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After a long break, Cooking with an Italian Accent is back. In this episode, I share a personal letter and a goodbye to my nonna Marcella, who passed away last year at almost 97. Through old family videos, memories of Easter lunches, homemade tagliatelle, and everyday gestures, I reflect on how she shaped my way of cooking, eating, and understanding tradition. This is an episode about food memories, grief and gratitude, and about tradition as something alive — not frozen in time, but carried forward through cooking. The podcast now lives inside the newsletter on Substack, where you’ll find all the links to the recipes mentioned in this episode and can join the conversation by leaving a comment. Recipes and dishes mentioned: - her flawless lasagne - her rice pudding cake - her bignè alla crema - her tagliatelle with tomato paste, oregano, prosciutto cotto and cream - the very best stuffed round zucchini - extra creamy pasta e patate - the birthday cake she baked me for decades - candied orange peels dipped in chocolate This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit julskitchen.substack.com/subscribe

Italy is often imagined in the golden glow of summer. But what about winter? In this episode, we explore ten vignettes of Italy in the low season—from misty medieval towns to empty beaches, from seasonal markets to winter festivals. Let’s paint a different picture of Italy, one filled with mystery, comfort food, and quiet beauty. This episode is hosted on Substack, so join the conversation here: https://julskitchen.substack.com/p/italy-in-the-low-season This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit julskitchen.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Cooking with an Italian Accent, I’m asking you to skip Florence on your next trip to Tuscany. I’m sharing my two cents on tourism and overcrowded destinations, but I would love to know your thoughts on this, as well. We talk about travelling during the low season and your option to slow down and enjoy the provincial life of a small town.  We introduce our immersive three-day seasonal cooking masterclass: https://en.julskitchen.com/tuscan-cooking-classes#threeday Our Colle Val d’Elsa foodie guide: https://en.julskitchen.com/other/travel/where-to-eat-in-colle-val-d-elsa So now listen to the episode and join the conversation online on our newsletter Letters from Tuscany on Substack: https://julskitchen.substack.com/p/why-im-asking-you-to-skip-florence Find me online >> Newsletter: www.lettersfromtuscany.com | Blog: www.julskitchen.com | Instagram: https://instagram.com/julskitchen/  Podcast realized by https://instagram.com/tommyonweb   This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit julskitchen.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Cooking with an Italian Accent, after a year of absence, I tell you a little bit more about the things that have happened: - This podcast is not dead, it is just on a break. - Our newsletter on Substack, Letters from Tuscany, is where most of our writing and recipes will live from now on. - For the past two years, we’ve been working on a new cookbook, Cucina Povera, The Italian Way of Transforming Humble Ingredients into Unforgettable Meals. It will be released in April 2023. So now listen to the episode and join the conversation online on our newsletter www.lettersfromtuscany.com on Substack. Preorder our cookbook Cucina Povera here.  Find me online at www.julskitchen.com or on Instagram https://instagram.com/julskitchen/   Podcast realized by https://instagram.com/tommyonweb This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit julskitchen.substack.com/subscribe

The best way to understand the Tuscan pastry art is to have a walk in Siena with an open mind, following the trail of spices, paying attention to the colours and to the ingredients of the baked goods arranged in the shop windows of bakeries, cafés, and pastry shops. The Tuscan pastry art isn’t show stopping, elegant, refined or elaborate, as you would say of the French patisserie or oven of the Southern Italian pastry art of Sicily and Naples. In this episode, we will delve into the Tuscan pastry art, discovering how seasonal it is, how strongly related to Cucina Povera, and how it shows a lasting influence of Medieval and Renaissance ingredients, spices, and traditions. So now listen to the episode, join the conversation online, and enjoy this little taste of Tuscna sweet treats. Recipes mentioned in this episode: - Schiacciata con l’uva: https://en.julskitchen.com/dessert/grape-focaccia - Pan co’ Santi: https://en.julskitchen.com/bread/pan-co-santi - Cenci: https://en.julskitchen.com/dessert/carnival-fried-dough-the-tuscan-cenci - Rice fritters: https://en.julskitchen.com/tuscany/italian-carnival-rice-fritters - Schiacciata alla Fiorentina: https://en.julskitchen.com/dessert/schiacciata-alla-fiorentina-a-sweet-flatbread-for-carnival - Quaresimali: https://en.julskitchen.com/dessert/cookies/quaresimali-florentine-cookies-for-lent - Pan di Ramerino: https://en.julskitchen.com/tuscany/pan-di-ramerino - Schiacciata di Pasqua: https://en.julskitchen.com/tuscany/tuscan-schiacciata-sweet-easter-bread - Necci: https://en.julskitchen.com/dessert/necci-tuscan-chestnut-pancakes - Castagnaccio: https://en.julskitchen.com/dessert/castagnaccio-chestnut-cake - Scarpaccia: https://en.julskitchen.com/dessert/a-tuscan-sweet-zucchini-cake - Alchermes: https://en.julskitchen.com/drink/home-made-alchermes - Zuccotto: https://en.julskitchen.com/dessert/tuscan-zuccotto - Zuppa Inglese: https://en.julskitchen.com/dessert/zuppa-inglese-as-afternoon-break - Cantucci: https://en.julskitchen.com/dessert/cookies/tuscan-biscotti - Cavallucci: https://en.julskitchen.com/dessert/cookies/cavallucci-tuscan-cookies - Ricciarelli: https://en.julskitchen.com/dessert/ricciarelli-siena-almond-cookies - Panforte: https://en.julskitchen.com/dessert/tuscan-panforte-a-spicy-cake-from-siena Find me online at www.julskitchen.com or on Instagram https://instagram.com/julskitchen/ Podcast realized by https://instagram.com/tommyonweb This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit julskitchen.substack.com/subscribe

In today’s episode we’re travelling southward, towards the heel of the boot of the Italian peninsula, Salento. Today’s guest is Nina Gigante, a wellness, food, and travel journalist, and a qualified holistic nutritionist. While we were in Salento to visit Tommaso’s family, I was continuously texting Nina to have advice on where to go, shop, and, guess what, eat. Thanks to her tips we discovered my favourite brioche in Salento. In the following conversation, you’ll hear us talking about what is home for Nina, what she likes about Mediterranean cuisine, and what to see, where to eat, and what to buy in Lecce. Nina will also give us a tip to visit a less known turquoise lake surrounded by a Martian landscape right there, in Salento. So now listen to the episode, join the conversation online, and enjoy this little preview of what a holiday in Salento feels like. Learn more about Nina Gigante here: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nina_giga Find me online at www.julskitchen.com or on Instagram https://instagram.com/julskitchen/ Join our Facebook Group Cooking with Juls’ Kitchen: https://www.facebook.com/groups/775325049335625/ Podcast realized by https://instagram.com/tommyonweb This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit julskitchen.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Cooking with an Italian Accent, we travel to the mountains to visit my friend Vea Carpi. She is a cook, a farmer, a sourdough baker, and passionate about wool. She has a maso up in the Trentino mountains and an agritourism with her family. We are both from Tuscany, but we met there, in her farmstead, where we were greeted as part of her family. We attended one of her sourdough baking courses and learnt about her life in the mountains. In the following conversation, you’ll hear us talking about bread and wool, and what they have in common, about Alpine cuisine and local ingredients, about sustainable tourism in the Alps, and day trips to Valle dei Mocheni. So now listen to the episode, join the conversation online, and enjoy this little preview of what a holiday in Trentino looks and tastes like. Learn more about Vea Carpi here: Web site: https://www.masdelsaro.it/en/homepage/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mas_del_saro/ Vea’s book, Pasta Madre: https://masdelsaroshop.bigcartel.com/product/la-mia-pasta-madre-il-pane-i-dolci-la-vita-in-montagna-ed-raetia-2020 Find me online at www.julskitchen.com or on Instagram https://instagram.com/julskitchen/ Join our Facebook Group Cooking with Juls’ Kitchen: https://www.facebook.com/groups/775325049335625/ Podcast realized by https://instagram.com/tommyonweb This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit julskitchen.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Cooking with an Italian Accent, as promised, we have a guest that will guide us through one of the most beautiful Italian regions. This region recently filled your imagination with postcard-like maritime views, bowls of trofie al pesto and Vespa rides thanks to the latest Disney Pixar movie, Luca. Today we’ll go to Liguria. Today’s guest is Enrica Monzani, known online as A small kitchen in Genoa, food writer, soon cookbook author, and cooking class instructor in her beautiful hometown, Genoa. We talk about Liguria, Cinque Terre, and other Ligurian hidden gems, about recipes and anchovies, lots of anchovies, about Genova and its street food. Enrica also gives us a little anticipation about the cookbook she is writing: mark your calendar because you’ll want that book. So now listen to the episode, join the conversation online, and enjoy this little preview of what a holiday in Liguria tastes like. Learn more about Enrica Monzani here: Web site: https://www.asmallkitcheningenoa.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asmallkitcheningenoa/ Find me online at www.julskitchen.com or on Instagram https://instagram.com/julskitchen/ Join our Facebook Group Cooking with Juls’ Kitchen: https://www.facebook.com/groups/775325049335625/ Podcast realized by https://instagram.com/tommyonweb This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit julskitchen.substack.com/subscribe

This is the first episode of our second season, a special summer edition, a short collection of 4 episodes. In this episode of Cooking with an Italian Accent I switched role and asked our friend Valentina Dainelli, known on line as ToomuchTuscany, to be the host of this conversation: I felt it would have been much more interesting for you than listening to a soliloquy. The occasion is my 40th birthday, and we had a little online celebration. We talked about recipes and cakes, about Livia, about our job and how the pandemic affected our business. Then, we moved to talk about Tuscany and sustainable tourism, one of the main themes of this special edition. I’m sharing my favourite destinations for a quick trip, and a few tips to better enjoy Tuscany. - Join our newsletter here: https://julskitchen.substack.com/subscribe - Join our on-line cooking classes here: https://en.julskitchen.com/tuscan-cooking-classes/virtual-tuscan-cooking-class - Learn more about our in-person cooking classes here https://en.julskitchen.com/tuscan-cooking-classes Books we mentioned: - Dan Barber, The Third Plate: Field Notes on the Future of Food. Recipes mentioned in this episode: - Roasted Pork loin: https://en.julskitchen.com/main/meat/arista-roast-loin-of-pork Learn more about Valentina Dainelli here: Web site: https://www.toomuchtuscany.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/toomuchtuscany/ Find me online at www.julskitchen.com or on Instagram https://instagram.com/julskitchen/ Join our Facebook Group Cooking with Juls’ Kitchen: https://www.facebook.com/groups/775325049335625/ Podcast realized by https://instagram.com/tommyonweb This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit julskitchen.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Cooking with an Italian Accent we celebrate the spring season, its produce, with asparagus, fresh peas, fava beans and monk’s bears. We celebrate fresh herbs, one of my favourite ingredients in the kitchen, and the magic of foraged wild flowers, like robinia flowers and elderflowers. This is also the last episode of the first series of Cooking with an Italian Accent. We’ll take a break to work on our cookbook, and we’ll be back during the summer with a special edition, a short collection of 4 episodes to celebrate together the season of In the meantime, you’ll find us on our blog, on Instagram and you’ll receive updates from us thanks to our newsletter, Letters from Tuscany. Join our newsletter here: https://julskitchen.substack.com Recipes mentioned in this episode: - Robinia flower fritters - Elderflower syrup - Elderflower panna cotta - Fried sage leaves - Pan di ramerino - Pan co’ santi - Wild fennel potato salad - Two recipes with agretti - Barley risotto with fava beans Find me online at www.julskitchen.com or on Instagram https://instagram.com/julskitchen/ Podcast realized by https://instagram.com/tommyonweb This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit julskitchen.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Cooking with an Italian Accent I’m going back over our past 12 years of blogging, and I’ll share with you the reasons why we still believe in blogs, and why we love it so much. I’m also sharing my tips to maintain a long-term relationship with your blog: - Write about something relevant for you. - Be authentic. - Show up consistently. - It is ok to take some time off. - Be patient. At the end of this episode, I’m also introducing our new project, a weekly subscription-based newsletter. Join our newsletter here: https://julskitchen.substack.com/subscribe Find me online at www.julskitchen.com or on Instagram https://instagram.com/julskitchen/ Podcast realized by https://instagram.com/tommyonweb This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit julskitchen.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Cooking with an Italian Accent I’m sharing why I love risotto, and why I find it is a therapeutic recipe. When making risotto, let your senses guide you. Risotto is also a perfect example of the physical theory of everyday cooking, The Time-Work Continuum, shared by Mark Bittman in 2014. I’m also sharing the recipe for a seafood risotto, just to show you how all the elements are in a perfect symphony. The seafood risotto comes close to a seaside trip in terms of satisfaction and sheer happiness. You have the salt, fat, acid and umami in one dish, your seafood risotto. Recipes mentioned in this episode: - Seafood risotto https://en.julskitchen.com/first-course/rice-cereals/seafood-risotto - Roasted tomato risotto https://en.julskitchen.com/first-course/rice-cereals/roasted-tomato-risotto - Risotto with apples and smoked trout https://en.julskitchen.com/first-course/rice-cereals/risotto-with-apples-and-smoked-trout - Wild asparagus risotto https://en.julskitchen.com/first-course/rice-cereals/wild-asparagus-risotto - Butternut squash risotto https://en.julskitchen.com/first-course/rice-cereals/pumpkin-risotto - Barley risotto with fava beans https://en.julskitchen.com/first-course/rice-cereals/barley-risotto-with-fava-beans Links and books mentioned: - Elizabeth David, A book of Mediterranean food - Elizabeth David, Italian food - Samin Nosrat, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat - Mark Bittman, When cooking, invest time. Or work. Not both. Find me online at www.julskitchen.com or on Instagram https://instagram.com/julskitchen/ Join our Facebook Group Cooking with Juls’ Kitchen: https://www.facebook.com/groups/775325049335625/ Podcast realized by https://instagram.com/tommyonweb This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit julskitchen.substack.com/subscribe

From the last episode of this podcast, a few things have changed. Summer has gone, leaving space to a bright, mild Tuscan autumn, and now it is winter, well, it’s Christmas in a few hours. On August, the 28th, we welcomed Livia, our baby girl, into this world. It has been long, exhausting, and emotional beyond words. The old life, the 2019 life, seems so far away for more than one reason. I barely remember how it was before, as so many things happened that turned our life upside down. Food, as always, has been the red thread through the multiple levels of change, the key to understand those changes, and to make memories indelible. Food played a memorable role also into my labour and during the first hours as a new mum. In this episode I talked about all the best food memories, the dos and don’ts of pregnancy and motherhood, food wise. I’d be curious to know which are the rules, the dos and don’ts of pregnancy and motherhood, food wise, in your culture, and which was your experience, either as a new mum or as a close friend or relative taking care of a new mum. Recipes mentioned in this episode: - Pesto: https://en.julskitchen.com/first-course/fresh-pasta/pesto-ricotta-lasagna - Baked apples: https://en.julskitchen.com/dessert/baked-apples - (Artichoke) carbonara: https://en.julskitchen.com/first-course/pasta-first-course/artichoke-carbonara Find me online at www.julskitchen.com or on Instagram https://instagram.com/julskitchen/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit julskitchen.substack.com/subscribe

Before a well-deserved pause to welcome our baby girl into the world, and to get used to a completely new life, I’m so happy to share the latest episode of Cooking with an Italian accent, a conversation I had a few weeks ago with Irina Gergescu about her cookbook, Carpathia. I like how she intertwines recipes, traditions and superstitions, like when she mentions garlic, or when she says that eating horseradish before Easter will bring you health all year round, or when she explains that Romanian people welcome official guests with bread and salt, the first to celebrate an alliance, the latter for prosperity. We talked about the Romanian sense of hospitality, how she grew up Bucharest under the communist rule, about Romanian cuisine, typical ingredients, the unique tradition of borş and ciorbă, coffee and desserts. Learn more about Irina Georgescu here: Web site: https://www.irinageorgescu.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/irina.r.georgescu/ Find me online at www.julskitchen.com or on Instagram https://instagram.com/julskitchen/ Join our Facebook Group Cooking with Juls’ Kitchen: https://www.facebook.com/groups/775325049335625/ Podcast realized by https://instagram.com/tommyonweb This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit julskitchen.substack.com/subscribe

In today’s episode we’ll be talking in details about the pound cake, known as quattro quarti in Italian. This is probably the cake I make more often, especially in its version made with extra virgin olive oil, the most appreciated during our cooking classes, but also the one I rely on when I don’t have a clear idea on what to bake. The original pound cake contained one pound each of eggs, sugar, flour and butter. Hence its English name, pound cake, and its French or Italian name, quattro quarti, four quarters. What you need is therefore a scale to weigh the eggs, with their shell. The weight of the eggs will then give you the amount of sugar, flour and butter to use. Listen to the episode to learn how to adjust the four ingredients to make endless variations to the basic recipe. Discover more on the blog: https://en.julskitchen.com/podcast/episode-41-everything-about-pound-cake Find me online at www.julskitchen.com or on Instagram https://instagram.com/julskitchen/ Join our Facebook Group Cooking with Juls’ Kitchen: https://www.facebook.com/groups/775325049335625/ Podcast realized by https://instagram.com/tommyonweb This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit julskitchen.substack.com/subscribe