Sunday Shout-out: Aglio, Olio & Peperoncino

The Italians are famous for their many traditions centered around food. A wonderful part of my last two years in Italy has been discovering and attempting to prepare the traditional meals and desserts that seem to come with every holiday. Food traditions here are not only centered around the holidays though, and it is these everyday traditions that I have grown to love the most. By far my favorite tradition here in Italy is the Sunday lunch with family. A good meal, time to catch up with the family, to laugh and relax, all finished off, of course, by some type of tempting dessert. I love being out and about late on a Sunday morning and seeing people hurrying to their lunch destinations carrying bundles of pastries, delicately stacked on trays and carefully wrapped in paper and ribbons by the local bakeries. I can just imagine the moment after a wonderful lunch when each bundle will be unwrapped to the happy sounds and eager eyes of the family and friends around the table.

Last Sunday I was reminded of all of this when I read a beautiful post by the ever so talented Lola of Aglio, Olio & Peperoncino called Sundays spent satiating. If the photo above has your mouth watering, head over to read about Lola’s Sunday lunches with her family and learn how to prepare her mother’s Tagliatelle al Ragù. If you didn’t already have plans for lunch today, now you do! It is not a complicated dish to prepare, and it is one that rewards you with all the time and love you put into it. For me this is the quintessential Sunday pasta, and I have noticed I start craving it on Saturday nights, already with the thoughts of Sunday lunch seeping into my mind.

Just a week ago I found Lola’s blog Aglio, Olio & Peperoncino, and since then I have been enjoying her interesting, funny and beautiful posts. I have been wondering for awhile now how to prepare Fried Zucchini Blossoms, because I kept hearing just how good they are. With Lola’s recipe, I learned that it really isn’t all that difficult. I also learned that although her home is in Rome, she has a deep connection with the Amalfi Coast. Having practically grown up in Positano, as she described it, she knows the Coast and the food traditions here very well. In fact, when I see the name of her blog, I can’t help but think of the three most important cooking ingredients here… aglio, olio & peperoncino!

Lola has recently launched a new blog called Forchettine, where she continues to share her food expertise in the form of restaurant reviews. Last week she wrote a review of the restaurant Da Teresa located at the Santa Croce beach near Amalfi. Santa Croce is by far my favorite beach on the Amalfi Coast, and have have so many happy memories of enjoying lunch and vino bianco with fresh peaches from Da Teresa while soaking up the sun. Forchettine is written in Italian (I told you Lola was ever so talented!) for those of you who also read Italian, or those of you learning (like me!) who are looking for some enjoyable reading practice.

I give a four fork rating to Lola’s excellent blogs Aglio, Olio & Peperoncino and Forchettine!

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