Day: February 27, 2014

One thing I really like about growing up in my small town in the Northern Alps, is that we have many traditions linked to events throughout the year. Passing down these traditions over time hasn’t been hard, as most families have lived in my area not just for generations, but centuries. In fact, my father’s family dates back to the valley to the early 1600 – we were called da Lacco back then. So yes, it looks like I have broken with traditions by moving away. That notwithstanding, I continue to cherish many of the habits that I have grown accustomed to living in my town. One of them is celebrating Fasching, meaning Carnival, which in our area starts with today, Fat Thursday and runs all the way to Fat Tuesday, better known as Mardi Gras here in the U.S. While there are many things we do every year during Fasching, there is one tradition that is quite unique to my valley, I believe, and it involves a pot of panicia, or barley soup. Come and cook with us! Continue reading “Grab that Pot of Barley Soup”