I often take the train from Certaldo down to Florence to do my market tours. Recently I noticed that the local pastry shop had their windows covered up. They often redo the interior- so was thinking that they were closed for renovation. BUT NO! We have a new Pastry shop and Chocolatier in town!! I…
Sicilian Street Food Snack- Panelle
This trip I didn’t get to spend any time in Palermo, where I love to enjoy the street food stands. At the Foresteria Planeta, where we did our classes, Chef Angelo Pumilia made us his version of panelle as an appetizer the first night with our aperitivo. Panelle are made from chickpea flour…
Sicilian Dreams
I need some time to let all the fabulous food, wine and new friends we made soak in to be able to write about our fabulous week in Sicily. We stayed in Menfi as a homebase and spent a day in Trapani making cous cous and a day in Castelvetrano where we had a cooking…
Sicily – It’s the People
When I offer culinary weeks besides the food, it is the people we meet that really make the trip. When you go home, having made new friends is a gift that never ends, the memories of time spent together, sharing a new place. This week in Sicily we are very lucky, we have made new…
The Most Splendid of Seasons- Fall
We were blessed with incredible weather this week in Chianti for our session, even the full moon did it’s part as we enjoyed it in San Gimignano sitting in the main square having pizza and gelato. Most of the grape harvest is done now and the olive harvest is beginning. I live next door to…
Slow Food and Fast Cars
I am truly blessed to work with food and wine in a place like Italy, where it is almost a religion. The passion for what we eat and drink by both the producers and the consumers is really contagious. Fall is probably my favorite season for traveling and sharing food and wine, as the cooler…
Fall Foods – When Tuscany Shines
Everyday I am constantly reminded of how lucky I am. Tuscany is really at its best in fall. Not only is the scenery fabulous, incredible light, but the food and wine is really my favorite in fall. Panzano in Chianti half-way between Florence and Siena on the 222 This past week on our Chianti Experience…
My Market Days- Sharing My Friends
I have always adored traveling in September. In Tuscany it is when all my favorite food festivals begin, which is why I love week-long programs starting now all through November. This week we started with our first dinner at the Porcini Mushroom dinner run by the city swim team as a fund-raiser, not bad, why…