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...

Christmas in Italy is magical.  Piazzas fill with Christmas markets, Presepi (nativity scenes) pop up in churches, homes, and towns, carols are sung, cities are sparkling with lights, and of course, excellent food is all around!   Italy still very much keeps Christ in Christmas.  It is thought that St. Francis was the first to bring the Christmas story to life on Christmas Eve in 1223 by creating a reverent reenactment of the manger scene in the town of Grecio.  Later, artists of the Renaissance depicted the manger scene so beautifully, we still feel as if we can look into...

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...

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, 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.