Piedmont fritto misto

In Piedmont, the colder months of the year traditionally translates into a fried feast. From porcini mushrooms to savory and fried meats up to fruit and fried sweets, because virtually anything can make up the fritto misto alla piemontese or mixed fried dish à la Piedmontese 👌

Photo courtesy of Sale e Pepe

nocciolini di Chivasso

Only three ingredients are needed to make this traditional tiny amaretto-shaped cookies from Chivasso, a small town in the Canavese area, 13 minutes by train north of Turin.

super tiny and delicious nocciolini di Chivasso

Ivrea's cookies

Eporediesi

For all lovers of chocolate and hazelnuts out there, here's one more recipe from Piedmont. Eporediesi are the traditional cookies from Ivrea, a small town just 40min driving from Turin, famous for its carnival, tomini cheese and fairy tale wine: Erbaluce di Caluso - the only Italian DOCG wine in all 4 of its variants!

Amanda's cheese spots

Today we are sharing a new guest post by our friend Amanda, a new resident in the Piedmont wine country!

Amanda Courtney born outside of the Boston area, after high school she went to study metal-smithing and jewelry design at the Maine College of Art in Portland ME. Which then brought her to Los Angeles and from there she was tantalized by the super passionate and exciting food and wine scene that LA had to offer.  It was then that she found her passion and where she got her wine degree at the Wine and Spirit Educational Trust. Working with wine, talking and educating people about the different regions, varieties, and philosophies of the winemakers, she had found her true talent. She now lives and works in one of the most important wine areas in Italy, Piemonte. Having recently started up her own Wine Adventures company she is now able to show people around this area to educate them about the food, wine, and culture of this wonderful place.  

You can find her at www.amandaswineadventures.com. 

Mardi Gras fritters

Very few foods have a huge comforting power: home made Carnival fritters sprinkled with powder sugar are one of those, at least to all Italians 😍

In fact, Carnival like any other holiday is connected to a culinary specialty and wherever you'll go, in Italy as well as, in many other Latin countries, you'll find these fritters.

5 Holiday wines

For all our friends, Piedmont lovers and Italian wine fans here's our short list to make any celebration the best with our Piedmont wines!
These are THE wines we drink in our homes with our families and friends over the Holidays and to celebrate our most important days, so take note and look them up at your local wine shop. Remember to stock up on a few bottles next time you hop over to Piedmont 😉

cornmeal cookies

All over northern Italy we have plenty of corn consequently, besides polenta, in Piedmont we also make traditional cookies with cornmeal, or in Italian, paste di meliga :P

delish tea flavored cornmeal cookies made by Tastinglife

Faustina's Langhe fresco

This week, our friend Faustina Gilbey will share her Piedmontese side and what this region has stamped on her heart!

I’m English but for the past 8 years have been living in Italy, the first 2 years in the Alta Langhe, Piemonte and now for the last 6 years in Albino near Bergamo.

Before moving to Italy I lived in London, South Africa and Canada, cooking, travelling and researching food. I wrote a cookbook and also wrote for about 6 years for a daily Canadian CBC Television cooking show. In London I worked mainly in the media and event organising (including the British Museum, Barbican and BAFTA) as well as in independent Film & TV production.

I moved here to be with my partner Fiorenzo, and we have a Feldenkrais, Floating and Food Therapy Centre: www.spaziof.org. I continue my love of food and research by exploring all the wonderful places and products in Italy – mainly Northern Italy; I’m a member of Slow Food Italia; I do seminars on healthy cooking and juicing and have a food/health blog Eating Clouds in Italy. 

Alta Langa Docg the wine with its own glass

Today we're talking about Alta Langa DOCG in all its variants!

This wine takes the name from the Langhe wine district - now a Unesco world heritage site! - is a hilly region within Piedmont, near the Alba province, south of Turin.

Alta Langa Docg production area in Piedmont

Alta Langa DOCG: the Piedmont pride!