Cindy Swain
:
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.
Recipes by italicana kitchen
Minestrone is a thick Italian vegetable soup often with the addition of legumes, pasta or rice and sometimes meat. Like many Italian dishes,…
Spring has sprung! Farmer’s markets around Italy are brimming with new produce, and in particular, long spears of fresh green asparagus, piles of…
If you look in any Italian kitchen, you’ll find, without a doubt, a few simple ingredients that will turn any dish into a tasty meal. Olio extra…
In Italy, the torta al riso soffiato or “puffed rice cake” is a popular modern dessert for festivities like Carnival, Valentine’s Day and…
Calamari in umido (calamari stew) is a common recipe found throughout Italy. A similar recipe also uses polipo (octopus), an…
Einkorn, also called farro monococco or farro piccolo, is the oldest grain in the world. It’s one of three hulled wheats: farro piccolo or small…
Although sweet potatoes aren’t native to Italy, they are increasingly becoming more popular along with many Italian cooks’ desires to incorporate new…
Add a special treat to your holiday parties by making your own homemade farro crackers. These crunchy unleavened crackers are made with einkorn, the…
Cantucci are typical Tuscan almond cookies that are twice-baked, dry and crunchy. For this reason, they can be preserved for long periods of time. To…
Italy is known for their high production of oranges, especially in the south. Sicily in particular occupies 3/4 of all the production followed by…
Italy boasts a wide variety of pumpkins and squash that vary in shape (round to cylinder), color (orange to yellow to green and even grey) and type…
Kale pesto, or pesto di cavolo nero, is a delicious and versatile autumn/winter sauce that can be used in all your favorite holiday dishes. It’s…
When thinking about “Italian food”, wood fire pizzas and oversized bowls of pasta typically come to mind. Although Italy has an grand cuisine based…
When talking about “sole” in English, we are referring to the delicate white fish. In Italian, the word sole means sun, and is pronounced “so-lay”…
There are many ways to naturally color your pasta. Often the ingredients are added directly to the pasta dough as in the case for spinach (green) or…
What’s not to love about farro, an ancient grain grown in Italy. It’s nutty in flavor, high in protein and fiber and is often suitable for people who…
One way to beat the hot summer heat in Italy is with a refreshing homemade juice. Peaches are one of the most appreciated summer fruits and you’ll…
Ravioli is a typical and well-known Italian pasta, but did you know that the name for this iconic dish changes throughout the boot-shaped peninsula?…
Warm summer evenings are the perfect excuse to invite friends over for an Italian-style BBQ. What better way to start this festive-themed dinner than…
When you think of Italian cuisine, two famous dishes typically come to mind: pizza & pasta. Pizza is commonly consumed weekly either at a…
User Activity
italicana kitchen posted a question: Hello everyone! I just wanted to say_title