Dessert & Drink Recipes

World’s Best Balsamic Strawberry Martini by Jacopo Falleni

October 20, 2011

Late Sunday evening I was at Osteria Firenze indulging in some insanely delicious lobster ravioli and out of this world Martini with my favorite mixologist Jacopo Falleni. You know I can’t shoot straight alcohol but I am a sucker for a tasty cocktail and Jacopo’s Balsamic & Strawberry Martini is by far the best I [...]

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Introducing Award Winning Mixologist Jacopo Falleni and a Bloody Mario Recipe

October 15, 2011

It is my pleasure to introduce the newest member of the Ciao Florentina family, my friend, award winning mixologist, restauranteur and man of passion Jacopo Falleni! He is going to be your drink guru and advisor every day of the week here on CiaoFlorentina.com and help you shake together the most delicious cocktails because it’s [...]

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Whole Wheat Mocha Banana Bread Recipe

September 15, 2011
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Yesterday I was looking at some overripe bananas and did a happy dance! Why?  My family typically eats a batch of bananas or uses them in smoothies, in two days and I never get the chance to make banana bread with them.  Hence, the happy dance!  It’s the little things in life, right?  I was [...]

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An Apricot Walnut Delight!

August 2, 2011

Don’t you just love guilt-free desserts?  You know those delicious treats surprisingly loaded with amazing health benefits.  Take the dessert I made over the weekend for example.  The two main ingredients were apricots and walnuts, which really do pack a mighty nutritional punch. Apricots are a summer fruit, so aren’t in season at the moment where [...]

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Cherish your Family – a Delicious Raspberry Halva Sundae Recipe

July 23, 2011

Each year, my whole family takes some time out to go on a holiday together.  By “whole” family, I mean all those in addition to my gorgeous husband and two precious children…my Mum, my uncle and aunt, some of my 6 brothers and 3 sisters with their partners, and many of my nieces and nephews [...]

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Chef Fabio Viviani’s Nutella Biscuits

July 16, 2011
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On Friday I made Fabio’s Nutella biscuits and then tweeted the pictures.  I still get messages asking for the recipe so I thought: why not just post it on here ?! Duh! As a Nutella addict myself I don’t know why I don’t have a nutella recipe collection already. Anyway, better late than ever and [...]

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A healthy cake – featuring the amazing Strawberry!

July 11, 2011

Most people I know find strawberries delicious.  I certainly do!  It’s amazing that such a tiny piece of fruit can be so nutritious.  Mother Nature’s multivitamin, a strawberry is jam-packed with the following nutrients: Vitamin C Vitamin K Manganese Folic acid Potassium Riboflavin Vitamin B5 Vitamin B6 Copper Magnesium Omega-3 fatty acids I remember picking [...]

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Rustic Blueberry Cobbler ~ A Summer Classic

July 10, 2011
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Rustic Blueberry Cobbler capitalizes on 6 heaping cups of the sweet, blue jewels currently overflowing our summer market shelves. A light, fluffy drop biscuit topping accented with cornmeal and cinnamon pairs beautifully with the perfectly sweetened blueberry filling. Vanilla ice-cream adds just the right finishing touch. Anytime I make seasonal favorites like Blueberry Cobbler, I’m [...]

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Frog Jam Pop Tarts Recipe

July 4, 2011
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One weekend, we drove to the Eastern coast, toward Fenwick Island and stayed at the beach with my family.  The drive was beautiful, especially heading over the famous Bay Bridge and then onto flat coastal lands filled with acres and acres of farmland.  Passing over the bridge always carries a unique and very significant feel [...]

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Fond Memories – Cinnamon Custard Recipe

June 30, 2011
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There are some recipes I love to make over and over again.  I often call them my “comfort foods”, as they remind me of home, special moments or precious people in my life.  One such recipe is Cinnamon Custard, which was one of my dear Dad’s favourites.  I get all warm and fuzzy when I [...]

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