Sicilian Girl

Tweet Perugina, the renowned Italian confectionery icon, is Italy’s most beloved chocolate maker. On Valentine’s Day in 1922, Luisa Spagnoli, the co-founder, created their signature candy. Baci, meaning kisses in Italian, is the luscious chocolate and hazelnut confection that comes in the blue and silver foil-wrapping with the “special” love note tucked inside. Baci di […]

Tweet A few dried figs with a handful of nuts is a favorite afternoon snack of mine. The natural sugar of the fruit gives me quick energy while the healthy fat in the nuts keeps hunger at bay until the next meal. Since they taste great together and they are pantry staples, I thought why […]

Tweet It may sound odd but, I often plan my dinner party menus with the end in mind, meaning dessert. This makes perfect sense to me, as it is the final food guests will eat and leaves a lasting impression of the entire meal … good or bad. There are several folks I know who […]

Tweet Italians, as a rule, do not eat dessert after a meal, choosing perhaps a piece of fruit instead. However, it is a well-known fact that we find time “between” meals to satisfy our sweet tooth. Biscotti may accompany the morning cappuccino as well as the evening espresso and any time is the right time […]

Tweet I have made several attempts over the years to come up with a chocolate spread that I feel is worthy of sharing. The flavor was always great, rather it was the texture I had issues with. No matter how much I ground the nuts (even in a Vita-mix) the results were on the grainy […]

Tweet I am not what you’d call a chocoholic, but every now and then, when only something chocolate will do, this cake is guaranteed to satisfy the craving every time. It has a rich, deeply chocolate flavor and is not overly sweet. It requires no frosting, merely a dollop of sweetened whipped cream and perhaps […]

Tweet You may offer a terrific torta (cake) or several kinds of biscotti (cookies) to your guests after dinner, but there are some who consider chocolate to be the ultimate indulgence after a meal. These large, luscious, melt-in-your-mouth, silky-smooth truffles will be the exquisite ending to your dinner party. The secret ingredient is blood orange […]

Tweet I have been making “ice cubes” to have on hand for our iced coffees. I have made Creamy Milk Cubes, Cappuccini Cubes and “Ice” Coffee. Sometimes I add chocolate to the coffee (chocolate and coffee are a match made in heaven). If the whole purpose of making the cubes is convenience for an iced […]

Tweet The only fudge I have ever made (usually for the holidays) is from the recipe on the back of the can of Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk. Last week, my friend and I went shopping and then took our husbands to lunch at my favorite Italian deli and market. While our guys were still […]

Tweet Nutella, smeared on a slice of toasted bread, has been a traditional Italian breakfast for decades. Pasta Gianduja, the original version of Nutella, (Circa 1940’s) a thick paste, made into loaves for easy slicing and wrapped with foil, was used in making sandwiches for children. Sounds good, right? What kid wouldn’t want a chocolate-hazelnut […]