Frances Mayes's Journal Travel, Food, Books, People

Not sure why but I hadn’t made gnocchi di semolina in a long, long time. I served it for a primo  on Christmas night. Just for the luxury, I served the golden discs on either side of a ramekin of garlic flan. Semolina is simply hard wheat flour and I prefer a medium-coarse grind, though [...]

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These chocolate dipped fondants just spell Christmas to me. My mother made them on the cold back porch every Christmas of my life, and I do the same, as does my daughter.  They are so rich you only want one. Or maybe two. The cold back porch because you dip chilled fondant balls in a [...]

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Something takes over around now, and it’s like going into labor–once it starts there’s no getting off! I feel overcome with the compelling urge  to make things–food, of course, but also wreathes out of grape vines, arrangements of magnolia and holly and berries on the mantle, centerpieces for the table. Inspired by a photo posted [...]

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Buon giorno! Often, I mail books back to people who’ve mailed them to me for a personalized greeting. Now my local bookseller, Sharon Wheeler, has offered to save everyone trips to the post office. If you’d like a book signed for yourself or a gift, please order from her, I’ll stop by and sign, and [...]

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We are having our small version of Sandy here in Tuscany today. This awful weather ushers out October, which has been the most sublime month I’ve witnessed in all my years in Tuscany. Almost every day has been clear, aurous, mild and sweet. The funghi porcini hunters swarm our mountain house hillside every day. There [...]

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