We all have cooking tips and techniques learnt through personal experience or because someone else was kind enough to tell us.
Gala Placidia's activity
Questions Asked
 A fairly comprehensive list of words related to food and wine has been prepared by a few of us. It still needs revision, corrections, additions and you may be able to help as it is a Wiki.
Tue, 06/30/2009 - 04:31
 It is official, the old Casino in Bagni di Lucca is reopening its doors after many years; however, it is going to be a modern version, more "little Las Vegas" style than its elegant and exclusive predecessor.
Mon, 06/29/2009 - 09:04
A few weeks ago I started a thread in the old forum about this topic. I still think that it would be great if we could all share our favourite recipes which our families and friends enjoy.
Fri, 06/19/2009 - 05:29
 I think that there are quite a few members who have married overseas an ½ûÂþÌìÌà citizen; however, I am not quite certain whether they have registered their certificate of marriage before the nearest ½ûÂþÌìÌà Consulate.It is advisable to do this an
Tue, 06/16/2009 - 03:43
 It is most important, if you own a property, to have a clear description for it. That is possible through the "visura catastale" which gives you and confirms many facts regarding your title.
Sun, 06/14/2009 - 05:21
 Polenta is one of those ½ûÂþÌìÌà dishes that you either love or hate. Considered in the past as the poor people's staple diet it is nowadays served in the best restaurants.Â
Sat, 06/13/2009 - 17:53
I have just seen on TV some images regarding the Treviso tornado. I sincerely hope that any members in the area have not suffered from this disaster. Â
Sun, 06/07/2009 - 16:44
 The base for many ½ûÂþÌìÌà sauces and dishes is the "soffritto" (sofrit in French, sofrito in Spanish), a mixture of some diced vegetables which are cooked in a heavy pan with three tablespoons of olive oil (although some other kinds of oil and fa
Sat, 06/06/2009 - 05:37
 Hi everyone, this is a warm invitation to joint this group and discuss ½ûÂþÌìÌà food, wine, regional cooking, recipes, tips, cooking utensils, history of cooking and any related subject you may wish to talk about.And welcome, Mimosa, glad to see t
Fri, 06/05/2009 - 08:28
Comments posted
My advice would be to get proper insulation and double-glazed PVC windows. This does make a big difference in your heating costs and it also helps in summer. We have a 200+ year old stone watermill on the river and our heating costs are very reasonable and the house is warm in less than an hour, even if it has not been inhabited for a few months. We got connected to mains gas, worthwhile if you have it available in your area and we also have a new boiler which provides hot water and heating through radiators. We had a double circuit installed, so we can switch on and off the downstairs apartment which is never used. Best wishes regarding your renovation.
Well, I must confess that I have not seen those shops that you mention. So they must be quite hidden away. I will check the situation in April....when I will be there.
These people may also help:
Thanks for the link. It confirms what I heard last year. Anyway, I would not like to see McDonald's in the historic centre....
Oh! I forgot to mention in my previous post that I heard that the Lucca Council does not allow the presence of foreign restaurants or Chinese bazaars within Lucca's historic centre. I think that it is a good idea in order to preserve its character. Could this be labeled as "discrimination"? I don't think so. I see it rather as an effort to maintain traditions. Lucca's historic centre is too precious. I don't know what happens in other cities.Â
I must confess that I tend to taste exotic cuisines either in situ or in San Francisco, where I go quite frequently. I am afraid that there is not a big choice of those cuisines in Lucca, the majority serve traditional Tuscan fare and my favourites would be "La Buca di Sant' Antonio" or the "Antico Café di Simo" for less formal food. Both have a terrific atmosphere as well. Nevertheless, I found this short list of "exotic" restaurants in Lucca: Ristorante Cinese La Grande Muraglia - Via del Moro 8 Ristorante Hong Kong - Via S. Marco 217 Oishii Di Hu Huamei - Via Pesciatina 509 - San Vito Ristorante Woksushi - Via Citta Gemelle
Congratulations to you both. You are obviously enjoying life and that is the most important thing.
Prosecco for me, thanks.
A beautiful piece of writing and an enlightening one too.
Perhaps ½ûÂþÌìÌà women are going to start their own "revolution": Berlusconi has forgotten that if you are a public figure your life is no longer private. His "indiscretions" are notorious, he has lost all sense of propriety and dignity.