Cipolline in umido - Baby Onions Braised in Tomato Sauce

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Onions are everywhere in Italian cooking. They form part of the flavor base for just about every savory dish you can think of but, besides that, they make for a perfect contorno because they go with just about anything. The most common onion side dish is no doubt cipolline in agrodolce, baby onions braised in a sweet-and-sour sauce, but they are also wonderful made in umido, or stewed in tomato sauce. The dish incredibly easy to make, very tasty and goes beautifully with roasted or grilled meats in particular.

Ingredients

Serves 4-6 as a side dish

500g (16 oz.) baby onions (see Notes), trimmed and peeled350ml (12 fluid oz.) passata di pomodoro or canned tomatoes passed through a food mill, plus enough water to cover the onionsOlive oilSalt and pepperA pinch of sugar (optional)

Directions

Cover the bottom of a pan large enough to hold all the onions in one layer with olive oil. Add the onions and roll them around so they are all covered with the oil. Add the passata di pomodoro and enough water, if needed, to just barely cover the onions. Season generously with salt and pepper (and, if using the sugar).

Bring the onions to a simmer over moderate heat, cover and then lower the heat. Let the onions braise for 20-30 minutes or so, until the onions are perfectly tender and the tomato sauce is well reduced. (The oil should have visibly separated from the tomato and the sauce should cling to the onions.) If the onions are done before the sauce has sufficiently reduced, uncover the pot and increase the flame until you’ve reached the consistency you want.

The onions can be served immediately or made entirely ahead and reheated when you want them.

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Italiaanse Slippers

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Like Italiaanse Slippers, deel dit bericht op www.facebook.com/italiaanseslippers met je vriendinnen en WIN dit trendy pakket!

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Wish I was here…Le Marche, Italy

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This weeks destination, Le Marche, is on my list of places to explore and I’ve scheduled a visit later this year when I’ll be in Italy for 4 weeks. So expect lots more information on this region of Italy referred to as the next Tuscany (Lonely Planet)!

Why would I go?

Le Marche offers beautiful coast and rustic hinterland with many spectacular ancient cities to be visited (think Urbino (pictured below) Ascoli Piceno and Macerata).

The region also offers some magnificent national parks and reserves including the stunning Monti Sibillini. Mountains make up approximately 31% of the terrain with the remaining 69% being hills with the region being separated from most of the remainder of Italy by the Apennines.

The combination of sea, hills and mountains provides great environments for sources of food too. Fred Plotkin in “Italy for the Gourmet Traveller” (a great read by the way) recommends the region for its superb seafood as well as excellent truffles, mushrooms, meats, olives, grapes and particularly cheeses.

What would I see?

Urbino, one of the highlights of the region

Urbino is just one of the highlights of Le Marche and is one of the best preserved and spectacular of the Italian hill towns. The entire city is walled so you will need to drop your car in one of the many car parks provided. Highlights of the town include the Palazzo Ducale, the Duomo and the Oratorio di San Giovanni Battista.

Other highlights of any visit to Le Marche include (extract below from Marche Voyager):

The provincial capital of Ascoli Piceno lies at the southern end of Le Marche. This beguiling old town is well worth at least an overnight stay. Its travertine-paved main square is one of the most beautiful in Italy.

The administrative capital of Le Marche is Ancona, a city with less obvious attractions for the tourist. Give it time, however, and you may find you enjoy the salty charm of this bustling sea port. It’s also one of Italy’s principal ferry ports with boats to Croatia, Greece and Turkey.

Another of the region’s provincial capitals, Pesaro is both an appealing seaside resort and a thriving commercial town. Good shops, fine beaches and great fish.

Another of the region’s main centres is Macerata, a dignified town, famous for its annual outdoor opera festival and capital of the province of Macerata.

The alluring hilltown of Fermo is the capital of the recently-created province of Fermo and boasts a fine historic centre and outstanding main square.

Many of the smaller inland towns are also well worth visiting and most can make a good base for touring. These include , Cagli, Camerino, Cingoli, Jesi, Offida, Recanati and Sarnano.

And remember to find time to enjoy the vineyards and wine of the Le Marche region too!

Read More

See on getawayguru.com.au

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A Firenze è Capodanno

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Una tradizione speciale da una regione fortemente attaccata alle sue tradizioni. Il 25 marzo è Capodanno a Firenze e nella Toscana…Ebbene sì, può sembrare strano ma è così! Ancor’oggi a Firenze si festeggia quello che fino al 1750, e in barba al calendario gregoriano già in uso fin dal 1582, era l’inizio dell’anno civile che cadeva in occasione di una data importante per la chiesa cattolica: il giorno in cui si festeggia l’annuncio dell’Incarnazione del Verbo dato a Maria Vergine da parte dell’Arcangelo Gabriele.

Firenze, da sempre attaccata al culto della Madonna, fin dai tempi antichi vedeva in occasione di questa festa una gran folla, sia cittadina sia del contado, accorrere alla Basilica della Santissima Annunziata per venerare l’immagine dell’Annunciazione, il cui volto, secondo un’antica leggenda, si dice sia stato dipinto dagli angeli.

Tutto questo avvenne fino al novembre del 1749 quando il granduca Francesco III di Lorena – primo granduca non Medici e quindi non toscano, che peraltro in realtà mai governò direttamente Firenze e mai ci abitò se non per tre mesi preferendo ad essa le brume viennesi e lasciando il governo del granducato a suoi rappresentanti – decretò che fissava anche per Firenze e la Toscana il 1º gennaio come data iniziale dell’anno civile.

Ma la regione, attaccata com’è alle proprie tradizioni va avanti per la propria strada e il 25 marzo “Capodanno fiorentino” è istituzionalizzato anche nel calendario annuale delle feste e tradizioni fiorentine.

Ancora oggi il 25 marzo molti fiorentini si recano alla Basilica della Santissima Annunziata per rendere omaggio alla sacra effige dell’Annunziata, alla quale rende omaggio anche una rappresentanza dell’Amministrazione Comunale, accompagnata dal Corteo Storico della Repubblica Fiorentina, per rinnovare un significativo momento storico e culturale.

L’appuntamento è alle ore 15,30 con il Corteo Storico della Repubblica Fiorentina che e muovendo da Palagio di Parte Guelfa attraversando il centro storico accompagna le Autorità Comunali alla Basilica SS. Annunziata. Alle ore 16,15 si svolgerà l’omaggio floreale alla Cappella della Sacra effige dell’Annunziata e inoltre, per fiorentini e turisti in occasione di questa festa speciale apertura prolungata di Palazzo Vecchio fino alle ore 24,00

See on thetuscany.net

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Ford sorry on Berlusconi bondage ad

See on Scoop.it - La Gazzetta Di Lella - News From Italy - Italiaans Nieuws

The Indian arm of car giant Ford has apologised over an advertisement depicting former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi with a trio of bound women in the boot of a car.

The image appeared over the weekend on a website showcasing creative ads. Featuring Ford’s logo, it showed three women bound and gagged in the boot of a Ford Figo with Mr Berlusconi smiling from the driver’s seat alongside the slogan “Leave your worries behind”.

Never used commercially, the ad was reportedly posted online by its creators at an advertising agency hired by Ford.

The company said that it regretted the incident, calling the images “contrary to the standards of professionalism and decency within Ford”.

A spokesman said the company is investigating whether anyone at Ford ever saw the ad.

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De madonna van Saronno | Boeken: Lezen over Italië | Ciao tutti - ontdekkingsblog door Italië

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Na de taart van amandelkoekjes een verhaal van marina Fiorato over Saronno, het amandelstadje in het noorden van Italië en de gelijknamige likeur Disaronno.

Overal in Italië woeden oorlogen als in Saronno plotseling een jonge kunstenaar opduikt. Bernardino Luini is een leerling van Leonardo da Vinci en is door zijn leermeester gestuurd om een fresco te schilderen in de kerk van Saronno. De flamboyante kunstenaar wordt betoverd door de schoonheid van Simonetta di Saronno, een jonge weduwe van adellijke komaf.

Hij vraagt haar te poseren voor het fresco van de madonna. In eerste instantie moet Simonetta niets van hem hebben, maar als ze toch ingaat op zijn verzoek gebeurt het onvermijdelijke: ze worden verliefd. Als het jonge paar verstrikt raakt in een reeks religieuze schandalen en de inwoners van Saronno zich tegen Bernardino keren, moet hij de stad ontvluchten. Bernardino zal er echter alles aan doen om terug te keren naar de vrouw van wie hij zielsveel is gaan houden.

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Malagrida Manifatture Spring Summer Collection 2013

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Solid, well organized, with its eyes on the future, Malagrida Group is today a leading manufacturer of knitwear and total look collections, for both men and women, thanks to the solid background that characterises its history.

The company’s was started in Tolentino (in the Macerata province) by Franco Malagrida, who had been working in this field since 1960. He is now the president of the Group. On Franco’s side, helping him to manage the company, are his children Sabrina and Enzo (the former is in charge of the style and R&D department, the latter is engaged in the commercial and retail area), as well as a skilled and professional management team

Malagrida is a synonym for constant style research, rigorous raw material selection, careful weaving and manufacturing, excellent fit and a clear aesthetic balance, but also for the comaesthetic balance, but also for the commitment in product R&D, technological innovation, business organization and competent management. Innovation is the word that best describes the company’s character: the organization and management rearrangement that begun over 10 years ago and involved all the activities, areas and functions within the company, allowed to reach high efficiency levels along the supply chain, from suppliers to final customers. A solid and reliable, though flexible company, that can easily absorb new stimuli to re-process them quickly and creatively, in order to meet market’s requirements.

Malagrida’s products, within both the classic and sportswear ranges, have their own distinctive style, that identifies and encapsulate the firm’s personality: the ability to match the value of great experience and the talent value of great experience and the talent in seizing and interpreting new fashion trends, mastering and reworking them in a brand new way, to obtain a product that can meet the ever-changing tastes and needs of their target customers.

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Corinaldo tra scale, Sante e burloni.

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La scalinata famosa, sì quella con il pozzo, ti accoglie subito da uno dei principali accessi della città lasciandoti meravigliato. Quello scorcio, fotografato, presentato e stampato su tutti gli opuscoli delle merita tutta la fama che ha e ne dovrebbe avere anche di più.

Le città marchigiane la sanno lunga in fatto di scale (chi ha studiato a Macerata o Urbino può testimoniarlo) ma decisamente quella di Corinaldo conquista un posto tra le più belle e suggestive. Corinaldo, comune di poco più di 5 mila anime della parte nord della provincia di Ancona, vanta il primato di essere sia una Bandiera Arancione del Touring Club Italiano, sia uno dei Borghi più belli d’Italia. Oltre al famoso pozzo (foro di copertina) tutta la struttura urbanistica è di rilievo. La cinta muraria, una delle meglio conservate della regione, offre la possibilità non solo di una bella passeggiata ma anche di scorci panoramici notevoli sulla campagna. Un paio di torrioni circolari e il particolarissimo sperone del IV sec la cui fisionomia si inserisce con decisione nell’andamento morbido della cinta muraria. La piazza alberata nel punto più alto del paese offre diverse abitazioni molto curate e una targa ci ricorda che Corinaldo diede i natali a Santa Maria Goretti (bambina vittima di una brutta storia di violenza consumatasi nelle campagne laziali) con un santuario a lei dedicato e dove il suo aguzzino – pentito – è sepolto. Un’ultima chicca della città la trovate in una via parallela alla scalinata sulla destra. È la casa di Scuretto, che si consumò tutti i soldi che il figlio gli mandava dalle Americhe al bar invece di impegnarli nella costruzione della casa, di cui rimane solo la facciata e una simpaticissima targa che racconta la storia.

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Le olive all'ascolana di Sunny

See on Scoop.it - La Cucina Italiana - De Italiaanse Keuken - The Italian Kitchen

Nel nostro tour enogastronomico per il progetto Eating Piceno, abbiamo assaggiato, come era prevedibile, ogni genere di oliva ascolana…Ce ne hanno proposte come aperitivo in tanti posti che abbiamo visitato.

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