Studio Latteria { Cooking in Rome }

I get lots of emails about cooking classes in Rome. I get asked where do I recommend for cooking classes, but I also get invited to go to cooking classes. It's great. I love to cook. It is always fun to roll out pasta (something I never do at home) and eat with friends. I have watched eagerly as my Instagram pal Alice has been documenting her new culinary space. I was especially pleased when she posted a photo with exotic ingredients like Vietnamese mint and rice paper announcing she was open for business.

Bagni Internazionale + Ristorante Ciro a Mare {Best Beaches in Capri}

When we went down to Capri a few weeks ago we did not combine it with a trip to Positano like we usually do. We left the car at home, skipped the SS163 (which I love by the way), and hopped on an early morning train at Termini, had a quick cup of coffee in Naples before taking a taxi to the port and we had arrived in Capri, checked into our hotel all before lunchtime! It was so ridiculously fast and easy we kept asking each other again and again, why do we not do this more often? 

Broccoletti {Eat Like a Roman}

Last summer a new restaurant opened in my neighborhood. We went to Broccoletti a bunch of times, we sat outside on via Urbana and drank cold white Lazio wines and had fresh fish and pasta with very picky friends and old friends visiting from London and just the three of us.

We loved it every time. The menu was local and creative. But not too creative, the service was great and the location couldn’t be beat. Summer ended, there was months of road work on the street, and I kind of forgot about Broccoletti. Earlier this week when friends visiting from Tuscany wanted to meet in Monti for lunch I knew exactly where to take them.

A Weekend in Pretty Procida

If Capri is the sparkly jewel, all freshly scrubbed, wear your prettiest outfit and good hair kind of place; I mean even electricity cables & drainage pipes are marked with handpainted maillorca tiles, Then the island of Procida is your beat up white superga sneakers, favorite jeans, hair scraped in a ponytail kind of place.

Just as easy to reach from Rome and Naples, this small quiet place is often overlooked for it's flashier (Capri) or larger (Ischia) neighbors. Last weekend we decided to leave the car behind in Rome and island hop. Here are a few of my favorite discoveries on the pretty island of Procida.

A Few Days in Capri and Naples

I am heading south for a few days. I will be revisiting old favorite places on Capri, meeting up with the team behind a new guide book to Naples and the Amalfi Coast that I contributed to and visiting some new places to add to my Amalfi Coast ebook. 

Milan Expo 2015 {Gillian's List of Links}

Expo 2015 in Milan is finally, really, happening. 130 countries are represented and there are 53 national pavilions to visit. The theme is Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life. Expo 2015 runs from May - October 31.

I have rounded up some of the best articles and information out there for you to plan your trip north.

Ceramiche Sberna in Deruta {Shopping in Italy}

It is wedding season. And if you are an expat, it is home leave season. That means it is the season to buy gifts. When we visit friends and family I have a general policy that I only bring gifts that can be consumed. My suitcase is filled with beautifully packaged Italian toothpaste and coffee and pasta. This year I am thinking about bringing something a little more durable. 

My pal Elizabeth literally wrote the book on ceramics in Deruta so when she gives advice I listen. Mark and I made the short drive from her Umbrian country house to the friendly and colorful Ceramiche Sberna in Deruta.

Ristorante da Nazzareno {Eat Like a Roman}

Rome is a theatrical place. Going out to eat in Rome is a lot like going to the theater. It is all a performance. There are sets and acts and intermission. Sometimes you want a grand show with costumes and choreography and sometimes you want a simple story on a small stage. The other day I was walking home from yoga, feeling very healthy since I had exercised after an indulgent weekend and I looked up from my green juice to see a friend I had made over said indulgent weekend. Rolando was on his way to his favorite Trattoria in Rome and insisted I join him. I can't say no to a plate of amatriciana so I turned right back around and found myself at Ristorante da Nazzareno.