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
There seems to be quite a few offers on line. Go to google.it and search under "occhiali vista offerte". You can add the name of your town or region.
I found this address: and they have some interesting offers on bulbs and plants if you look under "introvabili" and then "giardinaggio". I would say that 15 € for 150 bulbs it's pretty good. They also have "maracuja" or passionfruit, which is a great creeper to have in any garden and it produces a delicious fruit. I have never used this online business and I would appreciate your comments as they have a large offer of products.
Just to clarfy, Â Gardening group is an open group and this is the case with all the groups I have created. And I also click the public box to make contents available to all. On the other hand, I have also experienced problems whenever it happened that I was not signed in... and I do not know who signed me out.
I agree with Fillide, exposure to the sun is your major challenge here. I would also advise to use a light colour. A dark one will deteriorate very quickly.
You will also have to remove the old, flaky paint....
I agree with Belvedere, Unopiu is the best, although the most expensive and the design and quality are superb; however, I do not know whether it would be an appropriate choice for a house that is rented out. Also, Andiamo's remarks about cushions are very valid.Â
Colognora was an excellent choice as a set for the film. It is a most interesting village and an "isola linguistica". They speak a dialect that originated in the Longobard language. Everything moves very slowly there!Â
Leroy Merlin has a large variety of outdoor furniture in all types of materials. Have a look at I am afraid that all outdoor furniture requires maintenance. It is either that or to opt for a cheaper version that you do not mind replacing it every season.Â
A difficult question. the first problem would be to identify native wild flowers for the region you mention. I would say that any Mediterranean plant would be a good bet. I am more familiar with the Tuscany region... but here are my thoughts... I have never seen native seed mixes  at any vivaio; however, try the largest in your area, particularly those selling "ingrosso". To name a few "native" plants that grow well in Central Italy, I would include most herbs (rosemary, all types of mints, thyme,basil...)  iris, ranunculus, anemones, geraniums and pelargoniums, jasmin, sunflower, oleander, belladona.. Now, many of these grow from bulbs, rhyzomes or cuttings and belladona is highly toxic... I do not know what you intend to do in your garden; however, my advice would be to talk to your "native" neighbours and follow their advice. Happy gardening!!!! Â
Thank you very much, Anne. I am enjoying it.