It really takes very little to be happy, sometimes just a bowl of hot broth and some pasta. Usually I make the Bollito Misto dinner for xmas, as it is simple to prepare and provides us with several meals. There are also other dishes I make in winter for Andrea that take a long time…
New Tricks- Farina Arsa
On my recent trip down to Puglia to meet with Antonello and Laura from Southern Visions Travel, to talk about my Guest chef week in June next year, the first thing I wanted to taste and or see, was farina arsa.Burnt wheat flour is a product of the cucina povera in Puglia. Burn wheat kernals…
Discovering Puglia- Again
Each trip I make down to Puglia, makes me want more. The Trulli, small cone-shaped homes looking like something from J.R. Tolkien. Ancient olive trees with hollows in their huge trunks. One almost expects to see hobbits or trolls. one of the many abandoned Trulli homes no, I am not thinking ” a little fixer-upper”….
Divina Cucina on the Road- Puglia
Probably one of my favorite parts of my job is doing research. I adore creating custom programs for people based on my travels. I have been down to Puglia over the years and have been dying to bring students with me to share my love for this incredible land. We came down to visit our…
Gifts of the Season- Melograno
I have always been fascinated by pomegrantes ,melograno in Italian. When in season, the trees look as if they have been decorated for an early Christmas, hanging on the thin branches like decorations along with the persimmon trees.Pomegranates seeds,arils, which glisten and look like tiny rubies, are one of my favorite ingredients in winter salads. Cut open…
Switching Gears to a New Year
I am getting re-energized by the incredible morning light. Although I am not a morning person, I cannot help but wake up to enjoy all the light available now, since by 5:30pm it is dark.Catching up on emails, dreaming about 2012 and filling in my calendar with the weeklong programs already booked is a pleasure.I…
Sicilian Treasures-Salt Flats-Mothia-Trapani
There are places in Sicily i adore returning to. The salt flats are probably one of my favorites. We were lucky enough to get a picture perfect day as we left Menfi heading to the East Coast to leave. It is a magical place even when the salt is not out drying covered in the…
Sicilian Secrets in the Kitchen
It is no secret that I ADORE Sicily. I am looking for a place in Trapani to perhaps split my time 50/50 with Tuscany. I want to write my Secrets of My Sicilian Kitchen cookbook. I have always believed in dreaming and making dreams come true. Each time I come down with one of my…