We have been pretty lucky this summer until this week… when it hit the 90’s! I just finished doing three weeks with an ex-client that came back, rented a villa with his friends.. for 3 weeks.We had a blast! We started the week in Panzano, and ate at Vescovino, which has recently been taken over…
Florence is DiVino
I am one lucky woman! Besides being able to call Florence home, having a fabulous husband and teaching cooking in one of the best food centers of the world; now my friend Stefano and his sister Patrizia have opened a Vino Sfuso shop on my street. BYOB has a new meaning in Florence. Bring your…
Che Culo!
The front of the new art piece in the Butcher Shop in Panzano and the backside! il Culo Che culo in Italian means how lucky! Today was a fabulous day for Panzano in Chianti’s Sunday market.The first Sunday of the month, is also an street fair with local producers and artists brining in their stands….
Happy Birthday Slow Food
Seems like only yesterday that Slow Food began. But it was 20 years ago. I moved here around the same time. Slow Food began when Fast Food was first seen in Europe ( McDonald’s opened in Paris, France) The fear was that the “American Way” was going to globalize Europe and we would all be…
Shop Local… Eye Candy
In my cooking classes in Florence, Italy where I moved in 1984, there was no other way to shop than daily… and local. Florence has two fixed market places, built in the late 1800’s when Florence was made the capital of united Italy. The Central Market, which is right outside my kitchen-studio window, is a…
Cooks night off
Last night we took a night off from cooking and headed out to nearby San Gimignano.One of my favorite simple places to go is Osteria del Carcere We started with a local spumante from the Falchini winery and shared a crostoni with saffrom infused sheeps milk ricotta. For our first course.. I had Zuppa di…
Seasons best…Primavera
Living in the countryside has me much more in touch with the seasons, as everyday there is something new going on, expecially in spring. Winter seems never ending and when spring arrives, it explodes! The green valley in front of my house Vines climbing up, young grape bunches, just flowers now Yesterday’s cherry blossoms ……
Getting Ready for Mother’s Day
My mom loves anything Rose…perhaps because she was born in Portland Oregon. It was odd as her parents lived in Shanghai! The story goes that my grandmother got on a steamship at 9 months pregnant and had my mom in Portland and 10 days later was back on the boat to Shanghai. This is my…