Buongiorno!!! April has arrived, and with it the irresistible Italian appetite for the season, with its golden light stretching across piazzas, terraces blooming, and the first true warmth wrapping the peninsula… Summer is on the horizon!

“Aprile dolce dormire!” (April a time for sweet slumber? Oh Yes! Try explaining that to your alarm clock when you have to rush off to work or school! Anyway… The daytime clock change may give us shorter sleep in exchange for longer, brighter evenings, that we welcome with open arms: less sleep, more light, more life!

What’s more? It’s picnic times! Time to pack our baskets, open our hearts and keep our umbrellas at hand: April has arrived, vibrant and bright, and is leading us towards summer with a smile!

You might have been dreaming of a perfect Easter Monday picnic, but don’t worry: this year, too, the weather will be… unpredictable (as usual!). Yes, inclement weather may still rage now and then, but as the old saying goes, “Se piove d’aprile, ogni goccia val mille lire”: every annoying April’s drop is actually a priceless gift to the earth, fattening the soil for the bounty to come.  

We can also organise some lovely outdoor style meals on the terrace or in the living room, with our chef guiding us through a selection of fresh, easy-to-prepare dishes.

In this edition of Open Celery!

The Travelling Chef has already packed her bags, ready for her summer migration. She’s taking her ‘Travelling Veggies Patch’ with her. In reality the little nomadic garden has been morphed into a “seedlings of edible flowers, aromatic herbs and succulents,” all ready to move with her.

Meanwhile, the Gourmet Traveler+ continues her dance between the blossoming countryside of Lazio and a springtime Rome, fragrant with wisteria in bloom. Amidst stunning exhibitions and several attempts at gluten-free, low-carb and protein-rich focaccia, she treats us to pearls of wisdom seasoned with an ironic “damn these cooking madness!”… Recipe testing takes time and lots of patience!!!

Notes

The very name Aprile (April) celebrates this awakening. It may spring from the Latin aperire (to open) because buds burst and gardens come alive. Or, as the ancient scholar Marcus Terentius Varro recorded, it may honor Apru —or Aprus— the Etruscan deity who watched over flowering fields and lush gardens. Either way, the month feels like an invitation to explore the spring outdoors. 

Speaking of special occasions, this month has:

• Easter Sunday and Easter Monday  (Pasqua and Pasquetta, on the 5th and 6th of April) – perfect for raising a glass with the family (or whoever you like).
• Rome’s Founding Day is on April 21 – which coincides with World Creativity Day (and Rome, as we all know, has always had creativity in spades!).
• On the 25th we celebrate “Liberation Day”, marking the end of WWII in Italy.
• The 22nd is Earth Day and the 23rd is World Book Day.

All in all, it’s the perfect month to

• adopt lighter outfits for the changing temperatures and weather, from spring’s unpredictable shifts to summer time.
• Read about self-watering vegetable gardens and photography, while
• celebrating between a slice of cake and a toast to our ever-blossoming community. Thanks a lot!

Fancy finding out about some great dishes and ideas for your next picnic – even if it’s in the living room? Read on!

From Appetibilis Archives

• 2024 – 3+ Savory Ideas for an Italian Plant-Based “PicNic or Brunch” Menu… Plant-based dishes that make everyone happy, and can be easily transported (and enjoyed) during outdoor happenings.
• 2025 – April Spring Buds and a Commuter Mini-Garden… April is the perfect time to create a vegetable garden and start planning those first outdoor picnics and brunches. This year we got also Pasquetta, our official picnic day!

ockstyle

I’m an Italian gluten-free Gourmet Traveler+ and a passionate storyteller, writing in English and Italian. Fluently speaking (eating and dreaming) in Italian, English, French, and Russian. When I’m not writing, I cook and test recipes for special diets, and photograph (also on film). Not necessarily in that order. — / — Sono una viaggiatrice buongustaia (la Gourmet Traveler+) senza glutine, appassionata narratrice di storie. Scrivo in italiano e inglese, parlo (mangio e sogno) fluentemente in italiano, inglese, francese e russo. Quando non scrivo, cucino, testo ricette dolci e salate per diete speciali, fotografo (anche in pellicola). Non necessariamente in quest’ordine.