VALLE D’AOSTA – Welcome Travelers Valle d’Aosta, bordering France and Switzerland to the west and north, has long been the connector between central Europe and the Italian peninsula. It is the place where people travel on their way to somewhere else. The locals have welcomed travelers since Roman times and have established a culture of hospitality. Travelers are given the same warm welcome now as they were then. The Valdaostani are welcoming and generous people, always eager to share their hearty mountain food. It is the place where cultures meet and eat. Valle d’Aosta shares food styles with Alpine France and Switzerland. Its cuisine is simple, based on fresh ingredients from the mountains, streams, and plush valleys. Our menu this...
Cena di San Valentino a Casa
This year let's celebrate love in all of its forms through the enjoyment of food made for you by Chef Ricchi's loving hand.
Superbowl Fried Chicken Meal
At our little Trattoria in Tuscany we were famous for our "Pollo Fritto," - fried chicken. The Florentines would drive out to visit us in the country on the weekends and we would always sell out.
I am proud to say that my American friends and customers (even those from the South!) seem to have also fallen in love with my recipe so I am starting a new tradition. On Sundays I will be frying up my recipe -- this time for the Washingtonians -- and for Super Bowl Sunday you can buy it in buckets!
Coming to the Table: The Great Equalizer Eating together helps build understanding and strengthens the bonds between people. After all, eating at a table means both eating and talking. It can foster an exchange of ideas, break down prejudices and connect us on a most basic human level. When people are seated at the table, as they are passing the proverbial salt and breaking bread, they are forced to look at each other and converse. This week we are featuring a simple menu, showcasing some of the favorite foods of past presidents. These are dishes well-known and loved by most Americans. How appropriate to serve these crowd-pleasers to entice people to the table. That, after all, is what we have...
La Festa di Sant' Antonio - Coming Together Cercina is not a little town or even a village – it is merely a cluster of simple country houses and farms, two trattorias, a tiny grocery store and an 11th century Romanesque church. The main event every year that draws hordes of Florentines to make the trek to this idyllic countryside enclave is La Festa di Sant’Antonio d’Abate, the Feast of Saint Anthony, protector of farm animals. Every other year, the parade starts at Trattoria i Ricchi, led by a marching band and locals on horseback to the church square where the animals are blessed. La Festa di Sant’Antonio brings everyone together for three days of card games, communal lunches and...
