These super easy "apple roses" are all over the internet lately. Everyone's making them, my son and I even crafted some a...

No, I'm not baking, are you kidding?! Italy is suffering the worst heatwave in 135 years. Nope, not a typo: one-hundred-and-thirty-five ...

It started perfect, but I can't say the vacation ended on a high note. The empty city streets after the holiday exodus; sandy feet a...

Many Italian desserts sound delicious, but few know all of them by name. So, here's a handy guide to some of the more common Italia...

Seadas, or Sebadas, are traditional cheese filled fritters particular to the island of Sardinia . They are the region's most famous d...

For some they're called Saturn, an Australian friend names them "donut;" here in Italy they're tabacchiere, because the...

Rice pudding––as we know it in Toscana––is one of those quintessential family type desserts – you feed it to kids for afternoon snack, or...

lacocinadebender.com Peaches and wine make a fine pair. A sliced white peach soaking in chilled Chardonnay is almost as sweet as a l...

After snuggly morning wishes, a sloppy kiss and a wonderful drawing of the two of us, my son informed me that, "Mother's Day is als...

The other day, when I pointed out panna cotta to one of my clients during a foodie walk, he returned a puzzled look. Panna Cotta is a silky,...

  Don't you love these? They're called fruttini , and they're a clever little dessert. The concept is easy, fruit pulp gets s...

Every year I anxiously await February 5th to break open my giant tub of Nutella and celebrate with fellow hazelnut-chocolate addicts in w...

Gelato is among Italy's most loved and consumed foods, but where do its origins reside? And exactly how is it produced? Grab a scoop and...

Pastiera is the quintessential Neapolitan Easter cake. Legend has it that pastiera was invented in a Neapolitan convent. An unidentified n...

Straightforward chocolate cake is the Marvin Gaye of desserts: classy, smooth, sensual. This particular treat conceived after many deliciou...

Castagnaccio is a typical Apennine region non-sweet dessert made with chestnut flour and love. During a particularly difficult shoot in Gar...

The marketplace these days is a beautiful winter palette. If you've visited my photoblog Tuesday Jan. 12, you'll have noticed the ...

I like finishing dinner with something sweet. But sometimes dessert is too much, especially after a hearty meal. In that case, dipping drie...

The way we Italians honor any sort of festivity, activity or event celebrating a special occasion is through the glorification of food. Coo...