From South to South to South to South

The 'Southern' in the title of my blog has four dimensions.  My dad's family is from near Benevento in Southern Italy and when they emigrated in the 1950s, they came to Adelaide, South Australia.  I live in the Southern suburbs of Adelaide, which has the benefit of being near the coast and within easy driving distance to the wine and olive oil producing region of McLaren Vale, but also not too far from the city centre.

So, from Southern Italy, to the Southern Hemisphere, to Southern Australia, to Adelaide's Southern suburbs, the recipes, reviews and ramblings on this blog are a story of the South.

Although my 'cucina'   (a word meaning both 'kitchen' and 'cooking' in Italian) is strongly influenced by the cucina povera of Campania, it also reflects the variety found in my family background and culinary interests.  An English Grandma, a Lithuanian grandfather, a francophile mother, an Australian upbringing, and an obsession with reading cookbooks have all left their mark.   The recipes you see here are a combination of family recipes, my own inventions and classic Italian cuisine. And while I hope that my recipes retain the spirit of the traditional dishes upon which they are based, I have unapologetically added my own touches to even the most well loved of favourites.

Enjoy the blog and Buon Appetito!