Cindy Swain
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A Washington State native, Cindy double majored in Communications and Italian Studies as well as participated in a three month study abroad program in Rome and a year long student exchange in Australia. She worked as a project manager for an advertising agency in Seattle before packing her backpack and heading on an around the world adventure, visiting 13 countries in 10 months: from New Zealand to Southeast Asia, India to East Europe, and finally making her way to Emilia-Romagna, Italy where she’s been living for the past seven years. On her bilingual Italian/English food blog, italicana kitchen, she proposes wholesome recipes made with seasonal produce. You can also catch her on air at 8:00a.m. every Tuesday on Radio Bruno with La Strana Coppia where she talks about American gastronomy and English culinary words. Cindy’s also survived the embarrassment of trying to speak Italian fluently on national TV programs like La Prova del Cuoco and A Conti Fatti on RAI UNO. She is currently taking an Italian Sommelier course to become a certified wino.
Articles by italicana kitchen
I remember the first time I tried my Italian aunt-in-law’s spinach and ricotta cannelloni: it was love at first bite. Fresh egg pasta was flattened in…
Recipes by italicana kitchen
Who says eating broccoli has to be bland and boring? When you have this traditional Sicilian side dish in your cooking arsenal, it’s hard…
The saying goes that if you ask 10 chefs how to roast a chicken, you’ll get 10 different answers. This too applies to making ravioli. All across the…
Autumn in Tuscany means pappardelle ai funghi e panna, a classic seasonal pasta dish with hearty mushrooms and cream sauce. Porcini are…
As my Italian husband often tells me, “In Italy, food is an obsession.” While living in the northern region of Emilia-Romagna for almost 10 years, I…
In Italy, lenticchie (lentils) are traditionally enjoyed during a New Year’s Eve dinner to welcome luck and prosperity. They are said to…
This time of year in Italy the outdoor farmers markets always have wooden crates piled high with bright green spinach leaves. And, if you meander…
Head to any restaurant, osteria, trattoria or pizzeria in Italy, and you’ll be sure to find grissini (breadsticks) on the table laying in a…
When you mention, pasta all’uova or “egg pasta” to an Italian, the first thought that usually comes to mind is: Emilia-Romagna. This…
My Italian husband took a seat at the dinner table just as I set a hot plate of homemade pasta with a smoked salmon cream sauce in front of him. The…
Cappellacci di zucca (butternut squash cappellacci) is a symbolic dish of Ferrara, a historic town in the northern Italian region of Emilia-…
If you’ve never tried Panzanella, you’re in for a treat. This classic Tuscan recipe is a much loved piatto povero (peasant dish…
If you are looking for a beautiful and effortless Italian dessert, Affogato al caffè is your go-to solution. It’s made with a scoop or two…
Making homemade passata di pomodoro (tomato puree) is a time honored tradition in Italy. In August, when tomatoes are at their peak…
If you love hosting dinner parties in the summer but are always undecided on what to make for dessert to stay out of the hot kitchen, then this two-…
One of the most classic summer dishes in Italy is the insalata di caprese or caprese salad made with sun kissed tomatoes, fresh mozzarella…
Frico is a typical dish from from the region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Frico croccante or “crunchy Frico” is made with only cheese—…
In Italian recipes, you’ll find beets used in a variety of dishes to add color, intrigue and nutrients. Many modern Italian vegetarian dishes…
If you have ever traveled to Italy, you may have wondered why the food tastes so darn good. Each dish seems to explode with flavor leaving your taste…
A classic spring pasta dish in Emilia Romagna, a northern region of Italy, is tagliatelle con asparagi e piselli or “tagliatelle with…
What happens when you put an Italian spin on an American oatmeal raisin cookie recipe? Simply put: cookie heaven. You get all the flavor and chewy…
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