Heidi Swanson's Roman Encounters

Heidi Swanson, the author of 101 Cookbooks, a fantastic San Francisco-based natural cooking blog, doesn't just write about food from all over the world-she actually goes to the source. Her beautiful blog is filled with food articles from her travels. Most interesting to the readers of MoltoItaly are her Italian trips, of course. Not only does she recommend restaurants, cafes and food shops, but she comments on the people and scenery as well-with stunning photos to illustrate. See her article on a trip to the Eternal City: 20 Things I Encountered in Rome.

Food Wine Rome: A Foodie's Guide to Rome

Food Wine Rome, a new guidebook by David Downie (food and travel writer who has contributed to Gourmet and Bon Appetit and many many other food publications), is the food guidebook for gourmets who are visiting Rome. In his book you will discover the best restaurants, food shops, and wine purveyors. Even long-time residents of Rome will find surprises in this beautifully designed and illustrated book.

Bir e Fud's Brewery Tour in Abruzzo

For you beer aficionados who will be in Italy on June 20th, Trastevere's Bir e Fud is planning a tour of Opperbacco di Notaresco, an artisanal brewery near Teramo in Abruzzo. For 20 Euros you will get a tour and beer tasting at the brewery along with a picnic lunch consisting of delicious antipasti. Make reservations through Bir e Fud by calling 39.06.5561677. Buon Apetito!

More Ways to Help Abruzzo

The Slow Food Network is looking to donate $25,000 to help victims of the Abruzzo earthquake with basic necessities. Just $25 helps a local farmer pay for a table at the new market in l'Aquila. You can help by going to GlobalGiving.com and making a donation.

Raphael, His Mistress, and Saltimbocca

Ristorante Romolo nel Giardino di Raffaello e della Fornarina, also known as Romolo, is the perfect setting for a romantic dinner in Trastevere. The restaurant, which serves typical Roman cuisine, was opened in 1950 and is located in the house and garden that supposedly belonged to Raphael's mistress, the daughter of a baker (il forno). While Raphael was working on the nearby Villa Farnesina, he would steal away to meet his lover and model, Margherita Luti. You won't find this restaurant and its very pretty garden in many of the tourist books (and hopefully you won't find many tourists either). Via di Porta Settimiana 8. Tel.065818284.

Naranzaria Wine Bar in Venice

In another life I was definitely an Italian contessa, living la dolce vita in one of my many villas and dressing in the latest Milanese fashions. Real-life contessas in Italy certainly do those things, but they also do so much more! Contessa Marie Brandolini, who owns her own Venetian glassmaking studio, runs the wine bar Naranzaria on the Grand Canal that showcases her family's wines and the fresh tastes of the Veneto region. Seafood is the specialty and with the Rialto so close you are guaranteed to have the best of what is available daily. The views of Venice from the restaurant are superb. Naranzaria stays open until 2 a.m., unusual in a town which is known for turning its lights out early.

Ca' Matilde in Reggio Emilia Earns a Michelin Star

With a regional tasting menu at 45 Euros, Ca' Matilde in Reggio Emilia is a bargain-and until now has been a well-kept secret. Recently the restaurant, which is part of an inn just outside of Rubinniano, Reggio Emilia, earned a Michelin star. The menu is full of local favorites with modern and creative twists, such as pumpkin tortellini and the favorite dessert of the region, Zuppa Inglese (English trifle with ladyfingers). There's even a kid's menu! The setting of the restaurant and inn is idyllic and certainly worth getting off the beaten track for.

Villas Villas Villas

Travel and Leisure highlights Tuscan villas this month-and how to enjoy them on a budget. T and L has five villas where doubles cost less than $300 a night. Locanda del Glicine in Campagnatico offers an inn in the village and a farmhouse (Pieve Vecchia, pictured) in the countryside. Choosing which one is the hardest part! Villa Bordoni in the Chianti region is owned by the very same proprieters of Trattoria Baldovino in Florence and there is a cooking school on-site. Villa il Poggiale in Val di Pesa is an historic estate with wood-beamed ceilings decorated in superb Renaissance style. There is also a small private two-bedroom cottage on the estate available for 300 Euros, complete with kitchen. Villa le Luci in Castagneto Carducci, not far from the Tyrrhenian Sea, has six bedrooms and one suite, all finished in luxuriously spare style. Villa Poggiano near Montepulciano (one of my favorite regions!) has a gorgeous pool, light and airy rooms, and a breakfast to die for. PS: The next Twilight movie is filmed in Montepulciano!

Serious Eats in Italy

SeriousEats.com, a website devoted to serious food all over the world, is a great resource for restaurants, cafes and bars in Italy. A recent search on the website turned up articles on a mozzarella bar in Rome, a day of food in Abruzzo, and prosciutto di Parma. There is even an entire blog devoted to pizza, slice.seriouseats.com. Buon Gusto!

Candied Chestnuts from Piedmont

One of the greatest delicacies of Italy are marroni canditi (candied chestnuts). Hard to find in the U.S., Zingerman's now imports them from the Bardini brothers in Cuneo, Piemonte. The process of making the chestnuts is intense-they are soaked in water for a week in underground caves, then in vanilla syrup, and then rolled in sugar. You won't recognize them as chestnuts, but you will definitely fall in love.

The Best Sandwiches in Florence

Students and locals alike adore l'Antico Noe, a sandwich shop just a short walk from the Duomo. Here you can have real Italian panini made with the best meats and cheeses (salami, prosciutto, bufala mozzarella!). The food is cheap and you can even order a glass of wine to wash it down. Next door is an osteria owned by the same proprietor serving slow-cooked steaks and Tuscan dishes. The owner, Massimo, makes the sandwiches and if you become a regular, he'll never forget you! Volta di San Piero 6r.

Cycling in Tuscany and Umbria

National Geographic Traveler's list of 50 Tours of a Lifetime includes a biking tour of the Italian countryside. The Tuscany and Umbria Insider tour will take you to Cortona, Todi, Assisi and Siena -cycling all the while. And you'll have cooking lessons, chocolate-making demonstrations, wine-tastings and picnics along the way. Backroads hosts the trip and offers 100 hiking, backpacking and cycling trips throughout Italy, many of them family-friendly.

Da Georgio on Capri

Right in the center of Capri town, just steps from the Funicular, is Da Georgio. A Caprese original, Da Giorgio has been serving fresh seafood and local treats since 1948. The view of the Bay of Naples is beyond comparison and the tomato, mozzarella and arugula pizza is to die for. Buon Gusto! Via Roma 34.

Trattoria Garga in Florence

In a 14th century palazzo in the heart of Florence is Trattoria Garga. Colorful rooms, operatic atmosphere and a menu filled with fresh ingredients from Tuscany will inspire you to learn more about Florentine cooking-and you can spend a day at their cooking school (or enroll in an extended cooking tour of the region). It's a favorite of Gucci's Frida Giannini! Via del Moro 48.

Giada de Laurentiis "Remembering Rome"

Giada invites some of her family members to help her cook some of her favorite recipes from growing up in Rome. Giada and her aunt debate the finer points of pancetta and wine sauce in Bucatini all'Amatriciana while enjoying Fritto Misto with a lemon mayonnaise as they cook. The classic Roman dishes turn out superbly and the cooks have a great time. See more episodes from her new show on Saturdays at 1 pm and Mondays at 4:30 on the Food Network.

Cooking Schools in Italy

See the New York Times Travel Q&A section for some great Italian cooking school ideas. Check out cooking schools in Sorrento, Bologna, Sicily and Tuscany. Some of the schools even offer accommodations in nearby villas!

WalksInsideRome.com

Travel and Leisure recently featured a walking tour website that will customize a day of sightseeing and eating in Rome for you. WalksInsideRome.com will take you to the open-air markets, bakeries, pizzerias and wine bars to sample the culinary delights of Rome-and see how the Romans make them. WalksInsideRome has dozens of customizable private and semi-private tours for art and antiquities connoisseurs, fans of opera, Angels and Demons and La Dolce Vita, and special itineraries designed for kids. The tours are not cheap, but take it from me-having a guided tour of Rome is always worth it. You will never regret a penny spent on your own private Rome. If you like the tours of Rome, they also offer guided walks in Venice, Florence, Trieste and Friuli.

Al Moro-Where Rome's Most Fashionable Eat

Recent interviews with Silvia Fendi in Elle and Valentino Garavani in Departures detail the designers' favorite places to eat and shop. On both of their lists was Trattoria Al Moro near the Trevi Fountain in Rome. Established in 1929, it has long been the favorite of Rome's literary, cinematic and fashionable crowd. Valentino recommends the pasta carbonara and of course you must have the Roman traditional antipasto, fried artichokes. Vicolo delle Bollette, 13.

Budget Travel's Editor is Back-and Your Rome Questions are Answered

See Kate Appleton's "First Report" upon her return from Rome. Many Budget Travel readers asked questions about lodging, transport, and dining. Her answers are here, along with many readers' comments. Read all about her pasta all'amatriciana at Da Augusto in Trastevere-a simple but real Roman experience.

Mariska Hargitay's Favorite Meal Ever

Bon Appetit interviewed television star and self-proclaimed foodie Mariska Hargitay about her favorite meals. At the top of her list was a simple meal of caprese salad and seafood at La Conca del Sogno in the little hamlet of Nerano near Positano. To quote Ms. Hargitay: "I took a bite of tomato and suddenly I was eating Italy." The family-owned restaurant is on the beach and has gorgeous views of the sea and nearby islands. It's the perfect spot for a leisurely lunch. Via San Marciano, 9.