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Simonetta e Paola are two sisters who are native Italians who run a language, cooking, and wine tour program in Tuscany called Toscana Mia.
It was such a joy to talk with them about their lifestyle, their programs, and their town of 35 people.
If you’ve ever wanted to learn some tips for authentic Italian cooking, hear about the lifestyle of native Italians in Tuscany, and get an insider’s view of how Italians learn Italian, you’re going to LOVE this episode.
You’ll learn:
— Which one mistake most Americans make when cooking pasta
— How they are able to grow organic vegetables (and some tips for dealing with pests that include beer)
— One simple pasta recipe that you can make today
— How to know what good olive oil really is and how much it should cost
— How to find good olive oil in America
— How Italians learn Italian growing up
— Two tips for foreigners learning Italian that makes grammar much more interesting
— How you can attend one of their cooking or language classes
Recipes from their blog
— Fresh Handmade Pasta in Tuscany
Simonetta e Paola’s ricetta for garlic and cherry tomato sauce with pici pasta
Ingredients
— Pici pasta
— Cherry tomatoes
— Red chili pepper
— 5-6 cloves of peeled garlic (NOT chopped)
— Olive oil
— Salt/pepper
— Red grape vinegar
Directions
— Get a skillet
— Pour some GOOD olive oil – a tour of the skillet
— Warm up oil.
— Put in peeled garlic (5-6 cloves)
— When they start getting a little bit of color, put in a little piece of peperoncino (red chili pepper).
— Add in 2 drops of red grape vinegar because it helps the taste.
— Cut the cherry tomatoes in half.
— Cook cherry tomatoes in.
— Use a little bit of salt and pepper.
— Cook for ten minutes.
— It’s done!
Resources Mentioned
Get to know them
— Site: Toscana Mia
— Twitter: @toscanamia
— Facebook: Toscana Mia
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