Michelle Damiani
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Michelle Damiani
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aperol spritz, spello, umbria, italy
Michelle Damiani

writing with Italy at heart

Food and Drink

Michelle Damiani
  • Buy my books/
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    • Spello
    • Visiting Umbria
    • Travel in Italy
    • Around the World
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    • Books and Movies
    • Food and Drink
    • Gabe's Blog
    • Italian Cats and Hidden Madonnas
  • Coaching/
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Explore the best of Italian food and drink—classic recipes, regional specialties, and culinary travel stories from across Italy. Get even more tips and inspiration delivered straight to your inbox by signing up for the Grapevine.


May 03, 2021

Bucatini alla Amatriciana (the real kind)

May 03, 2021/ Michelle Damiani
Bucatini alla Amatriciana (the real kind)

The secret to much of Italian cooking is pork fat, and that is particularly true for this storied pasta dish.

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May 03, 2021/ Michelle Damiani/ 4 Comments
recipe, food
pasta, recipe, food, Umbria, primi
  • Buy my books/
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  • Travel/
    • Spello
    • Visiting Umbria
    • Travel in Italy
    • Around the World
  • What I Love/
    • Books and Movies
    • Food and Drink
    • Gabe's Blog
    • Italian Cats and Hidden Madonnas
  • Coaching/
  • About/

Michelle Damiani

Website for Michelle Damiani, author of Il Bel Centro: A Year in the Beautiful Center, the funny and heartfelt memoir of an American family living in Spello, as well as Santa Lucia, a page-turner set on the Umbria border. 

Rumors. Romance. And more than a little espresso.

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Flashback to gathering wild asparagus outside Spello 🌸 one of those flavors I miss!
Anyone else more than a little in love with Bologna? The city’s unofficial motto is “the red, the fat, and the learned”… what is your favorite aspect of Bologna?
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What nobody tells you about Japan is even when you’re too early for cherry blossom, there are plum blossoms. Plus, Japanese gardens are glorious with no blossoms at all.
As a person who grooves on food and connection, the Omicho Market Tour and Cooking Class offered by In Kanazawa House was one of the most satisfying and delicious experiences I had in Japan. Our guides Naoko and Kazuko (tagged in stories) introduced
Remember yesterday when I mentioned the Japanese alpine town that taught me how fall in love with sake? That town is Takayama. Known for sake, Edo era architecture, and a kind of beef so excellent that my husband, after an entire meal of steak and su
I wasn’t sure how I’d take to Japanese sake culture considering I, you know, wasn’t a fan of sake.

For those who need a refresher, sake is one of the many ingenious ways the Japanese make use of their most abundant crop—rice.
The most important word in a foreign language…

“Thank you” is polite. “Hello” is excellent.

But to my mind, if you want to connect, learn the word for delicious. 

In Japanese, it’s oishi. 

When I said “o

A trip to Italy is better with language basics! Here’s my recommended course to learn Italian and make your trip fantastico!


Festival participant, speaking about “Il Bel Centro: A Year in the Beautiful Center”

Festival participant, speaking about “Il Bel Centro: A Year in the Beautiful Center”

Featured speaker on panel discussing Romance for “Santa Lucia”

Featured speaker on panel discussing Romance for “Santa Lucia”