"Pasta Grannies" is the name given to a series of videos by author and journalist Vicky Bennison, who has embarked on a global search for truly special gourmet delights. For this special series she travels through Italy, prising culinary secrets from grannies.
Meanwhile, she was also invited to meet Paula Volgger who prepared original South Tyrolean 'Speckknödel' for her at the Tötschhof guest house.
The video has been online since March: see for yourself how Paula makes 'Knödel' (a type of dumpling):
Link-Pasta-Grannies
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Tötschhof was purchased and renovated by the Volgger family several years ago. In doing so, they retained as many original features as possible in order to preserve the original character of this centuries-old farm house. You will find Paula here as she potters around, caring lovingly for the lush flower decorations and herb garden. The very heart of the farm house is the rustic kitchen with its wood-burning stove, where the members of the family not only learn to cook but also to heat up the stove properly. In fact, only with practice can one get a feeling for the right temperature. A closer look will show that it's not just a question of reheating but also finding the right position on the hotplate. Many swear that dishes with a very long cooking time such has roast pork are especially good when cooked on a wood-burning stove.
We look forward to seeing you again at Plunhof or Tötschhof, and in the meantime hope you enjoy cooking Paula's Speckknödel yourself!