About: Sandra

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Alf in Italy – Pranzo al mercato di Sant’Ambrogio

I am in the Mercato Sant’Ambrogio in Florence with a paper bag in my hand. Inside the paper bag is a plastic bag so that none of the contents can ooze out and flow down my shirt front. This double bag arrangement holds a panino stuffed with a huge spoonful of unctuous, flavourful deliciousness. Some…
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Alf in Italy – A day in Umbria – Part 2

We leave serene Bevagna and drive across the plain. Farms, factories, housing estates and the rest of the essential marks of the twenty first century rapidly return us from lunchtime reveries. Bypassing Foligno and, still on the ancient path of the Via Flaminia, we drive to Spello where there is a wonderful unexpected surprise, one…
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Alf in Italy – Il mercato di Ortigia

We are walking through the Ortigia market in Siracusa because it is nearly lunch time and we are hungry. It is a jumble of people and produce. Even though it is open every day except Sunday it has a temporary look and only the buildings lining Via Emanuele di Benedictis give it any suggestion of…
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Gragnano (paccheri pasta) with octopus ragu’

octupus ragu paccheri pasta
Pasta di Gragnano (paccheri pasta) al ragu’ di polpo For me as a cook, one of my greatest pleasures is the challenge of trying to recreate a recipe I have experienced in a restaurant. It often takes months of trial and error to perfect before I will prepare it for family and friends, and then…
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