Much to my delight, I found a store in Italy dedicated to the French Fry. There is an art to making the perfect fry, and these folks are artists.  Potatoes!  Whoever discovered the potato should be given an award. And whoever cut this delightful tuber into batonnets and fried them in oil should be given Sainthood. Some think potatoes were introduced through the Belgians or the French (ya'd think the Irish), but it appears it was the Spanish. In 1537, Spanish conquistadors  ap

A long lunch is a welcome tradition in Italy. Outside the crowded tourist areas, shops tend to close for lunch between 1:00 and 3:00 pm (13:00-15:00). Restaurants remain open to serve everyone, and a few offer a prix fixe meal along with the regular menu. Many restaurants are family-owned and operated, like Trattoria Della Fortuna . They offer a prix fixe lunch they call the Worker's lunch .  Trattoria Della Fortuna is tucked away in a castle of Jesi and is well known to loc

Senigallia Ancona in the region of Marche Italy One of My Favorite Fruit and Veggie Stands This family-owned fruit and vegetable market is one of the first places in Senigallia that  I shopped for produce. Diana and Rafael are the friendly proprietors. They offer the freshest seasonal and locally grown fruits and vegetables. They also have some cheese and prepared food like salads, side dishes and chopped vegetables ready to use in your recipe.   Whenever possible shop for pr