Sicily is a cornucopia of incredible and unforgettable treats and sweets but there is nothing like il bacio di Pantelleria, an unforgettable pastry only to be found on the Black Pearl of the Mediterranean. Join Erica and food writer Salvatore Spatafora to discover food and culture in Pantelleria, Sicily. Guest: Salvatore Spatafora Ciao Bella podcasts Instagram: @ericafirpo Twitter:  @moscerina

Ciao Bella

TRAVEL BITE: Kiss Sicilian style - Il Bacio di Pantelleria

Is Italian coffee really the best?  Caffe consultant, co-founder of 3 Coffee Guys, long-time Piemonte resident and all-around coffee expert Damian Burgess spills the beans on what makes Italian caffe and coffee culture so beloved. Guest:  Damian Burgess Ciao Bella podcasts Instagram: @ericafirpo Twitter:  @moscerina

COFFEE: Caffe consigliere Damian Burgess on Italian coffee

Alessia Antinori has seven hundred years of wine flowing through her veins, but it's recent history that keeps the wine maker in Rome at Fattoria di Fiorano.  Vineyards in the Eternal City?! You bet. Lazio wines, Italy and more. Guest:  Alessia Antinori Ciao Bella podcasts Instagram: @ericafirpo Twitter:  @moscerina

WINE: City limits in Rome's Fattoria di Fiorano

There's nothing that tortellini in brodo can't fix, or at least make feel a little bit better.  And that simple concept is what led Massimo Bottura and Lara Gilmore to create two community programs - Il Tortellante, the local Modena tortellini-focused alternative education program for special needs kids, and Food for Soul, soup kitchens across the globe that feed the community while fighting food waste.  Guest:  Lara Gilmore Ciao Bella podcasts Instagram: @ericafirpo Twitter:  @moscerina

Feeding Communities: Tortellante and Food for Soul with Lara Gilmore

Drink up, it’s Negroni time! Epicurean Coral Sisk of Curious Appetite Travel shares all about the Negroni - from its Florentine history and where in Florence to find the very best today, to the variants we love (and don’t love). Grab a high ball and join Erica and Coral discussing Italy's iconic cocktail. Guest: Coral Sisk Ciao Bella podcasts Instagram: @ericafirpo Twitter:  @moscerina

COCKTAILS: Florence's Negroni, or how I fell in love with cocktails

COCKTAILS: The Negroni and Florence

There is nothing like the very first bite of fresh focaccia (and then the next. Liguria and in particular Genova claim fame to making Italy's very best focaccia.  Join Erica and foodwriter Laurel Evans as we talk about this unforgettable (and simple) street food. Guest: Laurel Evans Ciao Bella podcasts Instagram: @ericafirpo Twitter:  @moscerina

TRAVEL BITE: Liguria's Unforgettable Focaccia with Laurel Evans

Massimo Bottura and Lara Gilmore turn the tables with Casa Maria Luigia, their luxurious foodie and art retreat near Modena, Emilia Romagna. Join Erica and Lara with a glass of Lambrusco, talking about design, redefining the table, and country living. Guest:  Lara Gilmore, Casa Maria Luigia Ciao Bella podcasts Instagram: @ericafirpo Twitter:  @moscerina

DESIGN: Country Living at Casa Maria Luigia, Massimo Bottura's B&B

Did you know there are at least 600 different kinds of cheese in Italy, and Eleonora Baldwin has made it her mission to taste them all for her primetime hit ABCheese on Gambero Rosso Channel (Italy's top food network).  In this episode, we focus on Italy's blues... because no one gives them the love they deserve. Guest:  Eleonora Baldwin, Casa Mia Tours Ciao Bella podcasts Instagram: @ericafirpo Twitter:  @moscerina  

FOOD: The ABCs of Italian Cheese with Eleonora Baldwin

Cotechino from Modena is a local favourite, a sausage so savoury it's a meal. But have you ever thought about it for breakfast? Casa MariaLuigia, Massimo Bottura and Lara Gilmore's country B&B did and chef Jessica Rosval has taken the savory to a level of unforgettably sweet. Ciao Bella website INSTAGRAM: @EricaFirpo TWITTER @moscerina

Travel Bite: Cotechino for Breakfast at Casa MariaLuigia, Modena

Balsamic vinegar is not a condiment, and it's definitely not your average vinegar, it's a generations-spanning game changer in just a few drops. Erica talks balsamico, lambrusco, Modena and more with Acetaia Pedroni. Made in Modena Ciao Bella website INSTAGRAM: @EricaFirpo TWITTER @moscerina

FOOD: Made in Modena- Balsamico and Lambrusco

Chiara Boni and her brand La Petite Robe are Italy's first brand to receive Product Environmental Footprint certificate. Erica and Chiara talk fashion and sustainability in Milan. Ciao Bella Podcast Ciao Bella website INSTAGRAM: @EricaFirpo TWITTER @moscerina

FASHION: Sustainable Style and Chiara Boni in Milan

Pizza Ebraica (pizza de beridde) is a centuries-old pastry and tradition in Rome's Jewish Ghetto neighbourhood - the only place in the world you will find this unique bite. Join Erica and art historian/tour guide Sara Pavoncello to talk history, flavour and Rome. Ciao Bella Podcast Ciao Bella website INSTAGRAM: @EricaFirpo TWITTER @moscerina

TRAVEL BITE: Pizza Ebraica in Rome

Part private collection, part artist residency, welcome to Palazzo Monti, a contemporary art palace and residence in Brescia, Italy by founder and pioneer Edoardo Monti.  Sit down with Erica and Edo for an art talk. CiaoBella.co INSTAGRAM: @EricaFirpo TWITTER @moscerina

ART: Palazzo Monti, Brescia's Pioneering Contemporary Art Residency

Sustainability, local sourcing and community networks, Chef Norbert Niederkofler has started a mountaintop revolution that will feed the world. Join Erica and Norbert in Italy's Alto Adige province talking Cook the Mountain and more. Mountaintop Revolution with Norbert Niederklofler CiaoBella.co INSTAGRAM: @EricaFirpo TWITTER @moscerina

FOOD: Mountaintop Revolution with Norbert Niederkofler

Welcome to Ciao Bella, where travel writer Erica Firpo sits down with Italy's 21st century creators - contemporary artists and artisans, heritage brands and innovative aesthetes, chefs, experts and more who are defining, redefining and evolving Italy, and beyond. Fashion. Food. Art. Travel. Hotels. Galleries. Pizza. Aperitivi. Coffee. And more. Cocktail conversations and behind-the-scenes visits that will make you want to pack you bags and go! Episodes drop every Monday!

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Ciao Bella

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