Paola Lovisetti Scamihorn

A native-born Italian - "D.O.C." – Paola has lived and worked abroad for nearly a decade. Cooking has always been her passion; she always likes to experiment with different tastes and textures, tingeing from the Italian culinary culture to create her own personal recipes, however trying to remain faithful to the authentic Italian traditions, flavors, and ingredients. She started her blog “Passion and Cooking” (www.passionandcooking.com) in October 2012 to showcase my recipes and give her readers a sampling of the true Italian lifestyle, through traditional cooking


Figs with prosciutto crudo is certainly a winning combination! This is a special dish to serve for a starter or aperitif, combining the sweetness of figs and the intense flavor of prosciutto. In no time you can impress your guests.

Keep the flavor of summer with this delicious plum jam. Every summer I prepare several jams when fruit is mature and rich in flavor. Plum jam is one of my favorite ones. I could eat a whole jar by itself, one spoon after the other!

This delicious loaf is a perfect spring and summer recipe when zucchini are in season. It could be a tasty idea for a picnic with family and friends. In fact you can prepare it a day in advance and enjoy it cold the next day or you can also serve it as a stater. Delicious smoked ham and Italian scamorza cheese add flavor, while the zucchini make it...

Semifreddo (pronounced say-mee-FRAY-dough) that in Italian means half frozen, is a typical Italian dessert prepared with whipped cream, custard and meringue. You can vary the flavors by adding different ingredients such as pistachios, almonds, crushed amaretti cookies, coffee. You can express your creativity! Semifreddo has the texture of frozen mo...

Penne all’arrabbiata (“angry” penne pasta) is a typical first course belonging to our Roman culinary tradition. It is not only very easy and fast to make, but deliciously devilishly too! It has a distinct, spicy taste due to chili pepper. The amount of chili pepper is very personal, but do not forget that chili pepper is very also healthy, a must...

Let's celebrate spring with this delicate and colorful dish, risotto with violets. Did you know that flowers are not only beautiful to look at, but also good to eat? There are many edible flowers. I recommend, however, to always purchase them from your greengrocers, ensuring that they have not been treated with pesticides.

English people have afternoon tea, Americans love their mugs of coffee, while we Italians enjoy hot chocolate as an afternoon treat, sometimes accompanied by a piece of homemade cake. Drinking hot chocolate brings me back to my childhood, when my mom prepared it for me once in a while in winter after I returned home from school.

The looks can be deceiving, says the popular saying, and i brutti ma buoni are a clear demonstration. Just like in fairy tales, under their rough and irregular appearance, hides a unique and irresistible taste! They are simple, prepared with meringue and ground hazelnuts. These cookies can be traced back to the Italian peasant's tradition; originat...

Fresh vegetables make these “veggie-balls” a perfect and colorful dish for vegetarians, but also for "carnivores" too. These can be served as a tasty main course, accompanied by a fresh salad, or as an appetizing starter and cocktail. Crunchy outside and soft inside, they are delicious and healthy as well, rich in good nutrients and easy to digest....

Lasagne, ravioli and stew with polenta are typical Sunday luncheon dishes during the cold months. Cannelloni, certainly, also appear on this list. These succulent cylinders of pasta dough, stuffed with a mix of different meats and topped with bechamel sauce and tomato, are typical of Emilia Romagna, one of the Italian regions well-known for its tas...

  WTI Magazine #85    2016 November 21Author : Paola Lovisetti Scamihorn      Translation by:   A tasty, healthy and easy recipe to prepare for family meal. I suggest that you enjoy it as a main course accompanied by mash potatoes or steamed rice. I learned this appetizing recipe when I visited beautiful Rome this summer. A wonderful cook and fr...

  WTI Magazine #76    2016 February 15Author : Paola Lovisetti Scamihorn      Translation by:   An appetizing and tasty antipasto to serve with toasted bread or a side dish with meat. When peppers are grilled, they taste completely different from raw ones and, in my opinion, are more appetizing and certainly more easily tolerated, since the indi...