“And the Spring arose on the garden fair,
Like the Spirit of Love felt everywhere;
And each flower and herb on Earth's dark breast
Rose from the dreams of its wintry rest.” 
― Percy Bysshe Shelley

Spring is almost here and the promise of renewal, new growth, and a fresh perspective blissfully come with it. There’s joy in the softness of the warmer weather and sweet smell of the air. Trees are erupting with young growth and flowers break through the hardened ground of winter. You can almost hear the song of birds in musical harmony.  

The season of change gives us the opportunity for something fresh. Our Primavera collection is just that. It’s classic spring in a symphony of soft pastels and playful patterns. This handmade Italian dinnerware is the perfect guest at your spring table.

In the beautiful setting above, we’ve complemented our Primavera pieces with several of our soft and sophisticated accessories. We love the idea of layering to bring both depth and drama to a setting, and even with a serene and muted palate it works.

The addition of texture with Biancheria linens balances the subtle tone of the table. We’ve chosen a neutral selection in ivory and pale beiges so the dinnerware doesn’t contrast too harshly. This allows us to top it off with a pop of natural color in the yellow Paperwhite Narcissus planted in our Intrecci Cachepots. These handmade ceramics are woven to mimic traditional baskets, perfect for spring.

With the new season comes the promise of fresh fruits and vegetables. We enjoy serving up colorful carrots straight from the garden. Below we offer a quick and easy way to prepare the bounty of your own garden, or what you might pick from the local farmer’s market. Get your veggie on and get dinner cooking.

RECIPES



Roasted Spring Carrots

In this photo, we’ve used a mix of thinner carrots in a variety of colors. Feel free to use what you have access to. So if simple orange carrots from the grocery store are all you have, that works perfectly.

• 8-10 carrots (feel free to use more based on number of servings needed)
• 2-3 tablespoons of good virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon of coarse kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• Fresh dill sprigs

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. If your carrots are on the thinner side, you can keep them whole or cut them down the middle. If you’re using thicker carrots, you can quarter them into long strips. Note that carrots shrink when you cook them, so ensure they aren’t too thin or you may overcook them.

Lay the carrots across a cookie sheet and cover with the olive oil. Add the salt and pepper and then use your hands to toss ensuring full coverage. After you toss them, lay the carrots across the sheet in a single layer.

Cook for 15-20 minutes, depending on the texture you like -- testing for softness or the level of al dente you prefer. You should see the carrots slightly caramelizing, which enhances the sweetness of the dish.

Plate the carrots on our Primavera Oval Platter and sprinkle with a little chopped dill or dill sprigs and serve.

Smoked Salmon with Capers

This isn’t a recipe as much as a set of instructions. If you’ve ever had a wonderful smoked salmon appetizer at a restaurant but weren’t sure how to serve it at home, it’s incredibly easy. Smoked salmon brings decadence to any Sunday brunch or spring dinner.

• 1 package smoked salmon
• Capers, drained
• 1 small red onion, sliced
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced
• A few radishes, thinly sliced

If you’ve never purchased smoked salmon before, ask your local market for help in deciding what’s best. You can get great quality options of Scottish, Pacific, and Nova Scotia versions at most grocery stores.  Depending on how many people you’re entertaining, you may need to purchase two packages. What you’re looking for is a clean, silky, buttery taste.

Tear the salmon slices into 2-3 inch pieces and lay out on a nice platter. Sprinkle the salmon with capers, as many as you like, sliced red onions, radishes, and lemon.  

Serve your salmon platter with your best crusty loaf of bread and watch it disappear.

If you have a sweet tooth, like we do, then Italy’s Gelato Festival is your destination this summer. Starting April 21st in Florence, and moving through various Italian cities through the season, Gelato Festival 2017 is a celebration of the beloved Italian treat and cookies, of course. In each city between eight and sixteen gelato makers will battle it out on your taste buds for the best maker in the area.

If Italian travel is not in the cards for you this summer, why not have a little gelato competition of your own? Invite friends and neighbors over to sample a flavorful variety of this creamy treat, or better yet, ask each invitee to bring their favorite brand and flavor for sampling. Here are a few of our favorite homemade gelato recipes.

• Stracciatella Gelato
• Chocolate Gelato
• Pistachio Gelato
• Vanilla Gelato
• Lemon Gelato

To add an extra touch of authenticity, use our handmade Italian POP Circle Fruit Bowls. Read this blog post from last summer for more ideas to make your event look the part.  

Spring has arrived once again and with it all the joys of the season. From the blooming daffodils, to the longer, warmer days, the glory of spring is here and with it, celebrations galore! From Mother's Day to bridal showers, hostess and teacher gifts, Modigliani's handmade Italian ceramics are the perfect gift with an Italian flair.

Flowers are the hallmark of the season and make ideal gifts for Mother's Day or a hostess gift for Easter brunch. Grab a pre-made floral bunch from your local florist, or pick some of the springtime blooms popping up in your own yard. Use our POP Nero Small Twisted Vase to present your gift.

From the bright and lively POP Circle mug to the springtime favorite, Primavera, Modigliani has mugs as varied as the Italian landscape. Fill with candy or school supplies for a teacher or start off the couple-to-be's coffee collection.

Who doesn't need a beautiful place to store away paper clips, buttons, or even earrings. Our small handmade ceramic boxes are a delightful way to organize small items and look gorgeous on a vanity, desk, or bathroom countertop. If your recipient’s style is bold, they’ll love  POP Lines Bowl. If they lean towards softer colors, our Amore Small Heart or Primavera Round Box are the perfect fit. We love this gift for teachers or a mom that loves to organize!

For the mom, sister, or hostess that has a green thumb, Modigliani features a variety of handmade ceramic planters in sizes, large and small. Ideal for a small herb collection or petite flowering plant, our Primavera Small Flower Pot is ideal for the season. The Large Yellow Cachepot from our Intrecci collection works well for larger plants. 

Visiting a couple that loves to entertain, or attending a spring wedding? For the happy couple, we recommend our Selezione collection decanter and glasses. This glassware is stately, solid, sleek and hand blown in the Tuscan tradition. With perfect lines and a beautiful feel in the hand, this glassware is sure to become an entertaining tradition.

Looking for a way to celebrate spring with the little ones? How about an outdoor tea party? Our Buongiorno! Espresso Cup and Saucer set works wonderfully as a tea cup and saucer for their little hands.  

Handmade and painted in Italy, our hostess sets make a gorgeous display for antipasto, appetizers, or nuts. Ideal for dining alfresco at a backyard picnic, our Capri Hostess Set features room for seven offerings and adds a Mediterranean feel, even when you cannot visit the sea.

Finally, gift yourself a beautiful tablescape as you entertain this spring. We are debuting two new Mix & Match collections just in time for your Easter celebration. Spring Sunshine and Springtime Sky Mix and Match add the colors and motifs of the season, from florals to plaids. Start your table design with our Biancheria Yellow and White Check Placemat and Napkin or Green and White Check Placemat and Napkin. A refreshing change from the mass produced pace of today a world, our table linens are hand picked to match our collections and provide a combination of textures and fabrics that reflect the quality of our designs and the skilled workmanship that is our signature characteristic.

Happy spring from everyone here at Modigliani. Enjoy all the season has to offer and experience la grande vita! 

After a few warmer days we are starting to see the first signs of spring here. Daffodil leaves are pushing up through the leaf-covered grass and trees are beginning to bud! Feeling inspired, we decided to start on our spring tablescape for the holidays in the upcoming weeks.

Here is how you can design your own spring-inspired table:

• Start with a gorgeous tablecloth. We chose a light lime green in linen. The color provides a perfect backdrop.
• Grab green apples, clementines, oranges, strawberries, or even lemons, and pile them in our Intrecci baskets. These woven ceramic baskets come in a variety of beautiful colors. In our design we used white, purple and yellow.
• Our Primavera collection makes the perfect place setting. Primavera is a celebration of the colors of spring. In this new collection, cerulean sky, and marigold mingle with earthy greens and browns, depicting a quintessentially spring floral motif. The collection also includes a playful plaid that mixes perfectly with the lively flowers.
• For flatware we added a pop of orange with Via Veneto. These look especially great if you added clementines or oranges to your Intrecci baskets. 
• Glassware was an easy choice as our Villa D' Este in Amber has just a hint of yellow.
• Finally gather a bouquet of flowers and your table is ready to welcome your guests. 

Why wait for the weather to reflect what you feel?

At Modigliani, our minds are on spring despite recent snow. Some might say it’s silly to allow our imaginations to scamper off to sun-dappled days prematurely; we say that to embrace la grande vita means to indulge in a little dreaming now and then.

When our thoughts drifted to the warmer season just weeks away, an unexpected pattern came to mind:...