This blog was originally posted on 5th December 2014 and was updated on 22nd October 2020. With the Christmas season coming into full swing and many people starting to plan parties and get together for their friends and family, it’s the perfect time to learn more about the Italian aperitivo – an authentic Italian ritual…
Italian Food, Lifestyle and Culture Blog
By the Flavours Holidays team
Torta di Mela – Italian Apple Tart Recipe
Apples thrive in Northern Italy’s cooler temperatures where Italian farmers have been cultivating this fruit for over 2,000 years. While almost every apple-growing country has its own variation of the classic apple tart; this is a traditional recipe from Tuscany called Torta di Mele!
8 Ways the Italian Lifestyle Teaches You to Appreciate Life More
This blog was originally posted on 8th March 2017 and was updated on 22nd October 2020. Any trip to Italy reminds us of how the Italians value and celebrate all aspects of life. From taking time to eat and drink well, to spending time with family, to appreciating beautiful architecture and design, as well as…
Italian Christmas Cantuccini Biscuits
Cantuccini are traditional Christmas biscuits originating from Tuscany. Technically, these can be called Cantucci or Cantuccini biscuits as ‘biscotti’ refers to all biscuits in Italian. Why not try out this classic Tuscan recipe from our cooking holidays, best enjoyed dipped in a glass of Vin Santo!
How to Travel Alone: Top Tips from Solo Travellers
Travelling solo is both an exciting and a daunting prospect. By stepping out and travelling alone, you are embarking on a journey with no one to rely on but yourself. Before your first solo trip, you may be a bit nervous but I can assure you that the rewards of solo travel far outweigh this!…
Courgette Pancakes (Crepes di Zucchine)
Follow along with chef Maurizio and learn how to make these cheesy courgette pancakes – the perfect healthy Italian lunch!
Our 7 Favourite Wellness And Motivational Podcasts 2020
We’ve been focusing on wellness and self-care, as it’s more important than ever to take care of ourselves as winter approaches. Part of this has been making sure that we take mindful moments each day, and hosting wellbeing classes with Amanda Hamilton to better understand how nutrition affects our life. We’ve been loving listening to…
Solo Travel Q&A with Catherine Leech (101 Holidays)
We love everything about travel – exploring new places, experiencing new cultures, and making new friends! Someone who feels the same is Catherine Leech – Director of 101 Holidays. Addicted to travel since the age of 6, when she flew alone to visit her grandparents in Portugal, Catherine has spent her life travelling the world…
Did You Know: 6 Surprising Benefits of Vitamin D
As the leaves begin changing and the days begin to get shorter, it’s the most important time of year to be focusing on your health. We’ve been hosting masterclasses with expert nutritionist and lifestyle guru Amanda Hamilton, and she’s given us a great insight into just how much impacts your health and immune system. We…
Cannoli di Ricotta Recipe – Sicilian Food Recipes
With their crispy pastry shells and indulgent ricotta filling, Cannoli di Ricotta are little bits of Sicilian heaven served up as dessert! Indulge in these decadent cannoli with this recipe from our Sicilian chef, Carmela!
How to Sleep Better – Wellbeing with Amanda Hamilton
This week, we learnt all about how to sleep better in our second wellbeing masterclass with Amanda Hamilton. Amanda’s expert advice included top tips for falling asleep easier and staying asleep longer! It’s particularly important to set yourself up for good sleep, especially as winter approaches, to keep yourself and your body healthy! Read on…
Pasta Alla Norma Recipe – Sicilian Food Recipes
Indulge with a pasta alla Norma, with a decadent roast tomato sauce, delicious homemade pasta and hearty aubergine slices. All topped with a crumbly ricotta salata and basil!
Top 4 Secrets for a Happy and Healthy Italian Lifestyle
You may be surprised to learn that Italians stay healthier than most other Europeans, as we tend to think about pasta and pizza as unhealthy foods. As it turns out, however, Italian women manage to avoid ageing illnesses for up to 14 years longer than Brits and Italian men outlive their British counterparts by 10…
Kick Start Healthy Habits – Wellbeing with Amanda Hamilton
We were thrilled to host a wellbeing masterclass with Amanda Hamilton last week to get her expert advice on how to kick start healthy habits. With winter drawing in, along with the new normal we’re all adapting to, it might seem intimidating to try and break out of unhealthy habits. Amanda is an expert nutritionist…
Best Italian Meatballs Recipe
Learn how to make delicious Italian meatballs, known as polpette, with a rich, tomato sauce. This will soon become one of your regular dishes!
Ageing Well for Over 50s with Tracey McAlpine (Fighting Fifty)
We recently caught up with Tracey McAlpine from Fighting Fifty to chat about how to age positively and living well after 50. Tracey started her blog shortly after turning 50, as a way to help her fellow midlife women live life to the fullest. Her aim was to provide a positive space for older women…
Caponata Recipe – Sicilian Food Recipes
A simple Sicilian vegetable dish bursting with flavour, caponata is a great recipe to master. Check out our recipe to find out more!
Everything You Need to Know about Italian Cooking Online
When our holiday guests were unable to join our chefs in Italy this year, we knew that we needed to find a way to keep connected with everyone – especially with both our team in Italy and our wonderful guests in the UK all stuck inside! Thanks to the wonders of modern technology, and the…
Top 7 Psychological Benefits of Painting
Hobbies are an important part of maintaining your mental health and wellbeing. They’re something that instantly spark joy and give you something to be passionate about, as well as giving you something to focus on instead of your daily worries and stresses. We’ve noticed that many people come home from our painting holidays feeling recharged…
What is Mindfulness – The Definitive Guide
Mindfulness has been a buzzword in the wellbeing industry for the last few years. You may have heard it mentioned at your Pilates or yoga class, perhaps at work, or even at your local coffee shop! It’s taken the world by storm in the form of colouring books, mobile apps, and in-person classes, as people…
Author Interview with Donna Armer – Solo in Salento
Solo travellers make up 70% of Flavours guests, each year, which is why we are passionate about supporting and encouraging those who wish to travel alone. That’s why we do the research for you! By speaking to solo travel experts and putting together helpful posts full of tips for travelling alone and the best destinations…
The Best Italian Music for your Italian Dinner Party
Sharing food with family and friends is an integral part of Italian food culture. You can see the importance of it at large family gatherings, intimate dinner parties, and annual celebrations. It’s all part of the distinctive food culture of this passionate nation. For the perfect Italian dinner party you need delicious regional food (made…
Plan Your Travel Bucket List For 2021 – Return to Travel
We’ve been dreaming (and we’re sure you have too) of exploring a little bit further afield and ticking off our travel bucket list. Our wanderlust has us incredibly excited to get back out into the world and return to travel in 2021! With the new year approaching, it’s time for us all to be looking…
Italian Chocolate Cake Recipe (Torta Nera Emiliana)
A traditional Italian chocolate cake, the torta nera emiliana is a moist chocolate cake encased within a buttery shortcrust shell. If you’re looking for new dessert ideas, this Italian chocolate cake is sure to please!
An Interview with Jenny Eclair: On Painting, Art Courses and Turning 60
Stand-up comic and author, Jenny Eclair, is best known for her television appearances on Grumpy Old Women and Loose Women. She was the first woman to win the Perrier Award at the Edinburgh Festival in 1995, and her most recent book, Older and Wider – A Survivor’s Guide to the Menopause, is a Sunday Times…
How to Make Arancini – Sicilian Food Recipes
These tasty rice-balls can be stuffed with mozzarella, ragu sauce or peas and are coated with breadcrumbs. You can taste Arancini while strolling along beautiful Sicilian streets, since they are often sold as traditional street food.
17 Fun Facts You Didn’t Know About Italy
It’s no surprise that we love Italy! In fact, our team are all Italy experts and love its food, history, culture and lifestyle. So it’s obvious that we talk about Italy all the time, and we’re guessing that you have some interest in Italy too. We have to admit that we thought we knew quite…
Letitia Clark’s Italian Cookbook – Bitter Honey: Recipes and Stories (Sardinian Food)
Originally from Devon, Letitia Clark is a chef, illustrator and author who has pursued her love of food throughout her career. She trained at Leiths School of Food and Wine, before working in many London restaurants. After 10 years in London, she relocated to sunny Sardinia to write, draw and cook full-time. Our founder, Lorne,…
Travelling Safely to Tuscany and Bologna in 2020 #ReturnToTravel
Our Managing Director, Julie, recently visited Tuscany and Bologna to prepare for our holidays to Italy resuming in autumn (but she still had time to catch the sunshine and see some sights while she was there!) I caught up with her on her return to chat about her return to travel. We discussed what made…
COVID Travel Insurance: Making Sure You’re Covered – Video Interview with StaySure Founder Ryan Howsam
Over the last few months, we conducted surveys and held a number of focus groups to gauge peoples’ thoughts regarding future travel. We wanted to ensure that we were doing everything we could to make planning a holiday comfortable and fun again. One of the main conversations we had was around the future of travel…