A Little More From Italy

While I'm back stateside, I've still got tons of pictures and stories to share from Italy. And yes, I really do wish I was still there. Being back in the Hudson Valley isn't so rough but getting back into the swing of classes and work is surely far from thrilling.

I thought I would share a few more pictures from my trip before finally sharing a new (super easy) recipe with you guys this weekend.

That first picture is from the truly incredible lunch and cooking demo we had at Vissani(my first 2 Michelin star experience).  Those would be Chef Vissani's hands plating one of many tasting plates he made for us before lunch.  My favorite was the lobster marinated in coffee with red pepper balls, Bartlett pears, and pecans. It was balanced out so nicely.

I still can't put in to words just how much wine we drank, and how many wineries we got to visit.

The table above wasn't even part of a meal. It was merely an incredible spread of meats, cheeses, and bruschetta to enjoy while we tasted four different wines and we somehow managed to head over to a multi course dinner following. Our eating habits were nothing short of impressive.

Here are a few favorites from a lovely lunch enjoyed outside among a vineyard. The potato torte was smooth and lovely. The sauces really took it to the next level though. Then there was the duck ragu with garganelli...one of my favorite pasta shapes, I even hand rolled my own last year.

And then there was the day we visited a Chianina cow farm and then enjoyed lunch in an ancient village positioned amongst rolling hills of olive groves and vineyards. I'm telling you, it was magical. Only thirty people lived in this tiny neighborhood and we got to eat at the farmer's small bed and breakfast.

The meal started with crostinis with chickpea puree (they grew the chickpeas), and muchroom paté (not pictured).  Then we had a massive serving of heartwarming lasagne followed by spaghetti with basil pesto and fresh ricotta. Mind you, this wasn't even dinner. Key lesson of this trip: Pacing yourself.

For the main course we had Chianina beef which was so incredibly tender you could cut it with your fork, with chickpeas and chard on the side. I loved how earthy the sides were but not everyone was a fan.  And for dessert a simple yet perfect panna cotta with fresh picked local berries. This dessert was a winner.

I promise I'll have a recipe posted very soon! In the meantime, I hope this Italy post can at least make you wish you were in Italy as much as I do.

A Snapshot of Italy pt. 2

There's so much to share about Italy so it's hard to figure out where to begin. I can't get enough of the olive oil and antipasti, and I mean...eating pasta everyday has been nothing less than dreamy.  Some of my favorite days have been spent walking through olive groves, learning about the history of each place and the family legacy that always comes with that.

My days have been jam packed, and I'm definitely not complaining though my body is starting to go into overload mode, I'm sad to admit that there is such a thing as too much wine. That being said, I would happily stay here forever. I really do love this country.  It seems there just isn't enough time in the day and I'd sort of rather get some rest that type up a play by play, so instead I'll share some of my favorite pictures from week one.

I hope you enjoy! And let me know if you have any questions or are looking for details.

Gelato in Firenze (Florence). My friend Angela got the Baci flavor and it dripped all over the place, considering how large the small was it wasn't totally devastating, but it was amusing to watch the dripping take over here arm. I got Baci (hazelnut and chocolate with hazelnuts in it)and pistachio, the pistachio was outstanding.  We enjoyed it with a nice dose of espresso which was so incredibly smooth and not the slightest bit bitter. I could definitely get used to that.

The view from the highest point in Perugia. It went on for days...

Yet another winery with a view that could just about make you want to move here.

I've decided I would like prosciutto everyday for breakfast. 

And then there was the one time we ate at Vissani, a two Michelin star restaurant, got a three course cooking demo by the eccentric Chef Vissani who "loved my personality," I even have a cheek kiss to prove it. Well, the meal was over the top and the service was impeccable, and yes I was totally impressed with the plethora of Hermés plates at the table.

I swear I could write a novel about what we've done in the past two weeks but who's got the time? I'm off to bed, we're heading to Rome tomorrow and I hear we're also stopping by a Prosciutto producer and learning how to find truffles before we settle down for a truffle tasting dinner. I feel so spoiled and have I mentioned that I don't want to leave this gorgeous country?

Italy: Firenze

As you may have guessed by the picture...I'm in Italy! Above is a picture at one of the numerous wineries we've toured and tasted in the week I've already been here.

Here's the background on the trip: As part of the bachelor's degree program at school, I get to take a three week food, wine, and agriculture trip and so here I am in Italy, literally eating my heart out and washing it all down with copious amounts of local wine and olive oil. I've quickly decided this trip would more aptly be named "Italy: A Lesson in Gluttony."

Our first night was in Firenze (aka Florence) and we ate at Ristorance Da Omero which was conveniently located in an itty bitty town right across from Galileo's house. The meal started with prosecco, as every meal should and then we had assorted bruschetta, penne with ragout, and malfatti (pasta) with mushroom and sausage.  After that we had the most amazing Florentine steak, perfectly rare and nicely grilled. We devoured it with several bottles of Chianti. The lovely man above fixed our desserts up for us, I went for the chocolate cake but the ricotta cheesecake with orange marmalade, I stole several bites off my friend Rachel.

The next day we went to Avignonese and toured the vineyard and property before sitting down for a lunch/wine tasting.  The property was stunning, and their circular vineyard (above) was really something special.  When they first started growing the grapes they tested out different areas, different lengths of sun exposure, and spacing before finding out which worked best and applied it to their other vineyards.

We also got to tour the huge room where they dry out the grapes for their famous Vin Santo (above).

The location for lunch was nothing short of breath taking.  The meal was delicious and they were constantly refilling our wine glasses, I think around the middle of this meal we realized just how much wine we would be consuming on our trip.

The meal: Goat cheese flan served over cream of spinach (Wine: Vignola Sauvignon Cortona 2011)
Paccheri pasta with lamb and eggplant ragout (Wine: Rosso di Montepulciano DOC 2011)
Baked Chianina veal with roasted potatoes and Gradoli’s beans with olive oil (Wine: Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG 2008 and Desiderio Corona Merlot DOC 2008)
and for dessert Mascarpone cheese and wild berries on a crispy crepe (Wine: Endidae Gewurztraminer Passito Castelfeder)

The meal was clearly outstanding. And actually the mascarpone has been one of my favorite desserts so far. But picture this: three to four course meals every day, and sometimes twice...one word: Gluttony. The trip has been absolutely wonderful so far, I'll update on Perugia soon!

p.s. After the meal we wandered around and found these beautiful quince growing next to the sweetest little garden, with a pretty handsome farmer too might I add. Oh and that's me snapping pictures of some gorgeous kale in the middle.

Ciao!