The giveaway for Taurino olive oil is now closed. Thanks for all the great comments and interesting suggestions for Donato's next dish. Congratulations to Dee S. Her comment, #27, was randomly chosen and two bottles of Taurino Olive Oil are on their way to you from Puglia!

Thank you all for your commments, and yes, I understand that choosing just one dish is virtually impossible. We have a cookbook winner and she is comment #29, Janie! Congratulations, Janie, and I'll be contacting you for your mailing information. Giveaway comments are now closed but please add your favorite dish or any other comments to the conversation.

Linda - Thanks so much. Everyone had a wonderful time and I'm sure that next year's trips will be just as fantastic. Would love it if you joined us. T Murphy - Each trip is limited to a maximum of 12 people.

Veru, Linda and Melissa - Yes, it is amazing here, as are Mamma Giulia, Mamma Anna and Ylenia. Glad you're following along with us. Frank - Yes you certainly do!

Tuula & Krista - Thanks for the support and sweet comments. We have a great group of food lovers with us. Michelle - Thanks for you comment. You can be on this trip. I'll be posting dates & details for 2013 within the next few weeks, so stay tuned.

Simona - A beautiful post and story about your visits to Piemonte and the fog. Also love the concept of the ABC's of Italian cuisine. Thanks for sharing. I'm off to Piemonte again this summer and look forward to concentrating on its cuisine a bit more; been there 3 times previously but chocolate and wine dominated my culinary travels. I'll be on the lookout for frita' an bagna.

Thanks for all the comments and auguri, ladies. I really appreciate it. Jen: Would love to have you join the Puglia trip!

Dina - Yes, you can. To substitute active dry yeast for cake yeast, you should you half the amount. In this case, that would be 3/4 ounce active dry yeast. Thanks for the question, and I'll make note of it in the recipe.

Simona - Thanks. My grandfather was Giuseppe & one of my aunts is Giuseppina. When I brought her some zeppole for her onomastico, she didn't remember having them before but remembers her parents celebrating San Giuseppe on March 19. (I'm gonna have to check to see if they celebrate San Giuseppe with a different sweet in Sicily, possibly sfinge??) Krista - I like a little alone time, too. The memories of my first day of Salento and how different the place felt after meeting Ylenia and the rest of the ladies is part of the reason I love Puglia so. Adri - Thanks Adri, glad you the like the recipe and the "lesson," as you say. Let me be clear, though, I like both types of zeppole! (Don't want to get in trouble with my Neapolitan friends ;)

Wandering Educators - You will love it, I'm sure. Asproulla - Thank you for the kind compliment. I'm glad you found me and thanks for commenting! Adri - You always make me blush with your very kind words. I'm glad you enjoyed the post. I agree that cooking together is a great bonding experience. Frank - Now onion pie will be my English translation for Focaccia Salentina. Thank you for the compliment on the first photo of Mamma Giulia. She and the sunlight get all the credit for the photo.

Adri - You're welcome, as always. Although the sun is out, here in No. California, we've hit a bit of a cold spell, and your soup warmed me up just by reading about it. Marco - Thanks for stopping by and commenting. I'm glad you like the blog and am sure you can understand my love for Puglia. By the way, I stopped by your site and really like it. Great information on Puglia! Linda - You're welcome. I love seeing dishes from North Italy with Austria/Hungarian influences. A lot of people don't realize there are places in Italy where these types of dishes are very common.

Gary: Thank you for the kind words. It's always good to hear from readers, especially those that enjoy the posts.

Frank - It really was a cheese lover's heaven. I do hope you get to Puglia on your next trip to Italy. The region is spectacular. And, let me add this shameless plug, I couldn't think of anyone better to join us in May (or Sept.) on the Puglia Culinary tour we've put together.

Adri - Thanks so much. I'm so glad that both you and Bart like the post and the site. Let me know when you make them. Linda - It seems almost mandatory that one must binge on frittelle, or the names they go by in other regions, during Carnival. Will look forward to seeing your version. Ambika - Thanks. They were quite good.

Rowena - You're welcome. They were beautiful. Simona - As it's only snowed twice in my entire life while living in CA (and I was very young both times) I can imagine the chaos some flakes bring to places not used to getting snow. Although it looks beautiful in photos, I'm sure being there is a whole different story. Glad you liked this week's roundup!

Ingrid - You're so right! So many romantic places in the entire country. Champagne & Isle sur le Sorgue are high on my list,too!

Simona - I love your choices and thank you for the kind comments AND the Cannolo Award. I'm really giddy like a child about having the badge on my site! Your cheese posts are some of my favorites, so I'm not surprised in the mascarpone post's popularity. I also love the Novel Food roundups, and hope the mention of it here will spark some more interest. I'm glad you'll continue to host it and I will definitely be participating in the next round!

Simona - I love your stories and look forward to the Sunday pastries one. I too have a funny and bittersweet story about making baba al rhum, well, actually the French one. I will be sharing it here, too, and soon. Hi Jenifer - Thanks for the comment & you're welcome. I really enjoyed the post and thought others would too. Hope to see you back here again! Hi Diane - Will also told me about you. I'm so happy you've stopped by. Thank you for your comments & for passing the site along. Hoping to see you here again! Hi Mario - Always glad to help with baking inspiration. Thanks for stopping by and commenting. Linda - Thanks very much. Glad you like the links! Lora - Prego! Love your stories attached to your recipes.

Paula & Susan - I hope one day you'll be joining me on one of these trips. I'm certain you'd both enjoy it. Krista - Thank you so much.

Simona - Agree with you on the zaletti. Susan - I haven't yet posted that recipe, but look for a recipe and description of i maritati soon! Domenica - Auguri di buon anno nuovo anche a te! :D Paolo (Quatrofromaggio) - You're very welcome. I really enjoy your recipes. Krista - Doesn't it all sound so good?! Duespaghetti - You're welcome. About any photo from Italy, especially Campania, makes me want to hop on a flight, so I completely understand.

Simona - Thank you! Paula - Yes, I've returned from Europe, if only for a short while. I'm glad you liked CioccolaTo and will have both some French pastry recipes & those from Piemonte coming up in 2012. Larry - I use a Nikon D90 Tuula - Thank you for the always sweet comments. You are very right, I am very lucky to be able to travel so much. I hope we can meet up again in 2012!

Joan - Thank you for the very kind comment. I'm so glad you enjoy Italy on a Plate. You've nailed the reason I compile this list of links to Italian food. Each week I hope to "reconnect" those who love Italian food with the many great Italian food posts from around the web. So glad you enjoy it!

TavoleRomane & Dottie - I think Tavole Romane is right about the Mont Blanc. And, don't some places dust cocoa over the top, making the "spaghetti" look a little chocolatey? Browsing Rome - Thanks for your addition, pasticceria Innocenti. All this pastry talk is making me wish I were in Rome right now. I'm saving this list (many of the places I've not been to yet) for my next trip. Something tells me its a great list even after the holidays!

Paula - The puntarelle is a nice contrast to many Roman secondi. I ususally don't like bitter greens, but this isn't too bitter and the vinaigrette & anchovies make the dish. I'll be trying to replicate that Carbonara & soon, believe me. J - Thanks for the comment and the compliment. I'm back in CA, so I'm with you in the quanto mi manca l'Italia department. Tuula - When you go let me know what you think. Michel - We were having a very similar discussion about offal & oxtail. Not an organ meat, it's an off cut, though, and part of the quinto quarto in Roman cuisine. It's also a great introduction to off cuts for those a little squeamish of the other inner bits.

Paula - Good to hear! Becky - Thanks for the comment and am so glad to hear you enjoyed the dish at Da Bucatino. Did they give you a bib to wear while you ate it, too? Akila - Good meeting you, too. I don't know what you mean by my new husband, though. I don't remember any odd/romantic/etc. encounters at the market.