“On a balmy, starlit night more than 40 people are seated at a table that runs the length of the inner courtyard of Castello di Potentino, a medieval castle in southern Tuscany. Through openings in the wall you can glimpse the slopes of Monte Amiata. The mountain was sacred to […]
This event has been cancelled due to the Coronavirus pandemic and associated health and safety precautions and travel restrictions. “On a balmy, starlit night more than 40 people are seated at a table that runs the length of the inner courtyard of Castello di Potentino, a medieval castle in southern […]
Join food archaeologist, Farrell Monaco for a 5-day live-in edible archaeology master class at the palatial Castello di Potentino, a medieval castle hidden in a valley in the Tuscan countryside, as we explore the food history and archaeology of Etruria, Magna Graecia, and Rome from 800 BC to the Imperial Roman Era (AD 476). May 31- June 6, 2020 – Monte Amiata (Tuscany), Italy.
A Culinary Retreat Exploring Ancient Etruscan and Roman Food Culture In The Heart of Tuscany Join food archaeologist, Farrell Monaco, and visual story-teller, Saghar Setareh, for a 5-day live-in edible archaeology master class at a palatial medieval castle hidden in a valley in the Tuscan countryside as they explore the […]
Ongoing. Please email: [email protected] to inquire. Explore the history of Roman bread-making with experimental archaeologist and food-writer, Farrell Monaco, this summer in Rome, Italy. Join Farrell Monaco for a day of touring and recreating the culinary history of ancient Rome. Spend the morning touring the ancient bakeries, granaries and eateries […]
Last summer was one of the greatest summers that I’ve ever spent in Rome. I had the pleasure of working at an archaeological site, Monte Testaccio, in Testaccio, excavating and cataloguing thousands of amphorae potsherds with ArchaeoSpain and CEIPAC (University of Barcelona). More importantly, however, I had the pleasure of working […]
A time-honoured recipe for Calabrian Ricotta Balls – Polpette di Ricotta Calabrese, just like nonna used to make.
Cheese. By God if there is a food product that I cannot get enough of, it is cheese. I was asked a very interesting question once: If I was forced to give up one of these two foods: chocolate; or cheese… which would it be? There was no question in my mind. I’d happily […]
To see the Amalfi Coast for the first time is absolutely breathtaking; the colour of the sky and the sea seems that much bluer there than it does anywhere else in the world. The sun seems to set with such majesty over the Tyrrhenian Sea, and the sound of cathedral […]
The culinary use of lemons is often limited to garnishes, desserts or liqueurs. But this citrus fruit can do so much more than simply flavour water and liquor and it was eating and cooking in Ravello, Italy that taught me this. The Amalfi Coast isn’t just home to beaches, sun […]
When I think of potatoes I think of comfort food: warm, soft heaps of boiled and buttered mash meant to stick to the ribs and keep us warm through the winter. The potato has long been looked at as a dull but comforting side-dish with little flavour that is best […]
I have recently developed a rather healthy obsession with a little-known variety of pasta called Orecchiette. It literally translates to ‘Little Ears’ in Italian. Orecchie = ears, ette = tiny. This incredibly pleasing variety of pasta originated in Puglia in the south of Italy on the Adriatic coast (although some […]
About the author:
Farrell Monaco is an award-winning Classical archaeologist and food-writer whose research centers on food, food preparation, and bread in the Roman Mediterranean. She writes regularly on the role of food and food preparation in Roman daily life on her site, Tavola Mediterranea, and publishes in both English and Italian. Farrell has also written exclusively for Atlas Obscura and BBC Travel. Her work has been featured prominently by National Geographic, Popular Science, The Atlantic, the BBC, The Guardian, The Economist, Esquire Magazine, SAPIENS Magazine, Verve Magazine, Saveur Magazine and Milk Street. In November of 2020, Farrell co-produced, wrote and presented a video on the history of the date palm fruit with The Getty Museum (Los Angeles, USA).
