Hello everyone! I am a happily married woman and a proud mom of two little football players, but my big passion is also the world of scents and flavors. My journey to the stove started back in my childhood – I used to watch my mom cook with fascination until I began experimenting on my own. What started as childhood curiosity has gradually grown into a true passion that keeps holding on to me today.
Why "Under the Orange"?
We must look for the answer under the hot Sicilian sun. I love Italy, and my greatest love is historical Sicily. It was right there that I first discovered the taste of the legendary blood oranges.Arance Rosse...which, thanks to the volcanic soil under Mount Etna, get their unique color and flavor. When I spent time there, I was under the sun and the oranges were under the volcano – and that is how this connection was born, forever reminding me of that magical atmosphere.
My Virtual Cookbook
This blog is my happy place. I want to share our favorite family recipes with you here – not only the Italian or Sicilian ones, but all those that we absolutely love at home.
I don't want to, and I won't, claim that I cook "authentic" Italian cuisine. In my opinion, only a native Italian can cook it to perfection. Watching them work in the kitchen, I honestly felt like they weren't from this planet. 🙂 The way they work with ingredients and combine them – you just have to be born with that kind of talent and passion. I simply try to bring at least a little bit of that Italian touch into our Slovak kitchen, mainly through high-quality ingredients. Honestly, if I started spinning pizza dough over my head and flambéing, we'd do nothing else but repaint the walls and replace the kitchen counters. 🙂
A recipe is an inspiration, not a dogma.
I have a confession to make – I really don't like it when people say: „This doesn't belong in this recipe.“ or „You completely forgot about this.“Why? Because we are all different and everyone likes something else! I see a recipe as an inspiration, which I always adapt to our tastes.
And let’s be honest with ourselves, ladies… our children are the real "conductors" in the kitchen anyway. With them, you simply can't let the dough rise overnight in the fridge when they want pizza for dinner right now. Or you can't put whole caraway seeds into the food because my two rascals simply wouldn't eat it.
My philosophy
That is why you shouldn't be afraid to experiment either, and bring your own "SELF" into the recipes. Because only you know best what your family tastes and loves. My goal is for us to inspire and support each other here. To make things in the kitchen go easier, faster, and most importantly, so that the result puts a smile on everyone's face at home.
I hope you will find a piece of inspiration here and, while reading, transport yourself with me to sunny Sicily, at least for a moment.
Welcome to Under the Orange!
Happy cooking!
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I am Arančínik and I am the official guardian of flavors on the Under the Orange blog!
"My name is a bit of a Sicilian puzzle – it combines my love for oranges (Arancio) and my weakness for the best fried rice balls (Arancini)."
You can find me in every recipe with a wooden spoon in hand, ready to share secret tips and tricks to make sure every recipe turns out absolutely perfect.
"My mission is clear: to make sure you succeed in the kitchen and that every meal brings flavors and scents into your home that you will absolutely fall in love with!"
"My Sunny Sicily"
