Francesco's blog

We recently received an email from Jan, who's a loving grandmother and was asked by her grandson to cook an authentic Italian dinner. Wanting to please her grandson, she asked for advice on what to prepare. Well, this is my answer.

In Italy, the meal cooked for the family by your grandmother is a big time. When you go to your grandparents house, or if they come over to your home, you always know it's going to be something that you will remember for a long time. In Italy, the women in the family pass down their cooking knowledge, from generation to generation. The meal that will be prepared at one of these events, will surely be the finest example of cooking that your family has to offer.:) A word of advice in preparing these recipes, even if you follow them word by word, in my opinion (and proven by experience), the perfect dish is not one where you follow it exactly, but when your own touch.

And, in honor of your request, I'm sharing with you what my grandmother would cook for our family, these being her very best dishes. ;)

Our question today for Francesco....why is it that Italians never seem to get in an orderly line, say like the British or Americans do? When I'm in Italy I never know what to do, and feel intimidated to tell someone, hey, I was here first. Can you give me some insight and some advice on how to survive waiting my turn around a bunch of Italians?

Our question today for Francesco....I am always curious what Italians actually eat for dinner. Is it the big spreads of food that we always see on TV or is that just for special occasions? What did you eat for dinner last night?

Our question today for Francesco....I've heard Italians go on vacation for the entire month of August. What about you, where are you going? What will you be doing? Will you spend the whole month of August at the beach?

Our question today for Francesco....What do you do for fun on the weekends? What do you do on a typical Friday night?

Our question today for Francesco....When you are craving gelato, how do you know if a place is good? What are your favorite flavors? Do you think a cup or cone is better for enjoying gelato without making a mess? Do you have any other advice for gelato fans?

Our question today for Francesco....Hey Francesco! I love soccer....I mean football. Tell me all there is to know about the Italian football! What's the best way for a tourist to catch a game? Thanks, Frank from Boston

Our question today for Francesco....Hi Francesco! Italian trains stress me out....I was wondering if you had any advice for taking the train while in Italy. How early do I need to arrive for the train? What's the easiest way to buy a ticket? And what is the whole deal between first and second class? Would appreciate any advice you could give on how Italians take the train.

Our question today for Francesco....I've heard that Padova has one of the best open air markets in Italy. How often do you shop there? What do you buy? Guidebooks like to portray Italians as shopping for fresh food at the market every day, but is this reality? What are your suggestions for a tourist who wants to try shopping at a real Italian market?