Cooking with an Italian accent

Giulia Scarpaleggia
  • 4.6 (11)
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Ciao, I am Giulia Scarpaleggia, a Tuscan born and bred country girl, a home cook, a food writer and a photographer. I teach Tuscan cooking classes in my house in the countryside in between Siena and Florence. I’ve been sharing honest, reliable Italian recipes for 14 years now, through my cookbooks and our blog Juls' Kitchen. If you love everything about Italian food, big crowded tables and seasonal ingredients, join us and follow our podcast “Cooking with an Italian accent“. julskitchen.substack.com

  1. APR 14

    Vegetables the Italian Way is out. Let's celebrate!

    Today we’re celebrating the release of Vegetables the Italian Way: Turning Simple and Fresh into Extraordinary. In this episode, I take you behind the scenes of the book: how it was born from years of cooking classes, conversations, and questions from students and readers. This is not a vegetarian cookbook. It’s a book about how we truly cook and eat in Italy, where vegetables are at the centre of the table, shaped by seasonality, simplicity, and everyday habits. I’ll also share the 5 ideas that define the book and might change the way you cook vegetables at home. ✨ In this episode, you’ll hear about: - Why vegetables are often missing from Italian restaurant menus - What “vegetable-forward” really means in Italian cooking - How Italian home cooking differs from what you see when travelling - Why overcooking vegetables is sometimes the key to flavour - How to balance bitterness and make it delicious - What it means to think of Italian cooking as a “grammar” - How this book was tested and shaped in real cooking classes Read more about Vegetables the Italian Way here: * Vegetables the Italian Way: cover reveal & the story behind the book * 5 things to know about Vegetables, the Italian way Find it wherever books are sold, or purchase your copy here: https://en.julskitchen.com/cookbooks/vegetables-the-italian-way This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit julskitchen.substack.com/subscribe

    16 min

  2. FEB 18

    The tradition I stand for

    After being asked to define my cooking style, I realised that none of the usual labels — creative, healthy-conscious, rule-breaking — truly fit. The word I was looking for was simpler: traditional. In this episode, a natural continuation of the one dedicated to my nonna Marcella, I reflect on the kind of tradition I stand for: one rooted in seasonality, rural knowledge, emotional rituals, and collective memory. From Carnival sweets to grape focaccia in September, from foraging wild herbs to kneading bread that marks the passing of time, this is the tradition I stand for. The podcast now lives inside the newsletter on Substack, where you’ll find all the links to the recipes mentioned in this episode and can join the conversation by leaving a comment. Recipes and dishes mentioned: - Cenci and frittelle for Carnival - Pici from Val d’Orcia - Sicilian biancomangiare - Castagnaccio - Tuscan Chickpea flour cake Nocino This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit julskitchen.substack.com/subscribe

    18 min

  3. JAN 30

    Goodbye, nonna Marcella

    After a long break, Cooking with an Italian Accent is back. In this episode, I share a personal letter and a goodbye to my nonna Marcella, who passed away last year at almost 97. Through old family videos, memories of Easter lunches, homemade tagliatelle, and everyday gestures, I reflect on how she shaped my way of cooking, eating, and understanding tradition. This is an episode about food memories, grief and gratitude, and about tradition as something alive — not frozen in time, but carried forward through cooking. The podcast now lives inside the newsletter on Substack, where you’ll find all the links to the recipes mentioned in this episode and can join the conversation by leaving a comment. Recipes and dishes mentioned: - her flawless lasagne - her rice pudding cake - her bignè alla crema - her tagliatelle with tomato paste, oregano, prosciutto cotto and cream - the very best stuffed round zucchini - extra creamy pasta e patate - the birthday cake she baked me for decades - candied orange peels dipped in chocolate This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit julskitchen.substack.com/subscribe

    18 min

  4. 2025-02-06

    Italy in the low season

    Italy is often imagined in the golden glow of summer. But what about winter? In this episode, we explore ten vignettes of Italy in the low season—from misty medieval towns to empty beaches, from seasonal markets to winter festivals. Let’s paint a different picture of Italy, one filled with mystery, comfort food, and quiet beauty. This episode is hosted on Substack, so join the conversation here: https://julskitchen.substack.com/p/italy-in-the-low-season This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit julskitchen.substack.com/subscribe

    22 min

  5. 2023-08-02

    Why I’m asking you to skip Florence on your next trip to Tuscany

    In this episode of Cooking with an Italian Accent, I’m asking you to skip Florence on your next trip to Tuscany. I’m sharing my two cents on tourism and overcrowded destinations, but I would love to know your thoughts on this, as well. We talk about travelling during the low season and your option to slow down and enjoy the provincial life of a small town.  We introduce our immersive three-day seasonal cooking masterclass: https://en.julskitchen.com/tuscan-cooking-classes#threeday Our Colle Val d’Elsa foodie guide: https://en.julskitchen.com/other/travel/where-to-eat-in-colle-val-d-elsa So now listen to the episode and join the conversation online on our newsletter Letters from Tuscany on Substack: https://julskitchen.substack.com/p/why-im-asking-you-to-skip-florence Find me online >> Newsletter: www.lettersfromtuscany.com | Blog: www.julskitchen.com | Instagram: https://instagram.com/julskitchen/  Podcast realized by https://instagram.com/tommyonweb   This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit julskitchen.substack.com/subscribe

    17 min

  6. 2023-02-15 ·  BONUS

    Last but not least [Special]

    In this episode of Cooking with an Italian Accent, after a year of absence, I tell you a little bit more about the things that have happened: - This podcast is not dead, it is just on a break. - Our newsletter on Substack, Letters from Tuscany, is where most of our writing and recipes will live from now on. - For the past two years, we’ve been working on a new cookbook, Cucina Povera, The Italian Way of Transforming Humble Ingredients into Unforgettable Meals. It will be released in April 2023. So now listen to the episode and join the conversation online on our newsletter www.lettersfromtuscany.com on Substack. Preorder our cookbook Cucina Povera here.  Find me online at www.julskitchen.com or on Instagram https://instagram.com/julskitchen/   Podcast realized by https://instagram.com/tommyonweb This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit julskitchen.substack.com/subscribe

    14 min
  7. 2x05 - All about the traditional Tuscan sweet treats [Christmas Special]

    2021-12-15

    2x05 - All about the traditional Tuscan sweet treats [Christmas Special]

    The best way to understand the Tuscan pastry art is to have a walk in Siena with an open mind, following the trail of spices, paying attention to the colours and to the ingredients of the baked goods arranged in the shop windows of bakeries, cafés, and pastry shops. The Tuscan pastry art isn’t show stopping, elegant, refined or elaborate, as you would say of the French patisserie or oven of the Southern Italian pastry art of Sicily and Naples. In this episode, we will delve into the Tuscan pastry art, discovering how seasonal it is, how strongly related to Cucina Povera, and how it shows a lasting influence of Medieval and Renaissance ingredients, spices, and traditions. So now listen to the episode, join the conversation online, and enjoy this little taste of Tuscna sweet treats. Recipes mentioned in this episode: - Schiacciata con l’uva: https://en.julskitchen.com/dessert/grape-focaccia - Pan co’ Santi: https://en.julskitchen.com/bread/pan-co-santi - Cenci: https://en.julskitchen.com/dessert/carnival-fried-dough-the-tuscan-cenci - Rice fritters: https://en.julskitchen.com/tuscany/italian-carnival-rice-fritters - Schiacciata alla Fiorentina: https://en.julskitchen.com/dessert/schiacciata-alla-fiorentina-a-sweet-flatbread-for-carnival - Quaresimali: https://en.julskitchen.com/dessert/cookies/quaresimali-florentine-cookies-for-lent - Pan di Ramerino: https://en.julskitchen.com/tuscany/pan-di-ramerino - Schiacciata di Pasqua: https://en.julskitchen.com/tuscany/tuscan-schiacciata-sweet-easter-bread - Necci: https://en.julskitchen.com/dessert/necci-tuscan-chestnut-pancakes - Castagnaccio: https://en.julskitchen.com/dessert/castagnaccio-chestnut-cake - Scarpaccia: https://en.julskitchen.com/dessert/a-tuscan-sweet-zucchini-cake - Alchermes: https://en.julskitchen.com/drink/home-made-alchermes - Zuccotto: https://en.julskitchen.com/dessert/tuscan-zuccotto - Zuppa Inglese: https://en.julskitchen.com/dessert/zuppa-inglese-as-afternoon-break - Cantucci: https://en.julskitchen.com/dessert/cookies/tuscan-biscotti - Cavallucci: https://en.julskitchen.com/dessert/cookies/cavallucci-tuscan-cookies - Ricciarelli: https://en.julskitchen.com/dessert/ricciarelli-siena-almond-cookies - Panforte: https://en.julskitchen.com/dessert/tuscan-panforte-a-spicy-cake-from-siena Find me online at www.julskitchen.com or on Instagram https://instagram.com/julskitchen/ Podcast realized by https://instagram.com/tommyonweb This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit julskitchen.substack.com/subscribe

    31 min
  8. 2x04 - Life in Salento: in conversation with Nina Gigante

    2021-08-17

    2x04 - Life in Salento: in conversation with Nina Gigante

    In today’s episode we’re travelling southward, towards the heel of the boot of the Italian peninsula, Salento. Today’s guest is Nina Gigante, a wellness, food, and travel journalist, and a qualified holistic nutritionist. While we were in Salento to visit Tommaso’s family, I was continuously texting Nina to have advice on where to go, shop, and, guess what, eat. Thanks to her tips we discovered my favourite brioche in Salento. In the following conversation, you’ll hear us talking about what is home for Nina, what she likes about Mediterranean cuisine, and what to see, where to eat, and what to buy in Lecce. Nina will also give us a tip to visit a less known turquoise lake surrounded by a Martian landscape right there, in Salento. So now listen to the episode, join the conversation online, and enjoy this little preview of what a holiday in Salento feels like. Learn more about Nina Gigante here: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nina_giga Find me online at www.julskitchen.com or on Instagram https://instagram.com/julskitchen/ Join our Facebook Group Cooking with Juls’ Kitchen: https://www.facebook.com/groups/775325049335625/ Podcast realized by https://instagram.com/tommyonweb This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit julskitchen.substack.com/subscribe

    35 min
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4.6
out of 5
11 Ratings

About

Ciao, I am Giulia Scarpaleggia, a Tuscan born and bred country girl, a home cook, a food writer and a photographer. I teach Tuscan cooking classes in my house in the countryside in between Siena and Florence. I’ve been sharing honest, reliable Italian recipes for 14 years now, through my cookbooks and our blog Juls' Kitchen. If you love everything about Italian food, big crowded tables and seasonal ingredients, join us and follow our podcast “Cooking with an Italian accent“. julskitchen.substack.com

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