I just had to share— yesterday was a perfect Tuscan lunch- The foto above is a fresh burrata cheese, covered in white truffles. Burrata is not Tuscan and this is not a typical way to serve burrata or the white truffles- but I love it. Batter-fried porcini mushrooms- they need no words. Grilled porcini mushroom…
Torino – j’adore
I adore going to Torino. It reminds me a lot of Paris and has a feel of San Francisco about it. This week we ended our Ecole Chocolat tour with two days in Torino. Of course, one of the reasons was Chocolate! Torino has it’s own chocolate festival called CioccolaTO, TO being the initials for…
The Pleasures of Learning- ICAM
I think I am a perpetual student. I adore studying, hate tests, but love learning new things. For the past 7 years, I have been helping my friend Pam with her Ecole Chocolat Italian program for graduates from her online-chocolate school. We have been doing the Tuscan chocolate valley with visits and workshops with the…
Divine Days- Panzano
I don’t think there is a day when I go to Dario’s in Chianti that I don’t see someone I know or meet someone fun. Yesterday was no exception. I was hanging around the shop, just to absorb the energy and excitement that exudes from Dario and the people that come in and shop or…
Sweet Sunday- Dolcemente Pisa
I attended the Dolcemente Pisa chocolate show on Sunday. I am constantly amazed at the quality and quantity of artisan food producers and their passion. left to right: Spumador, Dolcemente Pisa, Vegetable couscous with chocolate nibsGelateria I Coltelli (Pisa); Tartufo di Pizzo (Calabria-Pisa), Gluten- free pastry shop ( Lucca)Mauro Iannantuoni (Milano), Torrone from Sardegna, Donna…
Pazza per Porcini
When you are lucky enough to find incredible ingredients, with Tuscan cooking, you let them shine on their own. Fresh Porcini are the perfect example. They only grow on a hot day, after it rains, under chestnut and oak trees and you have to get them before they start to deteriorate and get worms inside!…
Piano, Piano- Slowly, Slowly
There is a lot of talk of Slow Food vs Fast Food. Sometimes you just really want to slow down and BREATHE. I am often asked if I would move back home to California. Tuscany has been home since October of 1984 and as soon as I arrived here I knew I was home. I…
Wine all the Time
Living in Italy, wine is a part of everyday life and especially now that we live in the countryside, even more so. Not only do we drink wine, but can watch the vines growing and ripening during the season. Many of our neighbors produce wine for themselves as well as selling to the local cooperative…