December 31st marked an important anniversary for Federico and me: four years since the closing of The Economy Book Center, the bookstore in Rome which had successfully supported our family for over forty years, and the beginning of our new life in the province of Benevento. We knew it was going to be hard (considering […]

[slideshow=32] One and a half hours south of Rome – an easy drive down the A1 motorway – lies a very special restaurant run by a very special man. The estate is called Terre di Conca, with an 18th century casale in tufa rock set in 40 hectares of woods and organically-grown farmland. The man, […]

“Qualche tempo fa Berardino Lombardo aveva lasciato La Caveja, il locale di Pietravairano di cui era chef e patron, senza dare più notizia di sé. Lo abbiamo ritrovato di recente a portare in giro per manifestazioni gastronomiche e botteghe gourmet la “stringata”, straordinario salume di sua creazione. Un po’ stufo della vita da ristoratore, ha […]

Since December is the time of year when most Italians start preparing for the challenges of digestive overload, it would be difficult not to mention one of the most treasured products of our region: il torroncino (or small nougat) of S. Marco dei Cavoti. There are two schools regarding the origin of the word torrone. […]

Rugged, handsome and charismatic, Berardino Lombardo is the product of his native region, the Sannio. Ever since he can remember, the land, its people and the food have been a constant source of inspiration in every aspect of his work – both as a chef as well as a world-class breeder and producer of pork […]

from Adventures of an Italian Food Lover (ISBN 978-0-307-34639-1 Clarkson Potter Publications) “…Berardino Lombardo – tall, handsome, bearded, blue-eyed – is the powerhouse behind La Caveja, hidden on a curve before the village of Pietravairano, about an hour south of Rome. There’s a casual wine bar, where locals snack on homemade salumi, cheese, a few […]