AAF’s Recipe of the Day: Limoncello, a Summer Treat
Written by Asinus Asinum Fricat on May 29, 2008 – 11:16 am -Vigilant Meerkat has asked for this recipe. It was given to me by a lovely woman from Tuscany who was the non nonsense cook in my favorite Italian eatery in Sydney. As we used to order a shot of it after meals, she graciously offered the recipe, which is now yours. It is somewhat complicated but the effort spent into making this will earn you many kudos.
Tags: Italy, Lemon liquor, Limoncello, Recipe
Posted in Diaries | 15 Comments »
Noodles
Written by Asinus Asinum Fricat on April 23, 2008 – 7:49 am -Much has been written about the origins of the humble noodle. WHO invented the noodle is a hotly contested topic - with the Chinese, Italians and Arabs all staking a claim.
But the discovery of a pot of thin yellow noodles preserved for 4000 years in Yellow River silt may have tipped the bowl in China’s favor. It suggests that people were eating noodles at least 1000 years earlier than previously thought, and many centuries before such dishes were documented in Europe. This is the earliest empirical evidence of noodles ever found.
Other theories suggest noodles were first made in the Middle East and introduced to Italy by the Arabs. Italians are widely credited for popularizing the food in Europe and spreading it around the world.
Tags: China, Italy, Noodles, Wheat
Posted in Food | 10 Comments »
Tainted Mafia Wine: Beware!
Written by Asinus Asinum Fricat on April 5, 2008 – 8:43 am -A few days ago I wrote about Italian buffalo mozzarella (archived under the Food category) which was found to be contaminated with dioxins as a result of a long drawn garbage crisis. As I wrote, the Neapolitan Mafia, the “camorra”, is believed (or should I say alleged) to have had a major responsibility for the rubbish crisis since it has long operated huge scale illegal dumping (a lot of it being industrial toxic waste) in and around Naples.
Yesterday, authorities in Italy “suspect” some 70 million liters of cheap wine on sale in local shops and supermarkets could contain illegal, harmful substances, a weekly magazine reported Friday. And in a separate report that threatens to harm the image of one of Italy’s most prized vintages, L’Espresso magazine also said a probe is underway on an alleged scam to mislead consumers by falsely labeling bottles.
Who is responsible this time? The Mafia. Read on.
Tags: European Union, Italy, Mafia, Wine
Posted in Diaries | 6 Comments »