The first time I tasted the Ceccon family panettone, it simply melted in my mouth! I was speechless, I had never tasted something quite as silky smooth. And believe me I have tasted all sorts of Italian Panettone before. My husband looked at me and said I really needed to write about the Pasticceria Ceccon. […]
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- December 10, 2015
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Italy, baking, christmas, artisan, italianchristmastraditions, venetian, venice, foccaciaveneziana, panettone, mestre, masterbaker, craftmanship, traditions, pastries, pasticceria, ceccon, pastryshop, bakery, naturalingredients, naturalyeast, bakingtradition
As a child my favorite thing about decorating the Christmas tree was setting up the Nativity scene that went along with it. My mother always bought fresh moss from our local florist as a basis for our nativity figures. I remember fondly its fresh and earthy smell while we would set the figures. We didn’t […]
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- December 02, 2015
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christmastraditions, France, Nativity, santons, santonier, saints, nativityscene, christmas, artisan, clay, clayfigures, Provence, beauxdeprovence
There are no coincidences Claudia Villax told me when we met on a hot summer day in a hidden protected spot of the S. Mamede Natural park in Marvao. A piece of paradise with ancient olive groves, fruit trees, aromatic herbs and vegetables that the land generously offers to those who care for it. At […]
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- November 05, 2015
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Portugal, Healthy, olive oil, organic, azeitonaverde, extravirgin, organic farming, organic lifestyle, olivegroves, seasonal, marvao
Visiting Austria’s best Chocolatier was a wonderful experience. Imagine a place where all your chocolate indulgences are not only permitted but also encouraged. A place where 365 chocolate varieties are waiting for your approval, one for each day of the year. All this with no boundaries, no limitations but your own, when your body finally […]
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- May 28, 2015
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chocolate, cocoa beans, cocoa, Austria, styria, osterreich, bestchocolatier, chocolatier, free trade, sustainable, organic, chocolatemanufacture, hotchocolate, Riegersbrug, Zotter, schokoladenmanufaktur, culinarytour
If you are wondering what ham has to do with classical music, I’m afraid you’ll have to come to Austria to find out! I admit I am not a big consumer of pork but when I heard about this farm in Styria’s Auesbach where pigs are bred in a special, respectful way, I wanted to see […]
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- May 26, 2015
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Austria, living in Austria, Ham, pigs, pork, piglets, classical music, vulcano, farm, pig farm, auersbach, styria, steirmark, osterreich, culinary tour
If you read the first part of my search for the artisans of Chiapas you know we visited Amatenango del Valle where we found the artisans who mould the clay into wonderful animal figures, in particular the sacred jaguars. From the valley of Amatenango we decided to go to the highlands in search of the […]
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During my travels in Mexico I’ve always tried to meet local artisans wherever that may be. All the regions in Mexico are rich in handicrafts and usually “pueblos” in each region specialize in a particular art. Families keep the traditions alive by passing their knowledge and artistry to the younger generation. In my country many […]
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The world of the artisans of Mezcal is a fascinating one. Most people have heard of Tequila of course. Both Tequila and Mezcal are an agave based liquor. The differences are that Tequilla by law can only be made with one variety of Agave, the blue Agave. Mezcal on the other hand can be made […]
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If Tabasco is the biggest Cocoa and Chocolate producer state, Oaxaca is without a doubt the biggest consumer of both in the whole of Mexico. The consumption of cocoa in the form of hot chocolate was always very strong here. It began with the farmers who would start the day with a cup of hot […]
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