From the 17th century until now, after a century of total abandonment, the historic family Casale in the Piedmont rice growing region with its gorgeous frescoes is fully restored. And with that just a decade ago an exquisite line of gourmet rice was born, Riso Buono, thanks to the creativity and ingenuity of daughter-in-law Cristina Brizzolari. It's not your ordinary carnaroli risotto rice but the one chosen and prized by chefs: Carnaroli Classico Gran Riserva. Tune in to learn all about the history and background of this fabulous rice, and the other delicious rice variety grown at Riso Buono, Artemide.

What Michelangelo's David, the Two Towers of Bologna, and the San Giorgio Bridge in Genoa have in common. To find out listen to today's fascinating podcast episode! And remember – share it with your friends! Teams of experts and engineers are using robotics and artificial intelligence to protect Italian monuments, sculptures, bridges and more. Experts are assessing the seismic resistance of Italy’s historic treasures and putting in place monitoring systems to constantly track their structural health and viability. What puts Italy's historic buildings, monuments, bridges, and sculptures at risk are a combination of normal wear and tear, plus vibration - often provoked by seismic activity. Listen for the details!

Tomatoes aren't native to Italy but they’ve become the reigning queen of the Italian table: they're umami-rich, with hundreds - if not thousands -  of varieties in Italy. Although tomatoes are the queen of the Italian table that's not always been the case. 
It was only during the 19th century that widespread use of the tomato in Italian cuisine began: the tomato was only brought to Italy in the 1500s. Initially it was believed that tomatoes were poisonous. 
Rather than using the tomato in cuisine more often than not it was ornamental and decorated the Italian table. Join us on our deep dive into everything about the Italian tomato, from history to botanical classification to prized Italian varieties. And of course delicious ways to use the beloved tomato, with lots of fabulous recipes!

A new window into the hidden treasures of Sardinia, one of the most enigmatic places in Italy

"At last, a grand companion to the mysterious and enchanting island of Sardinia. Known to most travelers for its beaches, Sardinia's complex archeological heritage extends back to Neolithic times. Written with verve and love, In Sardinia is the book I'll be taking on future trips." Frances Mayes, New York Times bestselling author of Under the Tuscan Sun.

“Sardinia is something else. Enchanting spaces and distances to travel,” D. H. Lawrence wrote in 1921.

Award-winning historian Jeff Biggers opens a new window into the hidden treasures of Sardinia in a groundbreaking travel narrative that crisscrosses one of the most enigmatic places in Italy.

After three decades of living and traveling in Italy, Jeff Biggers finally crossed over to Sardinia, uncovering a treasury of stories amid major archaeological discoveries rewriting the history of the Mediterranean.

Vignarola is a celebration of spring and tastes just like spring in a dish. Prepare it at that magical moment when winter turns to spring and artichokes are still in season but you’re heralding the arrival of fresh spring peas and fava beans. This episode also shares some little known facts about some of Rome's spring vegetables: Did you know that fava beans can be dangerous to eat for some people? Do you know what agretti are, or how to prepare them? And how about puntarelle? Do you know what they are, or how to clean them and cook them? This episode shares it all so tune in, then head to the blog post to explore the joy of Vignarola and spring vegetables in Rome...and lots of special spring recipes!

If you visited Pompeii in the past, don't think for a minute you can take it off your bucket list! Only 2/3 of Pompeii has been excavated. Excavations and incredible discoveries occur almost monthly, and some of the most spectacular recent finds were: *A beautifully frescoed thermopolium (an ancient Pompeii street food stall). *A 2,000-year-old ancient Roman dry cleaner *The skeletal remains of two men found in a villa in Pompeii *Not to mention the House of Orion and its exquisite mosaics, and the newly-renovated House of Vetti frescoes. Tune in to learn more and find out about the brand new (2024) direct train connection that'll take you right to the heart of Pompeii excavations from Rome.  

When you visit Rome make a quick trip Florence: By train you'll be in the heart of Florence in 1 1/2 hours! My one day itinerary for a gastronomic and cultural Flavor of Florence takes you to Florence's best food market, an iconic Florentine trattoria for lunch, and a whirlwind walking tour of the city to see Florence's best sites, shopping streets and antique stores. And if you'd like to stay just a bit longer than a day check out my recommendation for a quaint "room-with-a-view" hotel and a terrace overlooking the Ponte Vecchio. If you want to dig deeper into Florence check out the links in my blog post, and visit the brand new go-to Florence travel website FlorenceWise AND listen to my chat with FlorenceWise owner Elyssa.

The Top Influential Women in Italian Wine are winery owners, winemakers, sommeliers, enologists, educators, bloggers and influencers. Some women have branched out on their own, some have inherited a family winery, some are wineries owned and run by sisters. From north to south, to Sicily and other Italian islands, women are impacting the Italian wine industry.

The 2023 theme “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories” highlights the countless women who have used their voice and creativity to tell stories that educate, inspire, and entertain audiences around the world. The theme honors women in every community who have devoted their lives to pursuing truth, and reflecting on the human condition decade after decade. From the earliest storytellers through pioneering journalists, our experiences have been captured by a wide variety of artists, teachers and ordinary mothers and grandmothers throughout time. 

PECORINO CHEESE: WHAT IS IT ANYWAY? Pecorino cheese is any hard, semi-hard or fresh cheese that is made using sheep's milk. Seven pecorino cheeses have protected designation of origin status, or DOP, under the European union law. This means they’ve been aged upwards of 8 months and are a stagionato, pasta dura (hard) cheese. The Italian word for sheep is pecora, which stems from the Latin word pecus (livestock), hence the name pecorino.