Discover the best Chinese restaurants and takeaways in Aberdeen
Explore Aberdeen’s vibrant Chinese food scene with these top picks.
Dougie’s Chippy crowned best chip shop in Scotland just 17 months after opening
Dougie Mackenzie’s dedication and family support lead to prestigious award in Glasgow.
Aberdeen and Elgin restaurants nominated for prestigious Asian curry awards
Two Scottish restaurants recognized in the Asian Curry Awards, known as the ‘curry Oscars’.
Winter recipes from Italy: bread, chickpea and smoked cheese soup
Winter in Italy has got particularly cold of late and so here is a perfect Italian recipe to warm us up: soup with chickpeas, bread and scamorza, or smoked cheese. It’s a typical dish from the tiny Molise region and…
No chicken with pasta: what not to do with pasta
We looked at the golden rules as to how to cook the perfect pasta, and today we examine what you’re not “supposed” to do with pasta. This is one for the purists, and although I’m one to experiment with pasta…
Top ten things to do in Florence
Florence is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful cities in the world; according to Travel & leisure no other city can be compared to it. So if you arrive in Florence and you are in a hurry, maybe this article…
Dinner at Italian Palladio's Villas: a visit to Veneto
If you want the ultimate Italian holiday, we can recommend a stay in one of the villas below. We’ve already looked at some of the masterpieces, in the form of Venetian villas, of the architect Palladio. From June to October…
Italian cooking: traditional regional vs national dishes – who wins?
Italian cooking will also celebrate 150 years of Italian unification this year, but the regionalism associated with traditional Italian recipes and dishes nearly always outweighs a nationalist interpretation of Italian cuisine. Over recent weeks, as Italy celebrated the date of…
Italian first courses: rice with peas and chickpeas
As we’ll soon be bringing you an Italian recipe of mascarpone and maraschino, we thought we’d go with healthy Italian food today and try a risotto with peas and chickpeas. This is a simple recipe but it takes some time…
Italian spring recipes: fresh fruit tart
Many Italians celebrate birthdays and other important events with a large fruit tart made from shortcrust pastry, custard and fresh fruit. Called a ‘crostata alla frutta’ you’ll often find it considered a traditional Italian dessert, and as we’re now in…
Italian dessert recipes: panna cotta with amaretti biscuits
Italian desserts are many and varied but one of my favourites is the traditional panna cotta. It’s light and can be adapted to anyone’s taste, served with forest fruits or chocolate, and today we look at panna cotta with amaretti…
Tiramisu variations: mascarpone and maraschino Italian dessert
There’s nothing like a traditional tiramisù to finish an Italian meal, but the original Italian dessert also lends itself to many variations. Here we present you with a variation of the classic tiramisù: a mascarpone and maraschino mix. It’s definitely…
How to make homemade limoncello
Limoncello is a classic Italian liqueur used for an afterdinner “digestivo” or “amaro” and you can find it just about everywhere. Homemade limoncello is probably totally illegal in the country where I come from, although some Italian migrants still manage.…
Italian food festivals: polenta 'sagra' in Lazio
An unusual Italian food festival celebrating polenta will take place at Castel di Tora, Rieti in the region of Lazio. The ‘sagra‘ will take place on February 21st at the gates to the historic town centre where an enormous copper…
Italian recipes: pasta with saffron and anchovy
Saffron is often used with risotto, but this time we’ll use this exquisite spice with pasta corta; an innovation that I’m sure you will love! Here are the ingredients: 200 g pasta (short variety); wild fennel; anchovies in oil; 1…
How to serve Italian cheese: condiments
There are many Italian cheeses that you can treat yourself to, and often the enjoyment is increased by choosing the right side serve for your cheese. With soft cheeses, aged cheese and everything right down to the simple ricotta or…
Food and wine matching: Italian cheese and the best southern Italian wine
The world of Italian food and wine matching is vast and has many pleasures, if you have the time and the curiosity to explore. Today we look at Italian cheese “caciocavallo” and the possible Italian wine options to match.Caciocavallo is…
Traditional Italian products: bresaola cured beef from the Valtellina
We’ve touched on Italian cold cuts and cured meats before, called “salumi”. For an idea of the pitfalls regarding the Italian language, see our post on “salumi, salame and salami“. Today, though, we take a general look at Italy’s salumi,…
Italian recipes: rigatoni pasta with artichoke and sausage
This Italian recipe for rigatoni pasta with sausage and artichokes is delicious and easy to prepare. Here’s what you need:350 g rigatoni; 120 g ricotta; ½ cup milk; 200 g artichokes; 2 sausages; 1 glass of white wine; 1 garlic…
Italian recipes: pasta with porcini and zucchini
Fed up with complicated recipes which never work out the way one wanted? If so try this quick and easy Italian recipe for pasta with porcini and zucchini; it won’t have you slaving in the kitchen for hours!Ingredients: 350 g…
Italy's best olive oil from Rome at Sabina
In some ways, the Italian olive oil industry is in crisis, but leaving aside the negative, Italy produces a quarter of the world’s olive oil. Meaning that Italian olive oil doesn’t just come from Umbria, Puglia or Tuscany. Today we…
Italian summer traditions: what is grattachecca and where to get it
Okay, so we’ve got Italian gelato, and if you’re in the know there is also the granita which is a flavoured ice drink. And then there’s grattachecca. It’s also a flavoured ice drink but from a slightly different tradition. The…
Christmas comes early in Cortina D' Ampezzo
Christmas in Italy is a well-planned affair and although it’s only October, in the pretty town of Cortina one can already feel December 25th in the air; the most sophisticated shop windows down its main street called Corso Italia have…
Food for tourists: take away food in Italy
Wonderful news for the traveller in Italy: a new brand is emerging for the so-called “baracchini”: kiosk or caravan style places that serve food.Sometimes the food is great, other times a purchase constitutes a real leap of faith, as you…
Italian cheese appears on postal stamps: made in Italy food
Italian cheese is being celebrated on the country’s postal stamps as part of a marketing initiative to celebrate “Made in Italy” products. Only select cheeses are being represented and in the future we will find: mozzarella di bufala, gorgonzola, parmigiano…