The Passionate Palate

Tuscany - Through Its Wine and Food - Part Four

noreply@blogger.com (The Passionate Palate) — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 19:49:00 +0000

Ah, bella Tuscany! I count myself fortunate to take a group of people to Italy and share with them the Italy that I know, in the same way that I have come to know it - through its wine and food. Yes, indeed, I LOVE doing that. I feel that through wine and food, one can understand a culture. It is not the only way, but it is one way. I like that old saying - "a way to a man's heart is through his stomach." I believe it is also be true for women. When I see the look on people's faces when they taste something that is quintessentially Italian, or a flavor that we do not have at home, you see this look of "Ah Ha!" or "Wow!" Then when one tastes the local wine with the local food and has spent time with the locals, all the elements start to come together and one's understanding of the culture bloom on many different levels. But enough of philosophy.

My most recent Tuscany tour began in Florence, where after a welcome dinner, we departed the following morning for Montepulciano, in southern Tuscany. Our first stop was to the spectacular Avignonesi winery. Our VIP tour was lead by the lovely and elegant Signora Fulvo, the owner, who led us down into the ancient barrel caves,

then into their Vin Santaio, where there very special Vin Santo is made, or should I say where it rests and makes itself. The mother for their Vin Santo is centuries old, and they treat their aging wine like gold, as they should. These little half bottles of very precious liquid sell for over 100 euros a bottle and fetch perfect scores, yes 100 points, from top wine magazines. Amazing. Here is a shot of a barrel of Vin Santo:

We also visited the stunningly beautiful property of Vignamaggio in Greve. Vignamaggio is the ancestral home of the Monna Lisa - yes, there really was a Monna Lisa and Leonardo da Vinci painted at this property on several occasions. Because of its beauty and views, I understand why. With their delicious array of Chianti Classicos and Super Tuscans, we were served a typically delicious lunch.

After lunch, we walked around their immaculate gardens where "Much Ado About Nothing" was filmed. Leaving was the difficult part. "Celebrating the Harvest" (my title). One of the many garden sculptures at Vignamaggio.

One of the highlights of the trip was a day of cooking lessons at Badia a Coltibuono winery, the home of Lorenza di Medici and her family. She founded the famous cooking school and now her son runs it, deftly teaching typical Tuscan dishes with a great sense of humor. Everyone loved it so much that after the long lunch with dessert, dessert wines, grappa and coffee, I had a hard time getting everyone on the bus!

My group, firmly planted, not moving from the comfort of Coltibuono.

Some of Coltibuono's cellar collection.

Some of the many bottles enjoyed at tastings and at meals.

We started our Montalcino tour at Poggio Antico winery, owned by the talented and lovely Paola Gloder. Her Brunellos are always elegant, stunning and top-rated. The winery and grounds are extraordinarily situated and beautiful. And by the way, there is a fantastic restaurant at this winery if you are ever in Montalcino.

Next stop was Costanti winery, ancestral home of a long line of Counts. Yes, Conti Andrea Costanti gave us the royal treatment. Don't let his title deceive you, he is one of the most accessible, gracious, generous and sweet human beings. He is devoted to making small amounts of some of the best Brunellos coming out of Montalcino. They are worth seeking out! He spoiled us with giving us a magnum of 1999 Brunello to have over lunch. That was one of the best bottles of wine we had on the whole trip!

Our last winery tour was in Chianti Colli Fiorentini, close to Florence, at Le Sorgenti. The make elegant Chiantis as well as some powerful Super Tuscans. The winemakers cooked us lunch in this gorgeously painted room.
In between all this wine tasting and fine dining, we had time to tour Florence, Siena, San Gimignano and Volterra. This was a tremendous group of people, all genuinely interested, kind, easy-going and responsible. The tour could not have been better. We celebrated its success with a fabulous meal our last night in Florence. At Il Latini, known for their roasted meats, we not only ate like kings, but drank like them as well. The staff treated us great and stuffed us like pigs! Most of us took a late walk around Florence that night to help digest what we ate.

I invite you all to come on one of my tours. I will be posting two 2009 trips on my website in the next month or so. Hop on over there and sign up on my email list if you want to receive more information when I have it.

So Many Reasons to Celebrate!

noreply@blogger.com (The Passionate Palate) — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 23:11:00 +0000

Happy Father's Day to the Best Dad in the World!

My husband and I (and our dog Ruby) drove up to Santa Barbara to celebrate Father's Day with my dad. This morning we had breakfast in a cafe' right on the beach - and how glorious it was! I happen to love the fog and cool weather, and that is what we had, but it was the company that was the best. To be able to take my dad out, and have my husband there as well, was a real treat.

The second reason to celebrate is that this is my 100th post and my blog is one year old today!

I wish I had so much more time to post more - more pictures, more stories, more photos, more recipes. Alas, life is a balancing act, isn't it? I am so grateful for this outlet and the wonderful readers who find there way here, and especially those that keep coming back. You make me feel heard and validated. Does that make sense? Thank you!!!

There are many more reasons to celebrate, like:

Being alive

Having a wonderful husband

Having a sweet, smart dog

Having a roof over our heads and food in our bellies

Not living in a war zone

Being blessed with wonderful friends and family

Having good health

...I could go on and on!

Tuscany - Through Its Wine and Food - Part Three

noreply@blogger.com (The Passionate Palate) — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 15:36:00 +0000

ANOTHER MEETING WITH A BLOGGER IN FLORENCE!

I count myself very fortunate to have met the lovely Erin of The Olive Notes while I was in Florence. We met at a hip wine bar called Sei Divino (or "You Are Divine" - but it can also means something like "You Are Of Wine" if it was written like this: Sei di Vino.) Erin has a delightfully bubbly personality and is full of knowledge of Florence. She gave me lots of tips for my short visit there and even escorted me to a palazzo that evening that was open for a poetry reading. Her blog has followed she and her husband's year in Florence and is full of lots of travel tips for many parts of Italy. They just moved back to Florida where they are adjusting back to the American way of life. I can tell Erin has the enthusiasm and lust for life that will lead her many interesting places.

Here we are. And she is as lovely inside as out!

Here are a couple more of my favorite sights in Florence:

Tuscany - Through Its Wine and Food - Part Two

noreply@blogger.com (The Passionate Palate) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 15:10:00 +0000

Upon arriving in Florence, before the beginning of my tour, I had the great pleasure to meet up with the author, chef and photographer, Ilva, of Lucullian Delights. Her blog was one of the first blogs I was drawn to and have continued to be a daily reader of her beautiful posts. If you haven't seen her site, you must! Her photography shows that she has a very keen eye, her recipes are truly original and inspiring, and her personal notes either leave me giggling or crying, as she has this straightforward honesty about her that I so appreciate.

We met in front of the Santa Maria Novella church, and I had no problem spotting her through the crowd. My Swedish aunt insists that in each country, people have a distinct walk. Many times she has shown me the difference between a Swedish walk and a Danish walk. I have no idea if this theory would hold up under scientific testing, but when I saw the Swedish Ilva walking, I new immediately it was her. Maybe it was instinct.

I instantly felt like I had found a long, lost and very delightful friend. She has a bright mind with a natural curiosity about everything. Our conversation covered so many topics, from illuminated texts to food to Alzheimer's. (We have both lost parents to that disease.)

We strolled through Florence, spending quite a bit of time in the San Lorenzo market - the great food hall. It was a feast for the eyes and senses. I was drooling over the products that are available there that we cannot get in the U.S., like these lovely porcinis:

...and capretto, or goat (tail and all!):

...and wild strawberries:

Of course there are some items I could certainly live without, like all parts of the cow and pig that I couldn't imagine eating! (No pictures necessary here.)

Ilva took me to a quiet lunch spot above the crowds with this incredible view:

I took a couple of photos of Ilva, but somehow I think the one of her behind the camera captures her spirit (and I think she is a bit shy of showing her face.)

Thanks Ilva for a great afternoon, and I look forward to our next meeting!

Tuscany - Through Its Wine and Food - Part One

noreply@blogger.com (The Passionate Palate) — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 17:40:00 +0000

I've just returned from two and a half fabulous weeks in Italy, one week of which I was leading a wine and food tour through Tuscany. I had a ball! I was fortunate enough to have an incredible group of guests. I couldn't have asked for a better collection of people; everyone was easy-going and got along tremendously. We had six days of visiting wineries, beautiful towns and eating well (sometimes too well!) There is no way I can post all the pictures I took, or go into enough detail, but instead will do an entry for each day, including the free days I had before and after the tour. If you are interested in seeing our itinerary, you can visit my Passionate Palate Tours website for the details.

My next trip planned is for Piedmont in November. If you would like to see more details on that trip, click here.

Upon my arrival to Italy on May 22, I drove from Rome to Todi, Umbria to see my friend Stefania. I have mentioned her before, as she owns a terrific language school in that city. You can read about her classes here. I had a delightful visit, walking around Todi and eating one of the best rabbit dishes I have ever eaten. I will try to recreate it and post the recipe at some point.

The next day we visited some of my friends that own a beautiful agriturismo in San Venanzo, Umbria. (An agristurismo is a country inn/bed and breakfast that must produce some traditional product or raise some agricultural or animal product that is typical to that region. It is one of the many ways Italy protects its regional products.) You can see more details about Colli Verdi here. They had just gotten some samples of their nearly finalized first vintage of wine and wanted me to taste through them and give them my professional opinion. I was telling the honest truth when I told them how impressed I was. These red wines, based on Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, were all impressive, elegant, and balanced. I'll keep everyone posted as to whether they ever make it to the U.S. market. In the meantime, I encourage anyone who wants to get away from it all for a few days, to visit their piece of paradise.From there, I went to Torgiano, Umbria for a visit to Lungarotti winery, their wine museum and their lovely hotel. It was a relaxing and beautiful place to stay, and for you wine-lovers out there, I highly encourage a visit to that museum.

A fountain/sculpture depicting the God Janus, after whom the town is named.

On to Tuscany, where the next stop was the famous and picturesque town of Cortona, made popular by Frances Mayes and her UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN book. It is filled with expats - mostly American and British - but still worth a visit for its beauty. My friend Patrizia lives in the heart of the old town in an incredible, ancient house. She is such an inspiration to me, because in her retirement, she decided to follow her dream of living in Italy and packed her bags and made it happen (not even speaking the language.) Now, she can speak very well, and walking through the streets of Cortona she is greeted by all the locals with a big smile on their face. Everybody loves her! "Basta! Stop taking pictures of me!"

I was lucky enough to be in town for an impressive medieval flag-throwing celebration, a reenactment of some of the festivities that happened about 500 years earlier for an important marriage between two prominent families. From Cortona, I continued north to Montevarchi, where my friend Gia and her husband Beppe live part-time (the other part of the year in Chicago.) They produce very interesting television programs and films, many relating to Italy. Gia and I met 25 years ago, had been college housemates and had not seen each other for 20 years! It was a fun reunion and felt like no time had passed.

The next day I made it to Florence where the tour was starting from the following day. I had time to meet up with two fellow bloggers...stay tuned for the next installment for my visit with them.

Bella Italia!

noreply@blogger.com (The Passionate Palate) — Fri, 23 May 2008 16:25:00 +0000

I'm here in my "other home", Italy. Needless to say, if you could see me, you would see a big smile on my face and a lightness about me. I am always thrilled to be here, but this time it seems like an extra special vacation to me because of the heaviness of this last year.

I wanted to get a proper post up about all that I will be doing these next few weeks here, but alas, packing too much at the last minute got in the way. When I return, I will post lots of stories and pictures.

At the moment, I am in lovely Cortona at my friend Patrizia's house, at the moment, hiding from the rain. Briefly, I am having fun visiting friends in Umbria and Tuscany and will end up in Florence on Monday where I will be meeting up with the participants of my Tuscan wine and food tour. The twelve of us will be spending six days touring top wineries in Chianti, Montalcino and Montepulciano. We'll also take in the sights of Florence, Siena, San Gimignano and Volterra. We're going to get to know Tuscany through its food and wine traditions.

After my tour, I will take five days to explore areas of western Tuscany and the Maremma that I have not yet seen.

I'll share all the details with you when I return!

Piccola Cucina

noreply@blogger.com (The Passionate Palate) — Sat, 17 May 2008 16:58:00 +0000

We are still continuing our Piccola Cucina classes - Italian Cooking and Language. You can go here for all the details. My teaching partner, Christina Sbarra, an excellent Italian instructor, and I have been having as much fun as our students. What could be better than spending three hours cooking great Italian recipes, practicing our Italian (even if it is very little) and eating and laughing together.

For our last class on Tuscany, we received a generous donation of a large grocery bag full of fresh-picked fava beans grown by Christina of a Thinking Stomach. The abundance she can coax out of a city plot is amazing! We sat around and shelled the fava beans, sang old Italian songs and then enjoyed the beans with some Pecorino and a refreshing Italian white wine. Thank you Christina!

We followed that with making pici - a typical pasta of Tuscany that is hand-rolled and fun to make.

Our next classes are:

Sunday, June 8: "Primavera" featuring recipes using the new ingredients of the season like fried zucchini blossoms, artichokes and peas, crostata di verdure and more. 11 am - 2 pm.

Sunday, June 22: A regional class on the cuisine of Le Marche. Both Christina and I have family from this area, so the dishes are close to our hearts. 11 am - 2 pm.

They are in Long Beach, for all you Southern Californians reading this.

For more information, please call Christina at 562-930-9194 or email christinasbarra AT yahoo DOT com.

We are talking about putting together a Piccola Cucina trip to Italy for 2009, practicing Italian and cooking in beautiful Italy. More information to follow, but if you are interested in finding out more, drop me an email at passionatepalate AT gmail DOT com.

Where Has Jeni Been?

noreply@blogger.com (The Passionate Palate) — Fri, 02 May 2008 22:19:00 +0000

I must get personal here in order to explain. Most of you know that my husband has been undergoing a medical treatment for the last year. You also probably remember that my mother died in October. I also mentioned here that I was helping to care for a neighbor who was dying of cancer last year and passed away just before Christmas. I also started my tour company last year and in January began selling Italian wine again. To, put it lightly, my plate has been full and life has been very heavy. I have broad shoulders and can really handle a lot, but I finally reached my limit. About the same time my husband finished his treatment, about three weeks ago, I hit the wall. I was breaking down, tired, depressed and utterly exhausted emotionally. It had all caught up with me. I think the fact that my husband finished and that I knew he would be improving quickly, allowed me to let go of my responsibilities and let my shoulders drop a bit. I finally let all the stress of the last year come to the surface.

I have never been depressed in my life, but I finally got the picture of what depression felt like.

Then...it got worse. Our favorite dog, Golia, our big teddy bear, had a problem. My husband was walking him across the street, on a leash, when he crossed paths with a woman and her small dog. We pass by this woman and her dog almost daily with no incidences. That day, Golia decided to lunge for the little dog, and not being able to get at him, bit the owner's leg instead...badly. It was awful and traumatic for everyone. (The woman is going to be fine. She is healing from some extensive plastic surgery on her leg.) We fell apart. After some days of trying to calm down, we consulted several German Shepherd and animal behaviorist specialists. We all were able to put together an understanding of why Golia did it. Since my husband was home sick all year, Golia felt stressed and sensed the change in the house. (He was always extremely tuned in and sensitive to us.) There were small changes in him during the year that indicated stress that we did not see. Also, my husband did not walk with Golia except a few times during the year; I walked Golia daily. So, Golia became extra protective of Antonio and Antonio lost some of the dominance he had over Golia. Because the incident happened in front of our house, the dog was also extra protective. Golia was also a rescue dog, so we don't know what else could have triggered his fear, and ensuing "misdirected aggression", from his past. The experts agreed, he was not attacking the woman, but taking his aggression out on the closest thing to him when he couldn't get to the dog. We were left with the option of keeping him away from people for the rest of his life, muzzling him when we left the house and never taking a vacation and leaving him with anyone, or...putting him down. After much heartbreaking reflection we decided to put him down. We could not risk this happening again, and potentially being worse. We put him down two weeks ago.

We rescued Golia 5 years ago, and he had been abused and had a hard life. It took a lot of work to break through to him, but when we did, the pay off was huge (as it so often happens with rescues.) It is so difficult to explain to those who didn't know him, but he was one of the cuddliest, sweetest, friendliest big dogs either one of us had ever met. Anyone who came to our house fell in love with him, even to the point of ignoring our other dog. He was my daily walking partner. He was a 105 pounds of happy, bouncy, appreciative, expressive and loving presence in our house - especially this last year when we needed that lightness so. We miss him tremendously.

On a lighter note, my husband is improving daily and that is bringing so much joy back to our lives. All the things we take for granted like standing in the sun, listening to music, taking a walk, driving a car, eating what you want, and more, he couldn't do this last year. Everything is a gift to him right now, and in turn a gift for me, too!

I will be leaving for Italy soon- taking a group of wine and food enthusiasts on a week long tour of Tuscany. Lucky for me that I have lots of friends in Italy that I will be visiting and staying with. The trip will be a salve for my tired soul. I don't know if I will be posting anything from the road, but you will hear more from me on the trip, before and after for sure.

Another beautiful thing I have planned to put a smile on my face is a camping trip this weekend with my nephew Nicholas. I have written about him here before. We will explore Big Basin State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains of Northern California.

I leave you with a big thank you for all the blogging friends I have made out there who have sent me the kindest notes of support over the last year. I also leave you with this beautiful picture taken yesterday of my husband who is slowly becoming more active and our other dog, Ruby.

More soon my friends!

Apples & Thyme - Round Up #5 - An Addition

noreply@blogger.com (The Passionate Palate) — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 19:22:00 +0000

Marla at Bella Baita View has added an addition to the Apples & Thyme round up. It was an entry from Equal Opportunity Kitchen whose wonderful post came to us on time, but fell through the cracks. Our apologies to Giz and Psychgrad.

Apples & Thyme - Round Up #5

noreply@blogger.com (The Passionate Palate) — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 00:43:00 +0000

The April Apples & Thyme Round Up is here...well, thanks to Marla, it's been here and I'm just late letting everyone know. My apologies.

The Magnificent Marla of Bella Baita View posted the round up of this months memories and recipes. Please pop on over to her site to read all the delicious and heartfelt posts.

This will be our last Apples & Thyme event for the time being, given that Inge and I have very full lives at the moment. We thank all of you who have participated. You may see the event return in the future at some point.

A big thank you, Marla for your excellent effort. Actually, that reminds me...

Chris at Mele Cotte awarded me with an Award of Excellence that I haven't

yet acknowledged nor passed on. Thank you so much, Chris, for thinking so

highly of my blog! I think this is an opportune moment to pass it on to

Marla for her continued excellence in the blogging. I would also like to pass it to along to my wonderful partner in Apples & Thyme - Inge at Vanielje Kitchen. If you both already have the award, then consider yourself doubly blessed. You both have not only excellent content, creativity, stories, writing but excellent attitudes.

Lastly, I will post more soon about why I have been so absent lately. I have much to share and have missed the wonderful exchanges with all of you out there.

Apples & Thyme - April

noreply@blogger.com (The Passionate Palate) — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 17:19:00 +0000

First of all, apologies to my friends and readers out there for being MIA for a bit. As my husband finishes up his year-loooooong medical treatment, and I am still recovering from some big losses in my life, I find that I haven't been very social as of late. I am allowing this recovery process to take its own course and as I feel the need to stay quiet and turn inward, I am allowing myself to do that. I admit that it is a strange course for this normally extroverted, busy, conversation-loving, adventurous Gemini! I trust that it is just what I need right now.

In the meantime, African Vanielje and I am thrilled to announce that April's guest host of our Apples & Thyme event is the wonderful Marla of Bella Baita View. She and her husband own a B&B in the Italian Alps and her blog is filled with wonderful stories and recipes of the area. In the next few weeks we encourage you to tell us a story about your mother, grandmother or anyone else influential in your life and the time you spent with them in the kitchen. Do you have a family heirloom recipe to share with us? Do you have certain family cooking traditions that would be of interest to us? Is there a recipe that you have always wanted to seek out from your past that you don't have? There are so many stories like these waiting to be told. We await yours.

Submit stories to Marla by April 20 at info AT bellabaita DOT com.

The Importance of Passing Down Recipes

noreply@blogger.com (The Passionate Palate) — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 01:14:00 +0000

I must admit that I have procrastinated writing my Apples & Thyme entry for this month for two reasons: my life has been feeling a bit out of control and not allowing me to feel my usual ability to communicate, and secondly, I wasn't sure what I wanted to write about. Of course, my mother always is in the forefront of my mind, and I've written about her many, many times. Some days her absence feels so strong, filling me with sadness and an inability to write about her. Other times, it is easier.

After her death last October, my older sister and I sifted through her huge collection of recipes - she filed them neatly in binders, categorized and put handwritten notes on her favorites. We came across three - 3x5 index cards, each with the same recipe but each one having one of her three daughter's names on it. On the back, she had written "October 1975"! The recipe was simply labeled "Cornbread", but it wasn't just any cornbread - it was our Nanna's delicious cornbread. She wanted to make sure that we each had a copy of this legendary recipe.

Here's a little background: "Nanna" was my mother's mother and was raised in the back woods of West Virginia. I've written about here before. My grandfather was from Georgia and later Tennessee, and they settled in Ohio. They continued there humble, southern cooking traditions throughout their life. One of the staples at the dinner table was cornbread, and my Nanna's was the best. Cornbread from the south is savory, while the cornbreads I've tasted on the west coast are usually a little sweet. I have never gotten used to that sweet flavor and still prefer, and can taste to this day, an old-fashioned Southern cornbread slathered with butter.

When I read the recipe I called my older sister to question a few things. First of all, we don't believe they sell self-rising cornmeal anymore, although perhaps they do somewhere. I went on line and found this information on the Aunt Jemima Corn Meal site: To make one cup of self-rising cornmeal:
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup + 3 tablespoons Quaker or Aunt Jemima Corn Meal

The second thing I asked my sister is "Why did Nanna's cornmeal always taste soooo savory, almost like there was some bacon in it?" This recipe doesn't indicate anything like that. She immediately knew the answer. Nanna used to coat her pan with bacon grease before putting the batter in. Ah hah! Another old-time southerner's trick!

I remember my mom carrying on the cornbread tradition by making a simple meal of it with some cooked beans and coleslaw. Yum!

The point I started to make about the importance of passing down recipes is that a recipe such as this, which was never written down by my Nanna would have been lost if my mother hadn't taken the time to write it down for all to remember. We were all touched by mom's foresight at making a copy for each of us because she knew how important it would be to us one day - over 30 years later!

Over and over again we have read stories in this Apples and Thyme event of people wishing that they had a certain recipe one of their mothers or grandmothers used to make, but now it is impossible to get because the person has passed on and no one knows exactly how they had made it. Which leads me to why I love this event so much - it honors those age-old family cooking traditions and encourages us to write about them for posterity's sake. It even encourages us to seek out those living members of our family and ask them for their secrets before it is too late to do so.

Please visit this month's Apples & Thyme host - Mele Cotte - to see the full round up, which will posted sometime before the end of the month.

Piccola Cucina

noreply@blogger.com (The Passionate Palate) — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 19:24:00 +0000

One of the many things that has been keeping me busy lately is this new project. Obviously it is only applicable for those of you living in Southern California. It would be great if some of you local readers and bloggers out there could participate. I can't speak highly enough of my partner in this project - Christina Sbarra. She is an excellent Italian teacher and has come to specialize in teaching the language via activities. It has proven to be one of the fastest ways to learn. We are both passionate about Italian cooking, food and wine and thought that using those activities would be a fun vehicle for learning the language. Any level of Italian speaker - yes, even beginners - are welcome.

Piccola Cucina
Italian Cooking & Language Lessons
◊◊◊
Have you ever wanted to speak Italian?
How about learn to cook authentic Italian dishes?
Now you can do both at the same time!

All levels of Italian welcome – including beginners. Three hour class includes Italian language instruction along with a cooking lesson, in Italian, lunch and wine. Small group – limited to 6 people. Classes are held on Sundays from 11 am – 2 pm in Long Beach.

Sunday, April 13: “Stuzzichini” (appetizers, salads, bruschettas, etc.)

Sunday, April 27: A regional lesson on the cuisine of Tuscany.

Sunday, May 4: “Primavera” – cooking with the freshest Spring ingredients.

Sunday, May 18: A regional lesson on the cuisine of Le Marche.

Fees: Save money buying when you sign up for all four classes! 1 class $100, 2 classes $90 each, or 4 classes $75 each.

Your instructors:
Christina Sbarra is the Coordinator and Instructor of the Language Center of Long Beach (a branch of La Lingua La Vita from Todi, Italy – www.lalingualavita.com.) She has over 10 years of Italian teaching experience and specializes in teaching language through activities, which has been proven to be one of the most effective ways to learn a language. Christina has been a passionate home cook of Italian food for over 20 years.

Jeni Moretti is an Italian wine and food expert who owns Passionate Palate Tours (www.passionatepalatetours.com) a company specializing in group wine and food tours of Italy. She also has many years of working in the Italian wine business and studying the regional cuisines of Italy.

For more information, please call Christina at 562-930-9194 or email christinasbarra AT yahoo DOT com.

Still Here

noreply@blogger.com (The Passionate Palate) — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 23:19:00 +0000

Dear friends,

I am still here, but have been away from blogging for a few weeks. Life happened. My intentions are to get back to a normal blogging routine soon, after some things calm down in my life. I miss you all!

In the meantime, please don't forget to submit your post for this month's Apples & Thyme event. This is the first time we have a guest host - the talented and beautiful Chris at Mele Cotte. Do forward all entries to here at melecotte AT gmail DOT com.

May you all be well.

I'll be back soon (or "A Presto" as we say in Italian),
Jeni

Apples and Thyme - Round Up #4

noreply@blogger.com (The Passionate Palate) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 01:06:00 +0000

The February Apples & Thyme round-up is here! The memories of mothers, grandmothers and others and our time spent in the kitchen with them are endless. I love how others' memories spark my own and inspire me to write them down. Thank you all for your heartfelt entries.

Before I launch into the round-up, my lovely partner in this event, Inge at Vanielje Kitchen, and I have decided to have a guest host next month. Chris over at Mele Cotte has happily agreed to be March's host. So, please watch for her announcement and send all entries to her by March 20. Her email is melecotte AT gmail DOT com.

On the 14th anniversary of her mother's death, Ivy at Kopiaste...to Greek Hospitality, shares memories of her strong, generous and hard-working mother with us. Ivy created this very unique dish of Halloumi and dried fruit and honey using her mom's favorite cheese.

Jeanne at Cooksister made me wish she lived next door so that I could walk over with my coffee in hand to share in these delicious looking "no recipe" biscuits. I cried as I read her words about longing for her mom's arms around her or the sound of her voice. I know that pain well.

Maria Gay at A Scientist in the Kitchen gives us a birthday tribute to her dad - a fabulous and inspirational cook. I love to read stories of men who have influenced us in the kitchen. Check out the spread of dishes they created in his honor!

My Apples & Thyme event partner, the incredibly talented Inge, presents The Delectable, Unforgettable Valerie Crunchie Recipe along with her memories of childhood friends in South Africa. Who couldn't love these treats?

Next month's Apples & Thyme host, Chris, over at Mele Cotte created her first successful and very decadent looking lasagne in honor of her mother - very cleverly representing layers of their relationship!

Speaking of layers of relationship, I allude to that in my post "Cooking With Mom". According to the comments I got back already, I think that all mothers and daughters have a sometimes intense and definitely layered relationships. Oh, yes, my recipe is one that my mom and I passed back and forth - a very simple and delicious Penne with Prosciutto and Radicchio.

Thank you all for sharing your beautiful memories and tempting recipes with us. I look forward to seeing what memories inspire us next month!

Cooking with Mom

noreply@blogger.com (The Passionate Palate) — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 19:42:00 +0000

Over the years, my mother taught me a lot about cooking and I her. When I was very young, her cooking was pretty basic, at some point when I was about 12 or 13, she became very interested in "gourmet" cooking. She took all kinds of cooking classes - French, Italian, Chinese, and others. She immersed herself in learning as much as she could. Fast forward to my parents' retirement years and she once again took more cooking classes, watched cooking shows, read cookbooks and really mastered classic preparation and cooking methods, as well as the correct tools to use, their handling and care. I, on the other hand, always loved to experiment in the kitchen and was always comfortable just throwing things together or learning something in my own way, but definitely not the traditional way. My mother always used to say how jealous she was of my comfort in the kitchen (I wasn't afraid to make a mistake - and I made plenty!) I often resented her following me around the kitchen, watching everything I did. (Oh how I regret that today.) When I was older and more open to her ideas, I learned from her many basics that I was missing with my own methods. She taught me the best ways to chop, slice, peel, saute, etc. She showed me tools that I had never used, corrected my mistreatment of certain herbs and vegetables, showed me professional tips that I never would have had the patience to learn otherwise. We had an interesting exchange when I had finally mellowed and did not resent her presence when I was cooking. I was usually the one to discover some dish at a restaurant and then replicate it at home. The successful ones I always made for her. She was the one to study cookbooks and shows and pass those recipes she found good on to me. Sometimes we had both made certain dishes so much that we couldn't remember who started it or who changed it. In the end, we really inspired each other and taught each other much about food and cooking. For that and many other reasons, I am eternally grateful for her.

Mom and me her kitchen - 2000

One such recipe that we passed back and forth was a simple pasta that I created from a dish I had in Milan many years ago. After my mom passed away, in her recipe collection I found a 3x5 card in her handwriting with this recipe on it. She had named the pasta "Antonio's Radicchio Pasta". I felt a bit resentful that the pasta dish I had discovered had somehow been attributed to the Italian in the family - my husband - and not me. It gave me a good laugh, as my mom adored my husband and really put him on a pedestal - especially when it came to his natural abilities with food and cooking. So, in a way, it was a posthumous compliment to me from my mom!

This is my entry for Apples & Thyme.

Antonio's Radicchio Pasta

serves 4

1 lb. penne pasta
1 head chopped radicchio (For this dish, I prefer the Radicchio di Chioggia - the type with the round head)
1/2 lb. diced prosciutto
A pile (maybe 1 cup) of shaved Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano
Salt and Pepper to taste

Boil pasta in well salted water.

In a large skillet, saute' prosciutto with a good glug of olive oil for a few minutes, or until it appears to be cooked, then add the radicchio and cook until wilted. Add a little fresh ground pepper.

Drain pasta, reserving some of the cooking liquid. Toss pasta in the skillet with the radicchio and prosciutto. If it appears to dry, add in a little of the pasta water. Add salt if needed. Serve in a big bowl topped with the shaved cheese.

Of course, don't forget to serve it with a delicious Italian wine - try a Tocai from Friuli, or if you prefer red, try a Refosco.

Buon appetito!

Passionate Mondays - Venice

noreply@blogger.com (The Passionate Palate) — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 11:57:00 +0000

Those of you who know me or follow my blog closely know that I am passionate about Venice. I have mentioned it many times or alluded to it in different posts. I thought today, coming so soon after the recent "Carnevale di Venezia" would be the perfect today to share a passionate piece I wrote many years ago about Venice, otherwise known as "La Serenissima".Venice

The train approaches the coast and my senses stir and my instincts are alerted that I’m near my city by the sea, Venice, “La Serenissima”. Somehow it’s mine, but like a lover, it’s never mine. And like a lover, I am always excited reuniting after a long time apart. I approach with a quickened heartbeat.

As the wooden boat carries me closer to its heart, I feel its pulse. Once my feet are on its small alleyways, I’m taken. I cannot lead, I can only follow. I have no control, the city swallows me, moves me. I’m helplessly swept into its tides. Not wanting to know where it is leading me, I follow my lover blindly to edges, turns, pauses, views, treasures – discovering its private places. I am completely exposed with no secrets from it. Just flowing, I feel more. I’m enveloped in its embrace, our breaths becoming one, our pulses rising and falling together.

Sometimes I hide behind my camera lens. Perhaps, it is shyness in the face of such beauty. Perhaps, it is a futile effort to capture a moment of ecstasy, an attempt to hold onto this feeling of rapture. But that’s just it! This feeling of being lost in Venice’s arms cannot be caught or captured, just as the city was never caught or captured. My lover cannot be contained, which is what I love about it. Re-visiting a photo does not convey its soul, its pulse, its magic. It must be experienced in person, with its saline breath on one’s skin.

My excitement quickens as I turn a corner and catch an incredible view, soon obscured by something else – a boat, a pedestrian. The next turn awards me with a forbidden peak into a palazzo, its Ottoman-inspired windows one minute revealing its mysterious interior, the next minute reflecting the sun in my eyes. Next I cross a perfect little bridge, empty and in solitude one minute, the next sharing it with a woman with and her groceries. These are mere glimpses into a complex soul.

The canals, the veins of the city, take visitors on boats into its heart. How many of them are aware of the great soul that they are entering? How many of them feel its pulse, learn its secrets, relinquish control to its gentle lead? How many will feel its mystery? How many will fall in love like I have and develop an insatiable craving for this mystical place? How many will keep coming back for more? How many will try to own this place (like so many in the past) and fail? How many will do the opposite and be scared off by Venice’s pleasures and passions, never to return for fear of losing themselves to the city? Oh, what they will miss! Yet, Venice will reveal itself - albeit slowly - its soul and treasures, to anyone who gives oneself up to it. A ready lover, this is the Casanova of cities. One moment in time, to be truly united with La Serenissima, is a pleasure not to be missed.

At times, my mind leads me to the fantasy of what it would be like to be with my lover permanently, married to this pleasure. Ah, but I know. I cannot hold onto this one. This lover is free, never to be caught, remember? I must be satisfied with my occasional rendezvous. I must always let it go for it belongs to no one, except perhaps to the great expanse of the sea.

I also want to mention some of my favorite blogs and sites about Venice:

Passionate Palate Tours - yes, some self-promotion here. If you need someone to arrange your trip to Venice - hotels, restaurants, museums, walking tours, etc.

Living Venice and Beyond - Nan gives us an insider's look at Venice and also has written a great book about Italy and Venice.

The Olive Notes - this is not a blog from Venice, but Erin recently posted two wonderful pieces about her time at Carnevale in Venice.
Michelle's Mental Clutter - all about life in Venice by an expat

Palazzo Grassi - an historical palazzo with wonderful art exhibits
Venice Daily Photo - just what it says it is

Venice From Beyond the Bridge - a blog with very interesting photos and stories about the city

Venice is, unfortunately, one of the most expensive cities in Italy to visit. With the weak dollar, it makes a trip there very difficult. However, if you can afford it and want to avoid the big crowds, I recommend going in the winter months - November, December, January. You will have to put up with sometimes very cold weather, "acqualta" or high water, and even snow, but it will be worth it. The last time I was there was in December and I packed my rubber boots in anticipation of the acqualta. Instead, there was snow and ice. The falling snow was like a blanket on the city, quieting it. I felt like I had the streets to myself at times. Yes, it was cold, but thankfully the stores sold cashmere socks (which I forgot to pack) that saved my feet and with wool scarves and gloves I was one very happy explorer. The cold also makes that afternoon espresso or hot chocolate taste even better. I found that traveling at that time brings priveleges you don't find when the city is full - like lots of attention in the restaurants (I had restaurant owners bringing me things to try because they had the time), good availability and better rates in hotels, no waiting lines at wine bars or at city attractions, and markets in which you could actually move freely. That is all just some food for thought for those of you that want a more intimate experience of La Serenissima.

Have a passionate Monday!

Crostata Invernale/Winter Crostata

noreply@blogger.com (The Passionate Palate) — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 01:17:00 +0000

I haven't posted much lately, not even my "Passionate Mondays". I've been juggling a lot of things, multi-tasking all day long, leaving myself with almost no quiet or alone time, therefore I haven't wanted to sacrifice one extra minute to "doing" anything else. This weekend is the first weekend in a long time in which I can pretty much do what I want. Yahoo! I started this morning with a walk on the beach with Stefania Belli, owner of La Lingua La Vita in Todi, Umbria. I wrote about her school in a recent post. My pre-cappuccino Italian stumbled roughly off my tongue while we played with our friend Christina's dog. Then we went for cornetti (Italian croissants) and cappuccini at my favorite cafe' in Long Beach - Aroma di Roma. That is what I call a beautiful morning!

Sometimes I find after being so busy, that on weekends like this I almost don't know what to do with myself. I tend to distract myself with house busy-ness - baking, laundry, paying bills, etc. Then as Saturday night is approaching I realize that I haven't really done anything for myself.

None of this relates to what I sat down to write about - crostata! Crostata is Itaian for Tart - savory or sweet. I like making a meal, especially in the winter, of a savory crostata, with mixed green salad on the side. The toppings and/or fillings for a crostata are only limited by your imagination. Use this recipe as a base and experiment. I also like denser cheeses like emmentaler, gruyere or mozzarella with tomatoes in the summer. You can try using any kind of cooked greens or asparagus with this ricotta filling, or roasted red peppers, eggplant or sundried tomatoes. I created this tart specifically for cold nights with ingredients that are readily available in the winter - ricotta, parmagiano, leeks, prosciutto and artichoke hearts. Hence my name for it:

Crostata Invernale/Winter Crostata
Makes two 7-9" crostatas
Serves 4 as a main course, or 8 as an appetizer

Dough:

1 3/4 - 2 cups white flour

1/4 cup olive oil

2 eggs

1 tsp. salt

Mix all ingredients together. They blend easily and should come together in about one minute. Split the dough into two disks, wrap in wax paper and chill for at least 10 minutes in the refrigerator.

Filling/Topping:

Meanwhile cut 4 medium-large leeks (white and light green parts only) lengthwise in half and clean well of all dirt. Dry and chop finely across, in half-circles.

Prosciutto - you can either buy some thick slices and chop, or if your store sells the prosciutto ends you can use those. Either way, chop into little chunks enough for 1 1/2 - 2 cups.

Sautee leeks and prosciutto together with some olive oil until leeks become tender, about 10-15 minutes.

While the leeks and prosciutto are cooking, drain, rinse and pat dry one jar of marinated, quartered artichoke hearts. Set aside.

Blend about 1 1/2 cups whole milk ricotta with about 1/2 cup finely grated Parmagianno Reggiano, and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Assembly:

Roll out each disk of dough on a floured surface to about 1/8" thick. Transfer to a baking sheet and make free form edges. (If you are using these for appetizers, you could form the dough into a square instead so that small pieces can be cut in squares when done.)

Spread ricotta mixture on each crostata evenly. On top of that distribute the leek and prosciutto mixture. On top of that, place artichoke hearts.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

These can be sliced like pizza for entrees, or in little pieces for appetizers.

Don't forget to enjoy with a nice glass of wine - and with this you could drink just about any type you like. Buon appetito!

Don't forget your entries for Apples & Thyme are due by February 20th. Being that I am extra busy, a few days later won't matter this month! You can go here for more details.

Stufato di Vitello/Veal Stew

noreply@blogger.com (The Passionate Palate) — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 00:26:00 +0000

I haven't posted many recipes lately for several reasons, and I apologize. I miss experimenting in the kitchen and sharing my findings with everyone. My husband is still undergoing a lengthy medical treatment which leaves him wanting bland foods (like when you have the flu.) So, I am missing my "right arm" in the kitchen as we work really well together in creating new dishes and enhancing old ones. Also, without someone to cook for, I am not inspired. There is definitely something to be said for cooking for others.

Today I asked my husband and if he wanted some simple chicken stew and he replied, "No, veal stew." Happily I agreed; I had something fun to cook today! Especially in the winter, a hearty, one-pot meal is so comforting, and relatively easy. This stew can be made identically with rabbit, chicken or beef. My store did not have "stew" cut or chunks of veal so I bought two veal shanks, equalling 1.4 lbs, which is plenty for three people actually. (I can get carried away.)

Veal Stew/Stufato di Vitello

serves 3

1 lb. veal chunks or two veal shanks (about 1.25-1.5 lbs)

flour

one medium onion

1 cup red wine

4-5 Tbsp. chopped tomatoes or pureed tomatoes (or 2-3 Tbsp. tomato paste)

one garlic clove peeled, left whole, and stuck with one clove (the clove is optional)

1 celery stalk, diced finely

3-4 medium carrots, roughly chopped

2 large yukon gold potatoes (or 8 small ones), cut in small chunks

about 1 cup roughly chopped cremini (or brown) mushrooms

1 bay leaf

1 Tbsp. chopped parsley (optional)

approximately 2 cups chicken broth

1 cup water

salt and pepper to taste

Sautee the onion in some olive oil in a sturdy stew pot. Dust the veal pieces with flour. When the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes, add the veal and brown on both (or all sides). Add the wine and cook down for about 10 minutes.

Add the tomato puree or paste and stir. Add the all the chopped vegetables and herbs and stir well.

Add the broth, water and some salt and pepper. Add enough broth so that it just covers the vegetables. Bring to a boil. Place the whole garlic clove on top of the vegetables, being careful not to stir it under. (You want to know where the garlic clove is at all times as you will remove it after about two hours of cooking.) Lower heat to a simmer and place lid on pot, but leave it slightly open (I put a wooden spoon across the top of the pot and rest the lid on that.) Stir every 20-30 minutes, being careful not to lose the garlic clove. Cook like this for 5 or more hours - the longer the better. Serve with a good, crusty bread, with a salad on the side for a great meal.

Shortcut:

If you have less cooking time, use no water, just two cups broth and cook for about 3 1/2 hours. Less than that, it is just not tasty enough.

Other version:

You can omit the potatoes and serve this over polenta. If you do, use about 1 cup less liquid so that the sauce is thicker.

I think rabbit is my favorite version of this stew, but that is a personal preference. Either way, it is really satisfying.

Enjoy with a medium to heavy bodied red wine like a Chianti Classico, Barbera, Barbaresco, Rosso di Montalcino, or something similar.

Buon appetito!

Apples and Thyme - Round Up #3

noreply@blogger.com (The Passionate Palate) — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 20:11:00 +0000

January's Apples and Thyme Round Up is over at Vanielje Kitchen. Grab a cup of coffee, tea, glass of wine, or other soothing beverage and read through a wonderful collection of recipes and memories - all celebrating time in the kitchen with mothers and grandmothers.

Next month's entries will be due on February 20 and will be posted by the end of February. Please send entries to me at passionatepalate AT gmail DOT com, as I will be doing the February round-up.

Just for fun, does anyone out there have specific memories of recipes or food traditions for Valentine's Day? If so, we'd love to read them. If you are new to this event, you can visit here for our original event description.

Passionate Mondays - Italian Language

noreply@blogger.com (The Passionate Palate) — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 11:41:00 +0000

Today, I am passionate about the Italian language, la bella lingua Italiana.

As I write this my husband is in the other room watching the "Godfather" in Italian. I love hearing Italian, any time, any day, and have since I first heard it. It is comfort to my ears somehow. My first trip to Italy, when I had only one semester of Italian under my belt, it never bothered me that I didn't understand what people were saying. I remember just wanting to sit in public places and soak in the sounds, bathe in the melody of that beautiful language.

I know that I will always be a student of languages and look forward to learning more, but I want to be fluent in Italian more than I have ever wanted to in another language. Through a dear friend in Long Beach who was my Italian tutor, I met Stefania Belli, the founder of La Lingua La Vita in Italy. La Lingua La Vita is an Italian language school for foreigners located in beautiful Todi, Umbria. I have studied languages since 1976 (French, Spanish and Italian) and have had a wide range of teachers. I can honestly say that Stefania is one of the best and most natural teachers I have ever had the pleasure of studying with. She has also created a new innovative way of learning called "Beyond Language", which was recently written about in Yoga Journal.

Lucky for me, Stefania comes to Southern California once a year to hold a month-long intensive Italian course that I take. I dream of going to Todi to immerse myself in the language program there as soon as I can. I must say that despite the terrible exchange rate for us poor people with dollars, her programs are still very affordable, in addition to being very interesting. If you are interested in signing up for one of her courses in Todi, you can visit my website for full details and, since I act as one of their U.S. agents, you can register through me.

In addition to the language classes, students can take cooking courses, do olive oil and wine tastings, visit ceramic studios, or do art classes. You have the option of staying with a family (a further way to strengthen your Italian) or stay in an independent apartment. Studying at La Lingua La Vita would be a great way to full immerse yourself in the Italian culture.

Have a passionate Monday!

Fatevi un lunedi appassionato!

Passionate Friday?

noreply@blogger.com (The Passionate Palate) — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 19:49:00 +0000

Si amici...I missed my Passionate Mondays post, but alas we must be flexible! I encourage you all to be passionate today, Friday, instead. Oh, I know it's a stretch, but reach, you can do it!

I am nursing a very bad cold, and even with a cold I feel passionate today. It may not be a sexy passionate as my focus is on garlic, red hot chili peppers (the food, not the band), oranges, lemons, tea, soup, blankets, kleenex and good books. All of which are curing what ails me.

Besides those passions, this week I got very passionate about networking and exchanging ideas. It is amazing what happens when you connect people with others, or your ideas with others and when synergy happens. That is happening in my life right now and what I see is that when you plant seeds of ideas, some grow, and some grow in ways you could never have imagined.

Since I have to resume nursing myself back to health, I want to throw the question out there to all of you: what are you currently passionate about? Do tell, as I need some exciting things to read about!

Tag, I Am It! Seven Random Things About Myself

noreply@blogger.com (The Passionate Palate) — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 23:14:00 +0000

I have been tagged with a fun meme by Katerina Fiore of Olio di Oliva e Sogni di Vino (for those who don't speak Italian, that means Olive Oil and Dreams of Wine - great blog name, isn't it?)

I am to describe 7 random things about myself.

I am a Gemini, going in many directions at once, have always lead a very diverse life, and therefore find it very difficult to stick to 7 things.

* I love, love, love to be in Venice by myself. Venice, to me, is like a lover. You can roam the streets anonymously, getting lost in its sensuousness and beauty, devouring it as it devours you.

* Mountains speak to my soul. My favorite range is the Alps which I once flew over in a very small plane, alone with the pilot, in the dead of winter. The feeling of being so close to those majestic peaks was incomparable. I have camped and hiked alone in the Canadian Rockies and was awed at their splendor. I have traveled across and through the Himalayas, and the power and altitude of its peaks are overpoweringly beautiful. (And, yes, seeing Mt. Everest was one of the penultimate experiences of my life!)

* My first real job was on a pig and turkey farm. I'll leave that one at that.

* I studied for one semester at the oldest college in the Western Hemisphere - El Colegio de San Nicolas de Hidalgo, otherwise known as the University of Michoacan, in Mexico, founded in the 1590s.

* I just had a book dedicated to me. China by Herbert Paulzen, unfortunately is only published in Dutch. Herbert is one of the best known travel writers in the Netherlands and one of the most fascinating human beings I have ever met. We met in Kathmandu and traveled to Tibet together. I was moved to tears by his dedication.

* I like being around dying people. I have a difficult time putting into words this feeling, but when I am with a dying person, all pretenses are stripped away, and life is boiled down to what is really important.

* I am a yoga teacher and have done yoga, every day, for over 16 years. I am so grateful to have this practice in my life.

Okay, I'll stop myself there.

If you are reading this and would like to participate, consider yourself tagged. We would all love to read random things about each other, so play along!

Passionate Mondays - Italian Wine

noreply@blogger.com (The Passionate Palate) — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 19:52:00 +0000

I'm just back from New York and newly inspired about Italian wines.

Since the first time I tried any Italian wine of quality, which was a Barolo and a Barbaresco, I have been hooked on Italian wines. I knew from that moment on that what I wanted to do was sell, or somehow be involved with promoting Italian wines. Yes, it was that simple, like a lightning bolt. I did and still do follow that passion.

I am ceaselessly promoting my favorite Italian wines - like Canella Brut Rose' in this photo.

I realize that Italian wines can be very confusing for the average consumer due to thousands of grape varieties and wine labeling practices that make it difficult for most people to understand what is actually in the bottle. Without getting into a lesson, I simply want to encourage wine lovers out there to not be intimidated by these things and actually experiment with trying a variety of Italian wines. I recommend starting with a knowledgeable wine retailer and getting their guidance on how to buy Italian wines that you will like.

My other strong recommendation, besides taking one of my great wine trips to Italy (see my company website for more information), is reading all that you can about Italian wine. One of the best magazines for that is Gambero Rosso from Italy. Gambero Rosso, the leading wine magazine in Italy, each year gives out their Tre Bicchieri, or Three Glasses, award to the top 100 wines of Italy. They recently announced their 2008 winners, which you can read about here. They also do a Tre Bicchieri road show where you can taste all these top wines and talk to the wine producers or their representatives yourself. It is a wine tasting that I highly recommend.

So, on this Passionate Monday, why not pick up a nice bottle of Italian wine for dinner tonight?

Apples & Thyme ~ a celebration of mothers and grandmothers and time spent with with them in the kitchen

noreply@blogger.com (The Passionate Palate) — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 16:33:00 +0000

Just a reminder to submit your entries for our Apples & Thyme event. Inge and I normally ask for entries by the 10th of each month, but have extended the deadline this month to the 15th. Seems that everyone, including us, is getting a slow start this year. So, please, search your memory banks for recollections of time spent in the kitchen with your mothers, grandmothers, or whoever influenced you in relation to food. Share pictures, recipes and stories. Keep those old traditions alive with us here at Apples & Thyme!

On a personal note, I am off to New York for some meetings and a little fun for the rest of the week. I'll be back on Monday with Passionate Mondays!