To the east, just around the bay of Naples, a 25 minute drive, you will find Pompeii and Herculaneum. These two cities are the most completely preserved cities of classical antiquity along with their nemesis, the volcano Vesuvius. The volcanic ash and lava from the eruption on the morning of August 23rd, AD 79 of…
The entire family, three grand babies under 4, four grand children, twins 17, two more age 19 and 22, daughter and her husband, two sons and their wives plus Tommy and I made for 15 traveling from Jacksonville, Florida to Naples Italy 5,176 miles as the crow flies in 14.5 hours. Our plans to celebrate…
It is wonderful to feel healthy and happy and ever-so-busy. Trips, weddings, baby AND bridal showers, parties, dinners have all kept me running and focused on “life” rather than Pancreatic Cancer. To date Tom and I have weathered four CT scans.(All cancer free by the way!) With each passing month after chemo and radiation I…
1 Cup of Arborio White Rice 1 tbsp. Olive Oil 1/2 cup dry white wine 1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese 1 large onion, chopped 4-5 cups hot chicken broth Heat the olive oil in a heavy,2 quart pot. Saute’ onion in the oil until it is translucent. Turn burner to medium heat. Add the rice…
Who doesn’t smile when they see the face of a bright yellow sunflower? I told my friends on the trip to Tuscany the only picture I really wanted was one standing in a field of sunflowers, and they came thru for me. One day we agreed to venture down the dangerous white road (dry gravel…
As we walked the grounds just minutes after we arrived my friend Lisa quietly admitted she was thinking on the plane…”it is such a long trip, what if I really don’t like this place? Judi, this is truly the most beautiful and peaceful place I have ever seen. I am coming back for my 60th.”…
On April 1, 2004, the week of Palm Sunday, our family of four started out on a long awaited vacation to Italy. Although it was far it was not a difficult journey, it was exciting to be traveling together to Europe. Our first stop was Rome where we spent four days touring Vatican City and…
Since my return from cooking class at Casa Ombuto in the Tuscan countryside last summer my family has fallen in love with this classic Italian dessert. Now, I must admit the recipe requires patience and time. But if you add a bit of love to your preparation I know it will become your family favorite…
There is a common misconception that Italians are big eaters and the majority are overweight. Nothing could be farther from the truth. In my travels I have found them to be extremely thin and fit. During our trip, Kelly and I determined the secret to eating wonderful Italian cuisine with all of the carbs in…
This is one of my favorite recipes from our Italian- Mediterranean Cooking Course. Kelly and I were served this recipe our very first meal at Casa Ombuto and could not wait to prepare it ourselves. I love the licorice taste of the fennel. It is a wonderfully tasty side dish that is healthy and not…