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
We always park at the Santa Maria Novella parking. Not cheap, but very handy and we always find a spot there.Â
Yes, in our case, the bank was also very helpful.
Plumbago auriculata is a resilient plant. It grows very well in the ground. I would leave it where it is. Do not overwater it.
I used to grow Mandevillas in Australia, but the climate, where I lived, was totally different and it would flower during most of the year. Mandevillas do not like cold weather and quite possibly they became dormant; however, they should be having new shoots by now.
Careful! Last year they made some slight changes. We saw that in our case. Two years ago, we submitted new planimetry and had records modified, as the previous owner had carried out renovations which had not been reported. The first year, we expected some changes in the category and this happened. This year, we only expected a further increase in the "rendita cadastale", but we also got an adjustment of category. We were told that we could challenge the decision, but the difference does not warrant it. Besides, the Comune needs the extra revenue....
It has not been that complicated before; however, in the case of Bagni di Lucc and due to the recent elections, the previous council did not leave a clear percentage to use and it may be modified for the second semester. For this reason, you can only pay the first semester rates and adjust them when the second one is due. We hope that next year things will go back to normal and I also expect some changes in the procedure.
I think that it all depends on the type of facilities  and  lservice offered. A difficult comparison. Some B & B start looking more like 4 and 5 star hotels. There is also apartment letting, even for short stays, which is our preferred option, and prices are reasonable.
Twentyknots, you need your "rendita catastale", which appears on the"visura", not the cadastral value. THere is a lady called Fina, in a little office near the Tourist Office, on the main street, who can help. Ask at the Tourist Office and they will tell you. This year it is quite complicated. It is better to seek help, even if you have to pay a small amount. She may be able to advise you regarding your fine for not paying last year's ICI.
Great information, Penny. Thanks.
Congratulations, Jill!!! Well done!!!!