Getaway to the Biloxi Coast

It’s cool and pleasant here in Lexington, Kentucky and if we hadn’t just spent several days on the beautiful coast of Mississippi we would have enjoyed the lovely weather. But my sister in law and I have just returned from our first visit to the wonderful...

Perry Hall, MD: Chef’s Pick of Local Restaurants

Perry Hall, MD, is a semi-rural suburb of Baltimore and the place I call home. This quiet town got its humble beginnings when Harry Dorsey Gough purchased 1,000 acres and a partially completed home in 1776. Since then, the home has survived fire, storms, and neglect...
WHEN IN ROME, WHERE TO EAT LIKE A ROMAN

WHEN IN ROME, WHERE TO EAT LIKE A ROMAN

From the ancient Romans we’ve inherited the basis for modern civil law and city planning, a standard coinage, a system of weights and measures, plumbing, aqueducts, bridges, …and delicious food, represented best by pasta especially spaghetti alla carbonara or cacio...
Photo & Food and More in Verona

Photo & Food and More in Verona

On January 27, 2007 the genial and indefatigable Piemontese entrepreneur Oscar Farinetti opened his first mega food store of exclusively Italian food products, Eataly, in Torino; now they are in 46 locations in 15 countries with several more in the planning stages. In...
The History of Pumpkin Pie

The History of Pumpkin Pie

THE HISTORY OF PUMPKIN PIE Pumpkin pie, an international symbol of harvest time, is a favorite dessert, especially in the United States and Canada, but also in Northern Italy, between Halloween and Christmas. Its custardy filling flavored with nutmeg, cinnamon,...
A NEW ERA FOR SLOW FOOD

A NEW ERA FOR SLOW FOOD

The International Slowfood Movement was founded in 1986 by Carlo Petrini, political activist, journalist, author, and publisher, as a protest against the newly-opened McDonald’s near Rome’s elegant Piazza di Spagna, the first fastfood restaurant in Italy. Today the...
HAPPY 100th BIRTHDAY “BACI”!

HAPPY 100th BIRTHDAY “BACI”!

“Baci” Perugina chocolates, a genuine Made-In-Italy icon, are celebrating their 100th birthday this year. “Baci” means “kisses” and their birth and history is the product of a secret love story between their creator Luisa Spagnoli and businessman and politician...
THE LENTEN COOKBOOK

THE LENTEN COOKBOOK

During the past five years The Sophia Institute Press has published three cookbooks, The Vatican Cookbook (2016, $34.95), Cooking with the Saints (April 2019, $34.95), and The Vatican Christmas Cookbook (September, 2020, $34.95). I’ve reviewed all three for...