Put the water and sugar in a saucepan and boil over a medium heat for about two minutes, until it turns into a syrup. Skim, then add the juice and grated rind of the oranges or lemons. Leave aside for ten minutes, strain and put into a dish; leave until quite cold. Whisk the egg whites until stiff and add to the syrup. Put in the freezer for about six hours, remembering to take it out to stir well every hal ...

This gelato, named after Bernardo Buontalenti, a sixteenth-century Florentine who may have been one of the world's original ice-cream makers, is made with any number of flavorings. The "secret" ingredient is usually a liqueur (such as Di Saronno Amaretto). A delicious alternative would be a pinch of mixed spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice ...

“Wow!...what an amazing job!...How on earth did you get into that?” is a regular response when I reply to the standard ice-breaker “What do you do?” The gasps and wide eyes reflect the glamour and magic rightly associated with summer Italian weddings. Admittedly, being a wedding planner in Italy is amazing in many respects; it being the most testing, varied, emotional, exciting, physically demanding, creati ...