Gala Placidia's activity

Questions Asked

We all have cooking tips and techniques learnt through personal experience or because someone else was kind enough to tell us.

Tue, 08/04/2009 - 05:07

 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. 

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.  

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

Answer to: LEISHMANIASIS
Wed, 06/24/2009 - 04:59

Thank you so much, John. It is particularly worrying to see the spread of the disease. I always thought that it was more confined to the south; however, I can see through the map that there are already some spots in Tuscany and near us. I will certainly get the collar.As for stray cats, unfortunately they quickly spread any diseases. Being an animal lover and having given a home to a few stray cats, I hate to see how these animals are so easily abandoned to their fate.An extra "grazie" from "Tequila" 

Answer to: New Earth Tremor
Tue, 06/23/2009 - 12:51

Hi Pilch, how are you doing and how is your beautiful tower? I do hope that the tremors will not be causing further damage.Best wishes,

Answer to: Gas Cookers
Tue, 06/23/2009 - 08:23

I advise you to do a search through google.it using the words "riparazioni forni gas umbria" and you get a list of companies which do that type of repairs in your area. Unless somebody knows of someone locally......

Tue, 06/23/2009 - 04:24

I was discussing a similar matter with some ½ûÂþÌìÌà friends and I was told that the concept of "prima" not only translates as the first house but also to the principal place of residence, meaning the house where you effectively live.

Mon, 06/22/2009 - 04:43

 Yes, Carole, polenta is a specialty in your area and your recipes very authentic. I loved the photo!Zocco, there is nothing wrong with adding the stock cube, it is an excellent idea. Also, it is great to accompany meat or chicken. I sometimes boil a few small crowns of broccoli until they become tender and then I slowly add polenta to the water stirring at the same time until the polenta cooks and mixes with the broccoli. Once it is cooked, I add some butter and grated cheese. Delicious! This is a recipe that was given to me by some people from Puglia. You can even fry leftovers and they look very nice.My main problem with polenta is that I burnt myself rather badly once trying to prepare it. I will recommend everybody to wear long sleeves, cotton gloves and use a wooden spoon with a very long handle to stir.

Answer to: IL SOFFRITTO
Mon, 06/22/2009 - 04:31

 I agree with Zocco's recipe, it is practically identical to the one I use, with the exception that I also add some lemon juice once the meat has been browned.  Sometimes I also marinate the lamb cut in the fridge for 24 hours using a mixture of 1 tablespoon of olive oilthe juice of 1 lemonrosemary, oregano, garlic slices, salt and pepperI use the marinade to baste the lamb.Also, the shoulder is tender and juicy.Nevertheless, I also agree with Zocco that the presentation is not up to dinner party standards. It is more appropriate for an informal meal. 

Answer to: Hertz Breakdown
Mon, 06/22/2009 - 04:15

 It may be advisable to take a few pics of the condition of the replacement car, particularly those dents and scratches and to forward them to Hertz with a cover letter reminding them that this is a second complaint. It will reinforce the first one and it would be considered a written and graphic proof that those damages were in existence when Hertz delivered the car.

Answer to: Hello
Sun, 06/21/2009 - 13:09

 Hello Kevin and welcome to the Community. Congratulations on getting the ½ûÂþÌìÌà citizenship.Best wishes regarding all your future plans.

Sun, 06/21/2009 - 04:36

Hello and welcome to the Community.There are similar problems with transport throughout the EU and I would dare to say throughout the world. Last night I saw a special report on Spanish TV about this problem and it is true that carriers are cutting down on the number of services provided because of a decline in the number of passengers. Airlines, in particular, are closing down certain lines which they offered before and which have proven to be a loss for the companies.Let's hope that as the economy improves, and it is said that we should notice some changes in the future, all these measures will be reversed.Beautiful place, Lake Trasimeno. Part of my husband's ½ûÂþÌìÌà family comes originally from Panicale, so we go there quite often to admire the great scenary . Panicale is one of the most beautiful towns in Italy.It is great to have you amongst ourselves and please write about your own experiences. This helps a lot of people. Join groups, write Restaurant Reviews, there is plenty to do in the "Piazza".A presto. 

Sun, 06/21/2009 - 04:06

 Paul, I fully understand you. My late father was a genealogist and artist (illuminations art - painting on parchment) and I was brought up in an environment where things such as ancestral homes and anything which used to belong to the family, such as furniture, paintings, photographs, etc. were and are treasured. There were a couple of ancestral homes that I would have loved to be able to restore; however, these were huge projects, classified buildings which are nowadays in the hands of the local government as it is impossible for an individual to tackle them. But I keep an eye on them, visit them whenever I can and I simply love them.In your case it looks as if you have a similar dream and it is within your reach. I would say.... go for it. Make all the enquiries needed to make sure that there are no major problems, both legal and structural, but try to go ahead with it if it is at all possible and within your means. As you say, it is not all black and white, there are many grey areas and through those you can find the light.I remember a house we purchased a few years ago in Granada (Spain) I must confess that at a certain stage we were concerned about our decision to buy. Our neighbours and the tradespeople who were working thought that we had gone mad as we started pulling down walls and opening up a house that was just a succession of little dark rooms. When it was all finished, they used to come to admire the new house. The granddaughter of the original owner came and cried.... we did not know how to react to this, but she simply said: "My granny loved this house but she would be so proud to see how beautiful it looks nowadays"Because of family circumstances, we had to move from the area and sell the house. We got back not only the money we invested in it, including all restoration and improvements and we also made a small profit. Much better than putting the money in the bank....We also had a great time with the project, particularly my husband as an architect. After this successful experience, we have continued doing this as a hobby. We enjoy the challenge, working together to achieve something tangible, finding furniture and fittings which will suit the style of the house.... it is a full time occupation, but a very enjoyable one. And being an ancestral home, the joy and the rewards are even bigger.I will send you a Private Message about our links with San Francisco.Best wishes and regards,Â