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LA BELLA VITA

The Art of Italian Living

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Join Italian Chef Deborah Dal Fovo for online livestream “Cook Italian!” cooking classes from her kitchen to yours. Visit her cooking class calendar on Eventbrite.

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ABOUT ME:

Ciao, I'm Italian chef & cooking expert Deborah Dal Fovo and welcome to my delicious world! In this blog I share my art of creating the beautiful Italian lifestyle known as "la bella vita". Enjoy! Read More…

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“TASTE TRENTINO!” CULINARY TOUR:

collage-trentino-500 Join me for TASTE TRENTINO CULINARY TOUR, my 7-day/6-night gastronomic adventure in the breathtaking Italian Alps from September 5-11, 2021. Reserve your spot now!
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LATEST INSTAGRAMS:

Decisions, decisions! I’m recipe testing the Spa Decisions, decisions! I’m recipe testing the Spanish Almond Cake and am undecided which method I like better: classic or my newfangled one 😆. I’m using the exact same ingredients but one method produces a higher profile cake with airy open crumb and the other a lower cake with fine compact crumb. Hmmm, not sure which I like better but will have to keep tasting to decide 😂. This is why #ilovemyjob 😋

💛 Which one do you like better??

#baking #chefslife #italianchef #cake #almondcake #recipe #recipetesting #practicemakesperfect #bakingfromscratch #bake #cakesofinstagram #bakestagram
🇮🇹 Today is the Festa della Repubblica (Repu 🇮🇹 Today is the Festa della Repubblica (Republic Day) in Italy, a national holiday that celebrates the vote for freedom from fascism and monarchy by the Italian people in 1946.

I’m very proud to be an Italian national and to represent Italy in my work as an Italian chef, cooking instructor, and ambassador of Italian cuisine and culture. When I moved to Italy 40 years ago to reclaim my family heritage and citizenship, it changed my life forever and gifted me with not only knowledge and skills, but the very essence of who I am. It also prepared me for the journey back to the US 20 years later to continue my mission to share the priceless gift of living the Italian lifestyle I mastered there with others. 

Here’s to freedom, power of the people, voting rights…and, of course delicious Italian cuisine and la bella vita. 

🇮🇹Happy Festa della Repubblica!

#republicday #festadellarepubblica #italy #italiancuisine #italianchef #italiancooking #italianfood #cookitalian #italiancookingclasses #italyincalifornia #deborahcooks #italy #freedom #vote #food #italytravel #foodandwine #food52 #nytimescooking #bonappetit #cucinaitaliana #labellavita #theartofitalianliving #italianlifestyle #dolcevita
. ⚜️Tarta De Santiago ~ Spanish Almond Cake⚜ .
⚜️Tarta De Santiago ~ Spanish Almond Cake⚜️

This simple yet simply delectable single layer cake is a long standing tradition in Galicia area of northwest Spain where all roads of the famous Camino de Santiago (the way of Saint James aka Santiago) lead. Travelers from every corner of the world walk the long roads in a spiritual journey that leads to a pilgrimage on the steps of Santiago de Compostela Cathedral to pay respect to St. James (the patron saint of Spain) and begin a day of feasting that includes this moist, rich almond cake. 

The cake is made with only three basic ingredients: ground almonds, sugar, and eggs, making it naturally gluten free. It’s so delicious that no one would guess it doesn’t contain flour or butter. The cake gets its rise by beating the eggs and sugar until they triple in volume and act as a natural leaven in the oven. Once baked to a golden aura, the cake is serve dusted with a snowy veil of powdered sugar and often adorned with the signature cross of St. James ⚜️ using a stencil.

Tarta de Santiago is definitely a religious experience in more ways than one…with or without the travel 💛. 

#deborahbakes #deborahcooks #cake #almondcake #cakesofinstagram #thebakefeed #baking #glutenfree #gf #glutenfreerecipes #almond #dessert #sweetlife #dolcevita #tartadesantiago
About last night…I had the immense honor of repr About last night…I had the immense honor of representing Italian cuisine 🇮🇹 for the opening reception of prestigious Italian kitchen appliance brand @bertazzoni_official at their gorgeous new showroom in San Francisco. My menu featured enogastronomic delicacies from the company’s home region of Emilia Romagna like @parmigianoreggiano , @acetobalsamicomodena , mortadella, @prosciuttodiparma_it and paired regional wines. I was too busy to snap many photos, but did manage a few (scroll to view).

A big ‘grazie mille’ goes out to Alana and Tammy at @mixedgreenseventdesign , proprietors and staff at @purcellmurray , and my amazing staff especially arancini queen @beatrice.bmerry ; ). No rest for the weary today though…I’m back in the kitchen preparing more goodies for another event tomorrow. #cheflife

#Italianchef #privatechef #eventcatering #italian #italiancuisine #cucinaitaliana #foodislove #cookingbydesign #italiandesign #italyincalifornia #sanfrancisco #kitchendesign #kitchenappliances #ilovemyjob
Did someone say polenta? A recent query of your fa Did someone say polenta? A recent query of your favorites comfort foods proved that polenta is definitely at the top of the list. Just hearing the name evokes visions of my childhood with daddy conjuring up his Trentino roots by stirring a big caldron of bubbling cornmeal mush (the Italian ‘polenta sounds better : ) with a long wooden  paddle…the revered (and feared) polenta stick. This big stick with flat end was used to continually fold and turn the mixture of yellow corn meal and water over heat until it slowly cooked and thickened into creamy, ethereal polenta. 

After 40 plus minutes of hard work by my father to make perfect polenta like his mamma taught him (she was a strong woman), he would turn the pot of polenta upside down (with appropriate caution and aplomb)and tip the soft-yet-set polenta cake onto a pristine linen covered board on the dinner table. Voila’! Dinner is served to wide eyed, hungry girls anticipating this heavenly, yellow mush cut into slices and topped with sausage, fontina, braised pork shank, or other traditional Alpine accompaniments that my mother prepared to a “T” as her mother-in-law did. 

I served my polenta soft and spooned out of the pot then topped with rustic pork ragu’. Mmmmm, homemade comfort on a fork 💛. For all you polentoni (polenta lovers) out there, buon appetito!

#italianchef #italiancooking #italiancuisine #alpinecooking #trentino #trentinoaltoadige #dolomites #polenta #comfortfood #polentoni #rusticfood #homecooking #madewithlove #foodislove #cookthemountain #foodmemories #italiansdoeatbetter
. 💚 RISI E BISI ~ VENETIAN RICE AND PEAS 💚 .

💚 RISI E BISI ~ VENETIAN RICE AND PEAS 💚

This seasonal Venetian dish was historically served to the Doge every year on April 25th, the feast of St. Mark and patron saint of the city. The name, ‘Risi e bisi’, in local dialect means rice and peas and is traditionally made with the same amount of sweet springtime peas as grains of rice with enough broth to create its signature consistency midway between risotto and a thick soup. I added some sausage to make it extra tasty 😋 but it’s also made without or with a bit of pancetta. 

Risi e Bisi is one of my favorite comfort foods…perhaps for its brothy reassurance or the fond childhood memories I have of my Nonna’s cooking and me eating it 💚💚. 
What’s your favorite comfort food?

#italianchef #italiancooking #italiancuisine #cookitalian #venice #venetiancuisine #rice #risiebisi #peas #springtime #spring #springcooking #Springtimecooking #comfortfood #nonnaskitchen #nonnasitaliankitchen #risotto #soup #zuppa
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Decisions, decisions! I’m recipe testing the Spa Decisions, decisions! I’m recipe testing the Spanish Almond Cake and am undecided which method I like better: classic or my newfangled one 😆. I’m using the exact same ingredients but one method produces a higher profile cake with airy open crumb and the other a lower cake with fine compact crumb. Hmmm, not sure which I like better but will have to keep tasting to decide 😂. This is why #ilovemyjob 😋

💛 Which one do you like better??

#baking #chefslife #italianchef #cake #almondcake #recipe #recipetesting #practicemakesperfect #bakingfromscratch #bake #cakesofinstagram #bakestagram
🇮🇹 Today is the Festa della Repubblica (Repu 🇮🇹 Today is the Festa della Repubblica (Republic Day) in Italy, a national holiday that celebrates the vote for freedom from fascism and monarchy by the Italian people in 1946.

I’m very proud to be an Italian national and to represent Italy in my work as an Italian chef, cooking instructor, and ambassador of Italian cuisine and culture. When I moved to Italy 40 years ago to reclaim my family heritage and citizenship, it changed my life forever and gifted me with not only knowledge and skills, but the very essence of who I am. It also prepared me for the journey back to the US 20 years later to continue my mission to share the priceless gift of living the Italian lifestyle I mastered there with others. 

Here’s to freedom, power of the people, voting rights…and, of course delicious Italian cuisine and la bella vita. 

🇮🇹Happy Festa della Repubblica!

#republicday #festadellarepubblica #italy #italiancuisine #italianchef #italiancooking #italianfood #cookitalian #italiancookingclasses #italyincalifornia #deborahcooks #italy #freedom #vote #food #italytravel #foodandwine #food52 #nytimescooking #bonappetit #cucinaitaliana #labellavita #theartofitalianliving #italianlifestyle #dolcevita
. ⚜️Tarta De Santiago ~ Spanish Almond Cake⚜ .
⚜️Tarta De Santiago ~ Spanish Almond Cake⚜️

This simple yet simply delectable single layer cake is a long standing tradition in Galicia area of northwest Spain where all roads of the famous Camino de Santiago (the way of Saint James aka Santiago) lead. Travelers from every corner of the world walk the long roads in a spiritual journey that leads to a pilgrimage on the steps of Santiago de Compostela Cathedral to pay respect to St. James (the patron saint of Spain) and begin a day of feasting that includes this moist, rich almond cake. 

The cake is made with only three basic ingredients: ground almonds, sugar, and eggs, making it naturally gluten free. It’s so delicious that no one would guess it doesn’t contain flour or butter. The cake gets its rise by beating the eggs and sugar until they triple in volume and act as a natural leaven in the oven. Once baked to a golden aura, the cake is serve dusted with a snowy veil of powdered sugar and often adorned with the signature cross of St. James ⚜️ using a stencil.

Tarta de Santiago is definitely a religious experience in more ways than one…with or without the travel 💛. 

#deborahbakes #deborahcooks #cake #almondcake #cakesofinstagram #thebakefeed #baking #glutenfree #gf #glutenfreerecipes #almond #dessert #sweetlife #dolcevita #tartadesantiago
About last night…I had the immense honor of repr About last night…I had the immense honor of representing Italian cuisine 🇮🇹 for the opening reception of prestigious Italian kitchen appliance brand @bertazzoni_official at their gorgeous new showroom in San Francisco. My menu featured enogastronomic delicacies from the company’s home region of Emilia Romagna like @parmigianoreggiano , @acetobalsamicomodena , mortadella, @prosciuttodiparma_it and paired regional wines. I was too busy to snap many photos, but did manage a few (scroll to view).

A big ‘grazie mille’ goes out to Alana and Tammy at @mixedgreenseventdesign , proprietors and staff at @purcellmurray , and my amazing staff especially arancini queen @beatrice.bmerry ; ). No rest for the weary today though…I’m back in the kitchen preparing more goodies for another event tomorrow. #cheflife

#Italianchef #privatechef #eventcatering #italian #italiancuisine #cucinaitaliana #foodislove #cookingbydesign #italiandesign #italyincalifornia #sanfrancisco #kitchendesign #kitchenappliances #ilovemyjob
Did someone say polenta? A recent query of your fa Did someone say polenta? A recent query of your favorites comfort foods proved that polenta is definitely at the top of the list. Just hearing the name evokes visions of my childhood with daddy conjuring up his Trentino roots by stirring a big caldron of bubbling cornmeal mush (the Italian ‘polenta sounds better : ) with a long wooden  paddle…the revered (and feared) polenta stick. This big stick with flat end was used to continually fold and turn the mixture of yellow corn meal and water over heat until it slowly cooked and thickened into creamy, ethereal polenta. 

After 40 plus minutes of hard work by my father to make perfect polenta like his mamma taught him (she was a strong woman), he would turn the pot of polenta upside down (with appropriate caution and aplomb)and tip the soft-yet-set polenta cake onto a pristine linen covered board on the dinner table. Voila’! Dinner is served to wide eyed, hungry girls anticipating this heavenly, yellow mush cut into slices and topped with sausage, fontina, braised pork shank, or other traditional Alpine accompaniments that my mother prepared to a “T” as her mother-in-law did. 

I served my polenta soft and spooned out of the pot then topped with rustic pork ragu’. Mmmmm, homemade comfort on a fork 💛. For all you polentoni (polenta lovers) out there, buon appetito!

#italianchef #italiancooking #italiancuisine #alpinecooking #trentino #trentinoaltoadige #dolomites #polenta #comfortfood #polentoni #rusticfood #homecooking #madewithlove #foodislove #cookthemountain #foodmemories #italiansdoeatbetter
. 💚 RISI E BISI ~ VENETIAN RICE AND PEAS 💚 .

💚 RISI E BISI ~ VENETIAN RICE AND PEAS 💚

This seasonal Venetian dish was historically served to the Doge every year on April 25th, the feast of St. Mark and patron saint of the city. The name, ‘Risi e bisi’, in local dialect means rice and peas and is traditionally made with the same amount of sweet springtime peas as grains of rice with enough broth to create its signature consistency midway between risotto and a thick soup. I added some sausage to make it extra tasty 😋 but it’s also made without or with a bit of pancetta. 

Risi e Bisi is one of my favorite comfort foods…perhaps for its brothy reassurance or the fond childhood memories I have of my Nonna’s cooking and me eating it 💚💚. 
What’s your favorite comfort food?

#italianchef #italiancooking #italiancuisine #cookitalian #venice #venetiancuisine #rice #risiebisi #peas #springtime #spring #springcooking #Springtimecooking #comfortfood #nonnaskitchen #nonnasitaliankitchen #risotto #soup #zuppa
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