[slideshow=30] In the tiny town of S. Agata dei Goti where I live, Bocce is my preferred spectator sport. It is based on the most primitive and mesmerizing of athletic concepts: to aim and hit a target. Every afternoon, as the evenings become longer, from early Spring to mid-Autumn, small groups gather at the covered […]

  “Weeds”, wrote American philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson, “are plants whose virtues have not yet been discovered.” For those fortunate enough to live in Italy, many are already familiar with the oranoleptic virtues of wild asparagus, broccoletti, thistles, chickory, chives, wild fennel, mint, puntarelle and rucola. But would you be able to recognize them growing […]

by Stefano Polacchi, editor-in-chief of Gambero Rosso. “How many chefs today can truly say they are eco-friendly? I try to be… but for me it comes more naturally because of where I live and the the choices I have made; if I did things any other way I could no longer make a living . […]

Stefano Polacchi, caporedattore Gambero Rosso. “Ma chi può fare oggi attenzione all’ecologia? Lo faccio un pò io… Ma perchè non potrei vivere: per me è una questione naturale, di vita. La mia cucina è legata agli elementi del territorio. Ma lontano da qui, come fai a fare l’ecologia?” Berardino Lombardo è un provocatore, prima di […]

“This is one of those rare places that should be kept jealously secret and revealed only to those who can appreciate that state of euphoria when every pleasurable sense is fullfilled; like that offered by Berardino Lombardo, anthropological chef-turned-farmer-and-breeder who, with his wife Antonietta, has created a breath-taking restaurant, situated amidst ancient chestnut groves and […]

My husband and I can think of very little we’d rather do than help people explore this great corner of Italy – we admire folks who have found a way to live here and help promote it to others!! Our hats are off to you!!

Ingredients 300 gr. chestnuts, 200 gr. beans, 2 cloves of garlic.Salt and red pepper to taste. Boil the chestnuts and beans separately. In a pan, heat the garlic, oil and peperoncino until the garlic is lightly browned, then add the chestnuts and beans. Salt and cook for 20 minutes. Serve hot. Serves 4.