Elaine Trigiani

Culinary Educator

Elaine Trigiani is from the U.S., but has been living in Loro Ciuffenna, midway between Florence and Arezzo, for seven years. There she has been learning about olive oil and Florentine and Tuscan culinary traditions from local producers, farmers, home cooks, and chefs. Following the local culinary tradition, she cooks with fresh ingredients, always using the spicy, green olive oil to enhance the flavors of simple yet flavorful foods.

Elaine leads a week-long olive oil culinary program, designs culinary travel programs, develops recipes, writes, and teaches olive oil tasting seminars and olive oil cooking classes in the United States and in Italy. She has a masters degree in art history, speaks fluent Italian, and is certified as an olive oil taster by the Regione Toscana. http://www.delladonnainc.com

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	Summertime Foodstuffs in Loro Ciuffenna The gardens are offering up cucumbers to marinate into cool, refreshing salads, and tomatoes for insalata caprese, fresh pasta sauces, canning, roasting, and eating in huge bites with just some salt, oregano and olive oil. More.
	The Three-Ingredient Rule as Applied to Christmas Dinner My first Christmas in Loro Ciuffenna was fun, Elvis on the stereo and snow on the mountain. Menu decisions were complicated as my so-called mother-in-law Angiola’s response to "What do you make for Christmas dinner?" was "Niente speciale." What? Nothing special? More.
	Olive Oil: Looks Green, Smells Green, Tastes Green The Mediterranean diet has long been hailed as a model for how to eat for healthy living. One of the pillars of the Mediterranean diet is olive oil, and often it’s the only fat present in the diets of people described as healthy for how they eat. More.
	A Visit to an Italian Farmers' Market To market, to market. It has been held on a Monday morning for as long as anyone can remember, and in these parts the vast common memory stretches back for centuries. More.
	An Italian Wedding Feast For years now Elizabeth Willmott and Marco Ceri, masters at hospitality, have been putting on feasts for groups of friends in their lovely home. Il Mulino di Ferraia. More.
	All Five Senses - Experience a Culture through its Kitchen In the wilds of Tuscany ask somebody about what they’re eating and you’re likely to find out how their mother spent her days, where the good shepherd is located, when a nice fat pig is scheduled to arrive from the Casentino, how to stretch pasta dough to feed a crowd if necessary, or how to make it rich and silky if the hens are laying. More.
	I Think Turkeys Are Supposed to Look Like That My very first Thanksgiving in Italy was turned into a challenge when everyone got so excited they invited half of Tuscany to join us. More.
	Close to Nature A simple rule for eating well, which for me means eating food that tastes great and happens also to be good for you, is stick close to Mother Nature. She won’t lead you astray. More.
	Stoking the Loaves: Wood Oven Breads The wood-burning oven, a player in a former version of my Tuscan life, was used only for harvest season celebratory grape pizzas until I launched into bread experiments. More.
	Crostini Neri - Black Crostini, Traditional Crostini of Loro Ciuffenna
	Crostone col Finocchio e Fagioli - White Bean and Fennel Croston
	Aunt Ida's Pound Cake, Olive Oil Version A nice, big slice of pound cake is hard to beat. You'll be amazed at how olive oil works in this easy yet delicious recipe.More.
	Le Ciambelline della Giuliana
	Olive Oil Brownies
	Pasta with Asparagus, Artichokes and Fava Beans For this hearty pasta I use the tiny, chokeless artichokes called morellini, which are tender enough to eat raw; and bacelli, which are fresh fava beans that are only eaten raw.More.
	L'Anatra in Porchetta (aka La Nana in Porchetta) - Roast Duck Roast duck is delectable as is, or you can also add a swirl of olive oil and some sprinkles of wild fennel on top.More.
	Norma In Bianco - Norma Wears White
	Pasta alla Norma Pasta alla Norma, a delicious combination of eggplants, tomatoes, garlic, basil and ricotta, is one of the most traditional Sicilian recipes.More.
	Brussels Sprouts The best way to make these little cabbages palatable is to not overcook them, let them remain al dente but use high heat so as to caramelize the outsides a bit.More.
	Olive Oil Pecan Pie The key to making a short crust pastry with olive oil is to get the olive oil to the consistency of butter.More.
	Pasta con le Vongole - Pasta with Clams This healthy variation of pasta with clams is a delicious, quick, and easy way to have highly nutritious clams in your diet.More.