanish Quarter in Naples. Narrow alleys decorated with laundry, signoras on balconies in housecoats, vespas roaring by, the smells of rich ragu…There’s an intimacy here in this working class neighborhood where so much action–love affairs, arguments, jokes, happen right out in the open, right before my eyes. I walk past altars put up for someone’s mamma, street level doors open to family kitchens, and my eyes meet a signorina as she stirs at the stove. Often tables from those kitchens are simply moved out to the street–so what I thought at first must be a great family restaurant, is actuallyRead More →

A drive south from Naples takes us to the gorgeous Amalfi Coast, and then we wind up above it to reach Ravello–one of the most enchanting towns in Italy. It’s fitting that in such a spot there resides a Goddess of Amalfi Coast Cooking: Mamma Agata. She began her pro-career when she was thirteen, cooking in the villa of a wealthy American who entertained star visitors. Mamma Agata was beloved by such guests as Humphrey Bogart, Anita Ekberg, Fred Astaire, and Jackie-O. These days this open hearted, exhuberant woman offers a Golden Day: Cooking class in her hilltop villa, which has a to-die-for view of the hills and sea.Read More →