Dec282016by DishesOnly | News
Getting ready for New Year’s Eve? This is our “countdown” guide to set the perfect scene for a thrilling Italian toast with your friends and family. Dress code: Black & Gold. Style: 100% Italian natural lifestyle. – 3 Parmigiano cubes (not parmesan!) Fill up Sfizio golden bowl with Parmigiano-Reggiano cubes. A glam snack that will make you stand out from common appetizers. Pair it with sparkling wine for a superb taste. Discover more about the original Parmigiano-Reggiano and its health benefits. If you taste Parmigiano, you will never buy parmesan again! – 2 Pandoro and Panettone Cut some slices of Pandoro and Panettone and place them in Sacchino, a stylish paper basket that you can use for food, gifts, plants, candles and whatever ideas you come up with. Pandoro and Panettone are the traditional Italian sweet breads to celebrate Christmas and New Year. – 1 Franciacorta Bubbly Uncork a chilly Barone Pizzini sparkling wine, an award winning organic champenoise produced in Franciacorta, in the north of Italy. Franciacorta is the latest drinking fashion in Italy, and it is getting very popular all over the world. 00:00 Cheers and Buon 2017 a Tutti! Check our Black & Gold collection of serveware and dinnerware here....
Dec172016by DishesOnly | News
Handmade gifts are unique and they are really made with love. We all remember when we were kids and used to close the door of our bedroom and started drawing, cutting, gluing and coloring cards and very creative objects (!) for our parents and for all the family members. So, let’s bring up the same spirit and create our special DIY gift for her, him, the kids and even your pet!! Follow these 6 easy steps and make a present that fill the hearts…. and the stomachs 😉 0. Choose your favorite handmade plate 1. Choose your favorite cookie (and place it on your favorite plate!) 2. Fold the plate and the cookies with a transparent paper 3. Wrap the package with a gift paper, or a piece of fabric, or with rice paper, of the color that you like the most 4. Pick up a ribbon, string or twine to close your package 5. Tie well and add a decoration of your choice 6. And now… your handmade gift is ready! In this example we have used a limited edition handmade porcelain plate of our collection Pensieri filled with Baci di dama cookies by Vaniglia Cooking. For our vegan friends we recommend Valentina, Hortus Cuisine, vegan spiced cookies (along with a Christmas menu suggestion) and our romantic Tè Rosa plate. You can find many more plates on DishesOnly . Choose your favorite one and customize it with homemade cookies, savory crackers, marshmallows, pies and a pretty packaging, for an unforgettable one-of-a-kind edible handmade gift! photo credits Rossella...
Dec102016by DishesOnly | News
Food presentation is no longer an exclusive domain of caterings, hotels, chefs and food bloggers. Plating is not just a synonym of “getting served” or “putting food in a plate” but it has gained a broader meaning. It means to create a dining experience that temps all of our senses. We found a very good definition of plating in the Treccani Italian dictionary: ”preliminarily set up in the kitchen, with taste and choreographic and decorative intentions, the food, in each of the dishes to be served to the guests”. Starting from this definition, and with the precious support of our food bloggers friends, we’ve created a sort of psychology test: tell me how do you present food and I will tell to you who you are. We have noticed that the way we serve food (beginning with the way we cook it, how we choose the dish that best uplifts the food and the table, how we garnish the plate), can tell something about our personality. So, are you ready to know which is your profile based on the way you present food? Answer to these simple questions and discover the results. How do you cook and manage vegetables? I cook my greens for a very short time and pass them quickly into water and ice, so that they stay crispy and keep their shining green color. I cook my greens the right amount of time and season them well, either with lemon or with a scented Mediterranean dressing. I cook my greens for a long time, until they slightly flake, enjoying the charm of a traditional cooking style....
Nov212016by DishesOnly | News
This year pink is a must for the holidays. Pink is paramount in fashion, as well as in interior design and home décor. Remember that Pantone chose Rose Quartz as one of the 2016 colors. We usually consider pink as the color of baby showers, girls party, spring and summer gatherings and, above all, the perfect wedding color. But, have you ever thought about adopting pink hues for your Thanksgiving and Christmas Holiday party decorations? Here is how. Dreamy pink holiday decorations First of all, there are hundreds of different shades of pink: I‘ve found this article very interesting to discover more about this lovely color. In general, pink tones match perfectly with grey (aged zinc!), white, silver and gold, black, green, earthy tones and copper. You can add warmth to your holiday decorations with glittering acorns, caramel scented candles, cinnamon stars or sticks. You can unleash your creativity with gifts packaging: all you need is white gift papers and pinkish ribbons, or a simple natural hemp twine. Depending on your style, you can set a new romantic, shabby chic mood under the Christmas tree, or a modern stylish mood, with brilliant fuchsia wrappings and black ribbons. But where you can give your best, is in setting a festive tablescape. We’ve put together a short style guide on how to decorate your dining table for the holidays. Table settings ideas for the Holidays If you are so lucky to live in a warm country, we have some outdoor holidays ideas for you. Pink and gold will definitely add glamour to your tablesetting. Peonies, hydrangeas and...
Oct132016by DishesOnly | News
It is always very hard to make a list of favorite things. It is harder when you have to choose among outstanding food bloggers that have spectacular photos, great content and fabulous styles. But, since many of our fans and followers have asked us to guide them in the “jungle” of bloggers, we have decided to share some of our faves in three areas: food, style and wedding planning. Let’s start with the food bloggers. A truly Tuscan Woman: Juls’ Kitchen Why do we like her? Giulia is the quintessence of Tuscany. If you love Tuscany and if you want to deeply learn about this region and “breathe” the Tuscan lifestyle you should read her blog. She proposes traditional recipes. She doesn’t go for “new age”, unknown ingredients but she engages readers on how to cook the real Tuscan recipes, the Tuscan way. An example? The Tuscan Panzanella She is authentic: if you are planning to visit Tuscany you must read Juls’ “Discover Tuscany” section on her web site. It is an extraordinary guide to authentic places and restaurants in Tuscany that only locals know. Plan also a Tuscan cooking class with Giulia. You will never forget it! An Australian hero in Rome: Alice Kiandra Adams Why do we like her? Alice is a fantastic storyteller: she conveys to an international audience the “romanity” and the true spirit of what it means to live in Rome. She writes in English with a mix of roman idioms (fun to read for Italians!) and she really gets to the heart of Roman culture. It is very interesting to read her...
Sep182016by DishesOnly | News
We are entering the fall season and perfectly on time, as usual, the Pantone Color Institute features the 10 fall colors to style your table. The Pantone report is a precious guide not only for home decor but also for fashion and style. The 10 colors can be matched together as we want, making much easier for us to choose how to combine different tones. We can pick up any color and we don’t have to worry about finding the perfect match with other colors. Just follow this palette because they fit each other! Every color recalls the shades of nature during the fall season – the sky, the earth, the tree leaves – and inspires calmness and quietness. Look around the house and take out from your closets and drawers all that you have in these nuances: tablecloths, glasses, plates, bowls, placemats. Decorate your table by mixing old and new objects, to use at all times of the day and not just for special occasions. Just to give you some inspirations, here are our proposals and ideas to style your table with these beautiful 10 fall colors. Fall colors and table settings trends Lush Meadow – For Breakfast green is the tone to boost your energy level. Spicy Mustard – At lunch time recharge your batteries with a sunny tone. Riverside – For a tea break, blue hues are perfect to relax. Aperitif: Aurora Red – red is the color of passion and excitement. The right mood to begin a glam evening. Shark Skin – We picked grey for dinner: classic and elegant, it never fades. ...
