So what is a classic Christmas Eve menu in Naples? Well, its all about fish, not surprisingly. A typical menu is made of pasta with anchovies or clams, followed by fried or roasted 'capitone' (eel), roasted fish, boiled lobster and insalata di rinforzo (such as a cauliflower salad).

For dessert, the typical cakes or sweets are the mustacciuoli or mostaccioli and fresh fruit. The meal of the 'Vigilia' is accompanied by Lacrima Christi white wine and ended with Lacrima Christi passito.

Well that's the day before, what about the day after?

Traditionally, each day of Holy Easter week in Naples means a different dish or meal. Lets take them one by one.

EASTER THURSDAY

The Thursday before Easter usually means the preparation of boiled artichokes with olive oil accompanied with salty ricotta cheese and salami. It is also a tradition to make the pastiera cake on this day, although it can’t be tasted until Sunday.

GOOD FRIDAY

On Good Friday the good folk of the city prepare light fish dishes with lemon and olive oil. The day is also dedicated to fasting, so the meals stop here.

'Naples, The Future is Here' is the title of an interesting email we received from Urban Italy. It concerns the a project called 'La Porta del Parco' which is part of the biggest urban renewal project in Europe.

From the press release we leanr that the project concerns a 2,000,000 square metre area more or less corresponding to the Bagnoli quarter in the western part of Naples, a magnificent part of the Bay with views sweeping from Vesuvius to Capri, from the islet of Nisida to the Posillipo. A place of stunning natural beauty, but for the heavy industry which developed here from the mid 19th century on.

Now the steelworks is no more, the land has been reclaimed, and the ambitious regeneration plan known as Bagnolifutura is under way. Faltering, but under way.

The caprese salad is from Capri and Campania but actually this simple dish is made everywhere in Italy from the spring up to the end of summer. Simple, easy, fresh and deliciously Mediterranean, you can enjoy this Italian flag colored salad anytime. But especially if are with friends and family around a garden or terrace table during a lovely Italian summer's day.

ingredients

Red tomatoes, mozzarella cheese (better if it's buffalo), leaves of fresh basil, salt, pepper and a bit of olive oil

Italians are serious about their coffee, in a quality over quantity approach that still adheres to traditional rules and which is why you won’t find international coffee chains anywhere in the country, at least for the moent ... To begin with, if you don’t surprise the average Italian by ordering a cappuccino after 11am, then you would at the very least be letting on that you are a tourist, as anything with that much milk is seen as a meal in itself and is considered to be the classic Italian breakfast, along with the occasional indulgence of a croissant (Italy’s equivalent to cornflakes).

Milk is thought to interfere with digestion, so if you’re looking for a pick me-up after a meal, go for a simple caffé (expresso) or if you can’t drink your coffee black, try a caffé macchiato (expresso with a dash of milk), although this still bores the potential to be frowned upon.

So you? How can you cook fish? Here's my magic fish recipe. The recipe makes 6 portions and prep time is 10 mins with cook time twenty minutes.

ingredients

1 1/2 pounds firm white fish fillets, such halibut, striped bass or orange roughy, 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 1/2 cup finely chopped onion, 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained, 1/2 cup pitted Kalamata, green or black olives, cut in two lengthwise, 2 tbsps white wine, 1 teaspoon Basil Leaves, 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder, 1/4 teaspoon Thyme Leaves

Eating fish full of omega-3 essential fatty acids may be related to a reduced risk of stroke. New information suggests it’s not merely how much fish you consume that matters, but exactly how it’s prepared.

Extracts from a letter by Pliny the Younger who witnessed the eruption of Mount Vesuvius on the 24th August AD 79 which destroyed the Roman town of Pompeii.

We all know Sorrento, but do we all know the Sorrento Peninsular? Between a dip in your hotel pool, a glass of wine or three and numerous strolls to the old port area, much is missed.

Ideally, only Amalfi Coast lemons should be used for this recipe. Unfortunately, they are often difficult to get hold of outside of Italy.

Our contacts in the Amalfi coast have also told us that it is only the unique sun, humidity as well as the care and knowledge of the lemon growers that make such lemons what they are.

Nevertheless, give this great summer pasta recipe a go, supplied to us by cookery writer Diane Seed.