My exploration of Rome’s typical pasta dishes starts with the seemingly simple, yet incredibly delicious Tonnarelli Cacio e Pepe. This traditional dish uses three simple ingredients Tonnarelli pasta (also known as spaghetti alla chitarra), grated cacio, and freshly ground black…
Cyn Cyn Punch
The Cyn Cyn Punch is another cocktail I created inspired by my first novel THE LOVE FOOL, and was first printed in the Book Club Edition released in August 2020. This cocktail is a refreshing sipper that my character Teddy…
We Were Never Together
For this cocktail, I was inspired by my first novel THE LOVE FOOL. This recipe was featured in the book club edition of THE LOVE FOOL, and in the summer 2020 issue of Sip the Magazine. The color of this…
Lessons in Roman Cooking
[From 2011 Rome Archives] – I was invited to take a cooking lesson at Trust.Ever.Tastes – located in the building in which i was living at the time. The small company is dedicated to teaching real Italian home cooking. The name Trust.Ever.Tastes…
Cinecittá: Italy’s Hollywood
Escape into classic Italian cinema with a timeless tour of Cinecittá Studios. Built in the late 30’s, Cinecittá houses the sets and costumes for Italy’s classic and popular films and TV shows. Some of the world’s greatest films were created…
In Search of Death’s Cookie
November in Italy is known as il Mese dei Morti (The Month of the Dead) – not just to honor the dead, but to officially mark the true start of the autumn season. The gloomy month begins with a celebration…
Park of Monsters in the Sacred Woods
I once trekked (literally) to the medieval town of Bomarzo located near Viterbo, north of Rome; to visit the eerie Park of Monsters, also known as the Sacred Woods. As I mentioned, it was a damn trek and a half……
Maritozzo and the Modern Serenade
While living in Rome (back in 2011), I once went on a hunt for a special Roman sweet called maritozzi con panna. These sweet Roman sugar brioche buns are filled with whipped cream and served at breakfast – but I…
Stuzzichini: Supplí
Stuzzichini are small bite sized snacks typically found at bars at happy hour or served as appetizers. These bites vary from fried mozzarella, finger sandwiches, arancini, supplí, potato croquettes, and more. This post focuses on supplí specifically. Supplí are typical…
Tasting Testaccio
From the Archives. I enjoyed a lovely day exploring the food history of Testaccio – a residential neighborhood, known for its covered market, ‘hip’ nightclubs and amazing restaurants offering traditional Roman cuisine… and the main ingredient is offal. Testaccio is named…
Adventures in Rome 2011
Over the next few weeks, I will re-release my ‘Adventures in Rome’ blog post series as I transfer them from the archives to Magnusmade.com. Contributing to #tbt or #ThrowbackThursday, a new post will be released every Thursday, beginning Sept 5,…
2018: Year in Review
2018: The Year in Review – All about THE LOVE FOOL and writing. Well, 2018 was quite a year for me. The biggest achievement was the release of my debut novel, of course. My main goal was to see The Love Fool…