No doubt, by now we have all heard about the COVID-19 and the extreme measures Italy is taking to contain the virus.  Our own country has introduced measures these past few weeks to prevent spreading the virus.  At Mia Emilia, we have been keeping in close contact with our producers and friends in Italy, and we want to reassure you that our producers are healthy, continuing to create the artisanal products we all love, and we continue to offer them (and enjoy them ourselves!) free from interruption.  Our producers continue to work in incredibly clean facilities, many of which we...

Wherever you go in Italy, from small towns to big cities and everywhere in between, there is one dish you are sure to run into over and over again.  A cheese plate served with local honey and delicious fruit jam.   When I first tasted Mia Emilia’s fabulous Fig Jam from the producers at Acetaia Castelli, I could hardly believe my taste buds!  The flavor is so unique, perfectly marrying the flavors of figs and balsamic vinegar, but the texture is just as impressive.   It begs to be served on a plate with fine seasoned cheeses. Perfect to pair...

When I first discovered Mia Emilia’s products, I was amazed and deeply touched by the authenticity of the products.  Among the greatest surprises in the box was the Egg Pasta from the makers of La Pasta di Aldo in Monte San Giusto, Le Marche.  At the first bite of pasta from La Pasta di Aldo, if I closed my eyes, I would have sworn I was at an Italian table.  Even pastas I purchased in Italy and cooked back home have not captured that essence of Italy that true, artisanal methods delight us with.  These do.  Every aspect from appearance...

Mia Emilia is excited to introduce you to a new line of products from our wonderful balsamic vinegar makers in Emilia Romagna.  While most of us are familiar with traditional balsamic vinegar, the producers at Acetaia Castelli have come up with fun and tasty ways to experiment with it, combining it with other wonderful flavors into glazes, jams, and much more. We have already introduced you to our fabulous fig and balsamic jam, one of my personal favorite products!  This week, we would like to share with you the Gourmet Cream line from our friends in Reggio Emilia. If you...

As Giuseppe introduces us to his son, Fabio, it is clear that he has inherited his father’s love of the land and its flavors.  Instead of telling us all his accomplishments, he praises the miracle of nature in the spring, when flowers bloom and fruits fill the trees and vines.   I watched this video before opening my new bottle of Marini Giuseppe’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil Toscano IGP, and I had to smile at the first taste.  Breathing in its aroma hints at the flavors to come, spicy and fruity at the same time.  The first taste is soft...

From majolica tiled tables overlooking the sea, to bustling markets, rustic kitchens, and roof top terraces, figs are special fruits, treasured all throughout Italy.  Mia Emilia has discovered the ideal product that brings the flavors of fresh figs from Italy to our tables here at home.  Last week we introduced you to our friends at Acetaia Castelli, passionate makers of balsamic vinegar for generations.  The family is so passionate about their vinegar that they have crafted some extraordinary products incorporating it with different local ingredients and traditional Italian produce.  The delicious Fig Jam with Balsamic Vinegar is one of these....

Mia Emilia is proud to introduce you to a new, fabulous product!  Our Apple Balsamic Condiment comes from the dedicated producers at Acetaia Castelli in Italy’s Emilia Romagna region.  Made from natural apple juice and white wine vinegar, its sweetness, fruitiness, and density come from the quality natural ingredients, and the techniques passed down from generation to generation.  If you love the flavor of balsamic, this is a must try, and if you love apples too, this just might be the product of your dreams. During this season, the apple flavor lends itself beautifully to many recipes, whether you want...

Every year the time seems to fly by faster, and here we are in December once again!  It’s Christmas time, and in Italy markets are opening, cities are lighting their trees, and the spirit of Christmas warms the chilled air. If you are still thinking through your Christmas list this year, we have put together a guide to help give you some ideas for the special people in your life.  Please enjoy, and we wish you all, Buon Natale!  Merry Christmas!  

As the holiday approaches this week, we would like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!  Thanksgiving is, of course, an American holiday, but the traditions of the day remind me very much of life in Italy.  A day to spend together cooking, eating, laughing, reminiscing, and enjoying time spent with the ones we love.  Italians in general spend more time gathered around the table than we do.  Meals are lingered over and never rushed.  Ingredients are quality and fresh for the season.  Much like our Thanksgiving!  In Italy they say, La Festa di Ringraziamento, and the Italian calendar is full...

There are few things more instantly satisfying than the first drop of a high-quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil.  Mia Emilia’s Goccia Umbra Olive Oil makers must have realized that long ago when creating their company.  Goccia Umbra means, “Drop of Umbria”, and that it is.  Umbria is a gorgeous region of central Italy between Tuscany, Lazio, and Le Marche.  Splendid hill towns and rich farmlands bless this region with some of Italy’s most delicious products.  The producers explain the origins of Goccia Umbra at Castel Vitiano, a tower which has stood for a thousand years in these Umbrian hills.  Surrounded...

Italy loves and honors the Saints, and Festa di San Martino is celebrated in different ways all throughout Italy.  Generally, it also coincides with the time to try new wine and the peak of chestnut season.  In many of the celebrations, you will find chestnuts and wine.  Sounds like a good time, doesn’t it?  Italy has several proverbs surrounding Estate di San Martino and involving the season of Autumn, harvest, chestnuts, and wine.  I love this one, “Per San Martino castagne e buon vino” “Chestnuts and good wine for St. Martin’s day”.  You’re sure to find both everywhere, and one...

Italy is blessed with one of the five so-called “Blue Zones” in the world.  It is an area on the enchanting Island of Sardinia.  So, what exactly is a “Blue Zone”?  An author named Dan Buettner studied the world over to find the highest concentrations of people who lived to be over one hundred years old.  Centenarians, they’re called.  He zeroed in on five areas in the world where people live exceptionally long lives and studied each, realizing that they had several things in common, some that set each apart, and a few that are hard to measure, but very...

Pistachio is an especially popular nut and flavor in Italy, and one of the many prides of Sicily.  Sicily is the region best known for pistachios, especially the small town of Bronte near the famous volcano, Mt. Etna.  Breaking open Mia Emilia's Torrone al Gusto Pistacchio, the inside was just right.  Just like the best pistachio products in Italy.  They all have this pretty, pale green inside and the unmistakable nutty flavor.   This Torrone is extra special, because along with the pistachio flavor, you also get the crunchy, roasted almond flavor, all wrapped up together in delicious dark chocolate. 

One of my pet peeves with Americanized dishes claiming to be Italian is the greasy, chunky “marinara” sauce that many restaurants offer as an alternative to the also inauthentic “alfredo” sauce with pasta or served as a dipping sauce with fried cheese sticks.  Heartburn on a plate, I call it.  I ordered that not long ago because it was the only thing a vegetarian like myself could eat on the menu.  I could barely get through it.  Big chunks of onions swimming in bright red grease that flung onto my shirt and drowned the overcooked spaghetti.  This is what we...

In Italy this time of year, when the air begins to cool and sunsets color the sky a little earlier each day, markets fill with the delights of Autumn.  Among the finest are Porcini mushrooms.  All over Italy this time of year, you will find Porcini on the menu.  Emilia Romagna even hosts a festival in their honor in early October.  We visited the Renaissance town of Pienza last Autumn, right at sunset.  The colors in the sky were spectacular, one swoosh of magenta reminding us that God is the greatest painter of all.  When it was time for dinner, ...

In Italy there’s a charming phrase, “A tavola non s’invecchia”.  It means, “At the table one does not age.”  A phrase not only sweet, but hard to argue, as Italy has quite a few areas where people tend to live a long time.  Could it be because they spend so much time gathered around a table enjoying each other’s company and wholesome food?  Likely, yes!  In the most authentic kitchens where these long lives are led, only the best ingredients are prepared.  Pastas are made from non-modified wheat.  Olive oils are extra virgin and made of Italian olives, likely grown...

Order a bottle of Mia Emilia’s White Balsamic Dressing and it just might become your favorite product in the kitchen.  When I started sampling all of the products from Mia Emilia, this one was probably the biggest surprise.  I knew it would be good, but I had no idea how obsessed with it I was about to become! What makes it so special?  The makers from Emilia Romagna, one of Italy’s most highly prized food regions, have been producing fabulous Balsamic vinegars in their family for many generations. Their products use only DOC grapes from their very own vineyards.  To...

In the Amalfi Coast, where lemons are famous and plentiful, you can find them infused into recipes, liqueurs, olive oils, soaps, perfumes, and even hand-painted onto gorgeous majolica tiles. The locals love their lemons and celebrate them all year round!  Around this time last year, my husband and I were in the Amalfi Coast for his first time.  Hot days cooled by the shade of green lemon groves and flowers still blooming long into September.  Infinite Sea Views from the aptly named, “Terrace of Infinity”, left us speechlessly pondering eternity.  La Dolce Vita, The Sweet Life indeed.  It was several...

In Italy, or Rome, specifically, the king of cheesy pasta is Cacio e Pepe. It is sure to delight! Rather than a thick, soupy sauce, this dish is made from only a few ingredients. No butter, no cream, just Pecorino Romano, black pepper, and a little bit of the water you’ve just cooked the pasta in.  For the perfect texture like you find in Italy, we recommend our artisanal pastas. Try Michelis Egidio Tagliolini Egg Pasta.

Have you ever noticed how the first notes of a mandolin send your mind off dreaming of sparkling seas or fields of sunflowers?  How the scent of fresh basil and ripe tomatoes makes you beg for spicy olive oil and sweet balsamic vinegar?  For me, those tastes bring back sweet memories with the Italian people while basking in the joys produced by their land.