A Roman Holiday at Home

We are kicking off our Zabelicious Tour of Italy with a safer at home option that begins in Rome. Watch for new recipes to be added each week, from the various regions we explore, along with our unofficial hosts, Audrey Hepburn and Stanley Tucci.

Bellini’s with a Bellisimo Princess

Celebrate the start of your tour with a Bellini and pop on the classic movie, Roman Holiday, starring Audrey Hepburn, who plays a fictional Princess Ann who knows her way around a Vespa. As you may know, Hepburn lived in Rome for nearly 20 years and became an icon for the Eternal City, after earning an Oscar for her role, which was said to be loosely based on the real-life Italian adventures of British Princess Margaret.

Cooking with Audrey

Hepburn was famous for cooking up feasts of pasta for her film crew while on location. A devoted fan myself, I found a charming cookbook written by her son, Lucca Dotti, Audrey at Home, which includes recipes, family photos and personal stories. I took her recipe of Spaghetti al Pomodoro and gave it a Zabelicious twist. I added Italian sausage to my version, along with a few more spices. There is one tip on selecting tomatoes, whether it’s fresh or canned that Audrey and Stanley agree on. I’ll share the chef’s secret on that, plus the Zabelicious Pesto recipe that was inspired by Audrey’s advice of trying walnuts instead of pine nuts. Oh and don’t miss the backstory on the Bellini, which Audrey insisted must include fresh white peaches and Prosecco. Not champagne. She noted that “the champagne would suffocate the fragrance of the peaches.”

Read More About Audrey

Audrey Hepburn, An Elegant Spirit offers readers an intimate look at one of Hollywood’s brightest stars, by a son who simply knew her as “Mummy.” In this heartfelt tribute to his mother, Sean Hepburn Ferrer offers fans a glimpse of the Audrey Hepburn only he and his family knew. Ferrer continues to honor her charitable work by donating proceeds from this book to the Audrey Hepburn Children’s Fund.

Touring Italy with Tucci

Stanley Tucci is from Italy and in case you missed it, he launched a new six part series on CNN, Searching for Italy, Sundays at 8pm CST. We plan to loosely follow his itinerary, as we take you on our own tour of Italy, sharing our favorite travel tips, stories and recipes. This week, we are exploring Rome together and mixing it up in the Zabelicious kitchen with tips from Tucci and Hepburn. Buon Appetito! The iconic Colosseum remains one of my most memorable guided tours in Rome. Find out more about my favorite places in Rome on my travel page.

More Tucci

In case you haven’t gotten your fill of Stanley Tucci onscreen or in the kitchen, there’s plenty more servings to go around. The movie that launched his career, Big Night, is an oldie, but a goodie. It’s about two Italian immigrant brothers who open their own dream restaurant, Paradise, in New Jersey. However, the locals aren’t quite ready for true authentic Italian cuisine and Paradise struggles to survive. They are forced to put all of their efforts on a final meal, which they hope will save them from financial ruin. If you aren’t hungry before you watch it, you will be soon after it starts. Have plenty of pasta and red wine on hand to fully enjoy the party that never ends in Big Night.

Tucci has also written several cookbooks; The Tucci Table, The Tucci Cookbook, and has a new memoir out, Taste, My Life Through Food. The older books are currently on backorder. I’ve got my name on the list. Wish me luck! Oh, and be sure to follow Tucci on Instagram for his entertaining videos with step by step cocktail recipes. Salute!

Coming Attractions

We invite you to join us on a voyage through Venice’s canals, hip cafes and even a behind the scenes look at Carnivale. Consider Zabelicious as an appetizer to Tucci’s culinary tour of Italy.

Until then, for a preview of the next stop on our tour of Italy, consider following The Talented Mr. Ripley through sun drenched Italy in the late 1950’s. Matt Damon won an award for his role as Ripley in this psychological thriller that takes you to some of the most scenic spots in Rome, Naples and Venice.

La Dolce Vita

If you’re not quite ready to leave Rome, take a trip back to the 60’s in the Italian classic, La Dolce Vita (The Sweet Life.) Federico Fellini’s film was so controversial at the time, it was condemned by the Vatican and subject to widespread censorship. Despite criticism, it was an award winning hit and provided a glimpse into the seductive lifestyles of Rome’s rich and famous. Sixty years later, La Dolce Vita is still considered one of the most stylish films ever made. My daughter and I had fun getting into character at a party in Rome on a past trip, celebrating the era of “Dolce Vita.”

Italian Food to Go

No time to cook up your own Italian feast? Consider ordering out from your favorite Italian restaurant to support small businesses. Use your imagination to create an authentic Italian table setting that will transport you to that quaint cafe in Rome you’ve been dreaming of, since watching Audrey motor through the Eternal City on her Vespa.

Be sure to come back for more all through March, because when Tucci’s tour is done, we have one more travel story you won’t want to miss. We’ll take you off the beaten path to an unspoiled region you’ll want to add to your bucket list!