La Bella Vita Cucina

Perfect Peach Salsa that’s Fast and Easy

Mother Nature never fails to disappoint us during the summer months when peaches are so incredibly sweet. Let me tell you if you've never had a fresh-off-the-tree peach grown in South Carolina, you simply have not lived a full life yet. I just can't describe their soft texture, syrupy juice, and THAT. CRAZY. SWEET. FLAVOR. But I've already mentioned that haven't I? OK, so to say it another way, the flavor of fresh peaches (according to a thesaurus) is 'candy-like', 'toothsome', like ...

It's Zucchini Season! August and the end of summertime are some of the best times of the year in the kitchen. Our gardens are overflowing with delicious, fresh vegetables just waiting to be used in our favorite as well as new recipes. Zucchini is always included in our garden, and even if you don't garden, I can guarantee that your local farmers' market or food store will have plenty of zucchini available. And like us, there are lots of friends who'll share the zucchini love by gladly ...

Italian Food In Chicago: Day Three — Osteria Longhe

For the third day of my visit to Chicago, my son and I hung out with friends and relaxed. He had big plans for us in the evening with reservations at one of not only Chicago’s top Italian restaurants, but also one of the most notable Italian eateries in the entire nation, Osteria Langhe. With…

Italian Food in Chicago: Day Two, Little Italy, Bari and D’Amato’s

If you truly want to get a feel for the real Italian deal in the ‘windy city’, you have to visit Little Italy in Chicago. Or what’s still left of it as America’s ethnic neighborhoods change, shift, and gentrify. While some people long for the old days, the only thing that is constant is change….

Italian Food In Chicago: Day One

If you’re looking to explore Chicago’s Italian food eateries and places to experience, I’ve got you covered in this series. On my way to Chicago for a whirlwind Italian food tour, I had a layover for a few hours in the Atlanta Airport. So I stopped in A sweet little gem, Café Intermezzo. This hot…

Peach Panettone Parfaits with Mascarpone Cream

Fresh peaches from the orchards of South Carolina are filling the roadside stands, farmers’ markets, and food stores. There’s nothing like biting into a ripe peach with its sweet juices just dripping out! Extra napkins always required! Now that’s an image of summer that’s classic! If appearance is important when eating peaches, then this recipe,…