Italy

A true gourmand’s pleasure

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Great news for food and wine Lovers: you’ll be happy to discover the new Food&Drinks items created by Svinando. CircleMe has partnered with Svinando Wine Club, the italian online community about quality food and wine, that has provided content on 150 new items about wines and recipes.

Svinando Wine Clube Profile on CircleMe

All the items feature products from Italy carefully selected by the Svinando experts, so if you have a passion for food and wine you shouldn’t miss the opportunity to ‘Like’ on CircleMe the product you love in order to be updated on any news that will be posted about the item: recipes, articles, videos…

The CircleMe Team is enthusiastic about this collaboration that has brought new quality content to the platform and visibility to Svinando. If you may be interested in having your content published on CircleMe to reach and engage our users with your products or activities, don’t hesitate to get in touch at partnerships@circleme.com! We’ll be happy to hear your proposal and to discuss it.

For all the people who have mastered an interest or are very passionate about a topic there is also the opportunity to become the curator of an item: if you are interested you’ll find more information here.

So stay tuned as there will be more exciting news soon!

Prosit!

CircleMe Team

Capri, island in the sun

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isle_of_capriThe isle of Capri is an island off the coast of Italy near the city of Naples.

The island has been around as a resort since the days of the Roman Republic and some of its outstanding features include the Marina Piccola, the Belvedere of Tragara, the Faraglioni, the town of Anacapri, the Blue Grotto, and the ruins of the Imperial Roman villas.

Other places to visit include the Punta Carena Lighthouse, Capri Philosophical Park, Torre Materita, and La Piazzetta. The island was once a haven for European artists who used its beauty as a backdrop for their artwork.

The island hosts several events annual such as the Capri Film Festival, and the Capri International Film Festival, the Capri Tango Festival, and the Capri Golf Marathon. Capri is a good place to visit for natural flora and fauna of the island.

Pasta and seafood are also an important part of the cuisine of the island and some places to try include the Add’o Riccio which serves seafood and fish, Buca di Bacco da Serafina, Dagemma, and Da Paolina.

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Genova, city of history

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genova
Genova is a city in Italy most associated with the Italian explorer Christopher Columbus.

The port city is the capital of Liguria in Italy and is the sixth largest city in the peninsula. The city is one of the largest on the Mediterranean Sea and also one of the largest seaports in Italy. Much of the city is surrounded by an ancient wall, parts of which still exist today.

It has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is important for its art, history, ,music, architecture, and food.

Among the city’s main sights are the San Matteo Square, San Lorenzo Cathedral, the city’s Lanterna or lighthouse, the fountain in the Piazza de Ferrari, the Doge’s Palace, and the Royal Palace of Genoa.

The city also has a number of parks that are suitable for relaxing such as the Villa Durazzo Pallavicini while the old harbour is one of the most ancient in Europe.

The city is famous for also its artwork and several important European artists such as Ruben Van Wyck and Strozzi had bases in Genoa.

The Genovese cuisine, like that of much of Italy is special and pesto sauce originated there. Some fish dishes are also unique to the city such as pansoti. Places to try Genovese cuisine in the city include the Gran Ristora and Profuma di Roso.

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Zucchini stuffing casserole, fresh vegetable

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zucchini_stuffing
The zucchini or courgette as it is known in French and is a summer vegetable which can be prepared in a variety of ways including grilled, baked, steamed, boiled, stuffed, barbequed, and fried. The zucchini in Italy can also be breaded and then pan-fried or prepared in other ways.

To make the stuffed zucchini casserole you will need 4 ounces herb-seasoned dry bread stuffing mix, 1/3 cup melted butter, 4 cups cubed zucchini, 2 carrots, grated, 1 small onion, chopped, 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup, and 1/2 cup sour cream.

To make the casserole first preheat an oven to 350 degrees F. Next, in a bowl mix together the stuffing and butter. In another bowl mix together the zucchini, carrots, onion, soup, and sour cream. Mix half of the stuffing mixture and spread it into the bottom of a casserole dish. Sprinkle the stuffing on top.

Once done, cover the dish with foil and bake the oven for about 60 minutes or until done.

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San Remo, five-card stud

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sanremo

Sanremo is a small enclave on the Mediterranean coast of Italy in an area of theItalian Riviera.

The city was founded in Roman times and is a very popular tourist destination known for its cycling and its music festival held there each year.

The city has its own casino and is believed to be the origin of the card game version five-card stud, called telesina. Among the places of interest in Sanremo are theMunicipal Casino, the Ariston Theatre, and the Municipal Casino’s Opera Theatre. The city is sometimes called The City of Flowers because of its important reliance on this part of its economy; the city has its own international flower market, and nearby cities also rely heavily on horticulture and plant flowers for the Sanremo market.

The Sanremo Music Festival is a must do each year, a contest which has been held since 1951 and there is also a song contest for authors, a flower parade, and aFirework International Contest held in August.

Other things to do include the Milan- Sanremo cycle race, the Sanremo Rally which is part of the World Rally Championship, and local Serie A football.

Sanremo’s cuisine is decidedly Italian and Taverna Al 29 is highly recommended serving Mediterranean cuisine. Ristorante Pizzeria Pagoda is also good for Italian fare.

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Tuscany, home of Italian renaissance and fashion

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tuscany_italy
Tuscany is one of the most famous regions in Italy, sitting in the centre of the Italian peninsula. The regional capital, Florence, has been a centre of high art and Italian fashion for decades.

The region is known for its history and landscapes and high culture and was the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance.

Places to visit in Tuscany include the Uffizi Museum and Pitti Palace in Florence while there are several other World Heritage Sites all across the region including the city of Siena, the Cathedral of Pisa with its Leaning Tower, the historical centre of San Gimignano, Pienza, and the Medici Villas and Gardens.

The region is well-known for its wines with the Chianti being one of the most popular outside of the region.

Many of the largest and most famous cities in Tuscany sit on the banks of the region’s river the Arno including the cities of Florence, Pisa, and Empoli.

Among the most highly rated places to dine out include the Da Delfina near Carmignano which serves home style cooking and the Il Canto Del Maggio in Penna Alto in the Arno Valley.

Definite must tries when in Tuscany are the truffles, the ribollita, and the pappa al pamadoro.

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Cinnamon Hazelnut Biscotti

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cinnamon_hazelnut_biscotti
Nothing says Italy like biscotti. These long, oval, crunchy, flavoured biscuits can be enjoyed with a cup of coffee, tea, or on their own. Biscotti, also known as cantuccini are twice baked biscuits that originated in the Italian city of Prato.

To make the cinnamon hazelnut biscotti take 3/4 cup butter, 1 cup white sugar, 2 eggs, 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 3/4 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1 cup hazelnuts.

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F and grease a cookie sheet. In a bowl, cream the butter and sugar until they are light and fluffy and beat in the eggs and vanilla. Sift in flour cinnamon, baking powder, and salt and mix it into the egg mixture. Add the hazelnuts.

Next shape the dough into logs and place on the baking sheet and flatten to about a ½ inch. Bake for 30 minutes until the edges are brown and the centre is firm. Remove from the oven and when cool enough to handle, slice into long ovals. Return to the oven and bake for 10 more minutes. Allow to cool and store in an airtight container.

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Venice, Queen of the Adriatic

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venice
Venice is a city in Italy on the banks of the Po and Piave Rivers. The city is renowned for its canals, bridges, beautiful setting, architecture, and artwork.

The city and its lagoon are listed as Unesco World Heritage Sites and is known as the Queen of the Adriatic.

Its beauty makes it one of the most demanded tourist destinations in the world and visitors can embark on a Grand Tour which takes them through cityscape, musical heritage and culture. One of the most famous aspects of the city is being able to take a tour through the canals on a gondola.

The city also hosts several international conferences and festivals as well as the Carnival of Venice annually. The Venice Film Festival is world renowned; other attractions include St. Mark’s Basilica, Doge’s Palace, Ca’ d’Oro, Grand Canal, Piazza San Marco, and Lido di Venezia.

Music is also very important to the culture of Venice as is food which relies heavily on seafood.

Risi e bisi, fegato alla veneziana and risotto with cuttlefish are a must try. For food try La Cantina and for bacari try the Alla Vedova.

The city has a humid subtropical climate with cool winters and very warm summers and is served by the Marco Polo International Airport.

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Florence, history’s new birthplace

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Florence_italy

Florence is a city in Italy’s Tuscany region famous for being the fashion capital of the country as well as the heart of the Renaissance. The city is famous for its history and architecture and is a Unesco World Heritage Site.

Among the most famous museums in Florence are the Uffizi Gallery and the Pitti Palace. Other sites which may interest tourists are the famous Santa Maria Fiore cathedral, the Campanilewhich sits nearby, and the Baptistery and the Palazzo Vecchio and Ponte Vecchio. ThePiazza della Signoria is in the city’s centre.

The city is on a basin near the Senese Clavey Hills and the Arno River. The city has a humid sub-tropical and Mediterranean climate and has hot humid summers and cool damps winters.

Food is very important in Italian culture and also in Florence as well as wine. The city sits in Italy’s Tuscany region famous for its wines. Not far from Florence is the Chianti region.

The Osteria Vini e Vecchi Sapari is the most highly recommended restaurant in the city where reservations are mandatory. Food includes tripe and lampdredotto, antipasti, and salt less Tuscan bread. The city is served by the Amerigo Vespucci Airport and also has a city bus and tram and railway stations.

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Sardinia, very nice

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sardinia

Sardinia is the second largest island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the geologically oldest in Europe. It’s a close neighbour of Corsica to the north, Italy, and Sicily. Its capital city is Cagliari.

The island is mountainous with high rocky coasts and several bays, inlets, and rias. The island has a Mediterranean climate on its coasts, plains, and lowlands while a continental climate exists in the centre.

The island has come under influence from Romans, Byzantines, Italians, Austrians and theSpanish and some of their traditions are still practised in Sardinia today. Sardinian and Italian are the main languages spoken on the island. It is also site of several megalithic structures and aUnesco World Heritage Site.

The Sardinian diet relies heavily on meat, dairy products, grains, and vegetables. Sardinians also drink more beer per capita than anywhere else in Italy.

Sardinia has three international airports connecting it to the mainland of Italy and other parts of Europe. There are ferry companies which operate between Sardinia and cities in France and there is a rail network which connects towns across the island.

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