dinners with friends

An annual tradition ...

2018-04-01T12:52:00.000-07:00

An annual Easter tradition, this year in its 18th itineration.

A gathering of friends old & new for a scrumptious pot luck lunch, a boisterous sit down lunch in a converted barn, followed by an epic egg hunt along the lush meadows surrounding the farm.

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Sitting on the dock of the bay ...

2018-02-05T12:08:00.000-08:00

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A sunny coffee date at Latteria Studio in Rome

2017-10-25T16:12:00.000-07:00

A visit to Latteria Studio had been on my list for a while, ever since meeting Alice Adams last year at Il Baciarino, where she was collaborating on Emiko Davies' second cookbook Acquacotta ~ and even more so after an invitation to a lovely Sunday lunch in Alice's enchanted garden in Lubriano earlier this year ...

A native Australian who has called Rome home long enough to speak fluent Italian with a destinct Roman accent, Alice is a wearer of many hats of talent - a cook, food stylist, recipe developer, blogger and proprietress of before mentioned Latteria Studio a sunny gathering space, culinary prop studio and cooking school in the heart of Trastevere.

And while we only had time for a quick caffè, it was nice to get a tour of the studio {with a dash of prop envy} ...

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Carbonara days of summer

2017-07-15T13:48:00.001-07:00

Last month has been unusually hot along the Mediterranean, with a hot Scirocco wind blowing from Africa meaning lazy days spent in the shade of our casetta patio, reading, relaxing and embracing a long "pranzo" {Italian for lunch}, a leisurely long meal stretched out over those hottest hours of the day, playing with local ingredients and re-interpreting favorite Italian dishes ...

One of my all time favorites, even if not a local Maremmana recipe, will always be Spaghetti alla Carbonara ~ and after spotting appropriate substitutes for the original Roman ingredients at our little alimentari, this Carbonara {with a Tuscan twist} has become a favorite staple of our summer lunches ....

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An {unintentionally} color coordinated twilight dinner in the Lucca Hills ...

2017-07-12T20:38:00.000-07:00

Last month found us returning to the Colline Lucchesi, the fertile olive and wine growing hills surrounding Lucca, a region I had vowed to revisit after scouting culinary tour destinations for Viola's Italy here last year ~ and returning to a favorite Airbnb, a classic Tuscan farmhouse nestled into an olive and cherry grove with a long alfresco dining table overlooking Piana di Lucca and Monte Pisano in the distance.

And after some memorable evenings under the stars, sharing the rustic table along the ancient stone wall with our host Pablo and an ever evolving group of friends, it was once again time to say Arrivederci to the Lucca hills:

firing up the grill for an Italian inspired menu of "surf & turf", it made for a memorable farewell grigliata ~ and looking through these photos made me realize how {unintentionally} color coordinated this dinner turned out to be in camera ...

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A birthday tradition in Vetulonia {& a surprise visit}

2017-06-25T18:11:00.000-07:00

A balmy summer evening in the rolling hills of Maremma, an annual birthday tradition and a surprise visit of old friends ...

The occasion was Paola's annual birthday dinner, hosted by our friends Clelia and Andrea in honor of their dear friend, a seafood feast a group of Paola's closest friends who were coming off a sail boat journey circling Giglio Island and were expected to arrive in Vetulonia in time for a sunset aperitivo.

And just as Clelia was done setting the table, two surprise dinner guests wandered onto the terrace: Dania and Clementina {aka "Titti"}, Clelia's best friends from childhood days, turning the evening into yet another reason to raise glasses of prosecco to friendship, birthdays, health and the incredible culinary flavors of Cucina di Andrea ...

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A rustic kitchen and favorite table under the fig tree

2017-06-07T05:59:00.000-07:00

Summer has arrived again, and as in the past couple of years we have escaped San Francisco's summer gloom and returned to Vetulonia, an Etruscan founded hilltop town nestled into the rolling hills of Tuscany's Maremma region – returning once again to Il Baciarino, our "home away from home", a small agriturismo with five rustic cottages nestled into a quiet oak and olive grove and owned by our dear friends Clelia and Andrea.

The first days have been a much needed timeout, resetting our clocks to life with the cycle of nature, long afternoons spent in the shade of "our" fig tree, embracing the Italian siesta concept, reading, relaxing and cooking simple meals in our rustic outdoor kitchen with endless views.

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A long Sunday lunch {& Infiorata} in Lubriano

2017-06-04T02:45:00.000-07:00

We are back in Italy and what a treat to start off with a drive into the Tuscia region to join Alice Kiandra Adams {proprietress of Latteria Studio and author of the always inspiring RusticaRetro blog} along with family, neighbors and friends for a long Sunday lunch in Lubriano , sitting down under the vine-covered pergola of her enchanting garden with views of the surrounding valley and neighboring Civita di Bagnoreggio.

And it turned out it was not just any Sunday, coinciding with Lubriano's Infiorata, an annual festival held on the Sunday of the Ascension, turning the small towns narrow streets into colorful canvases of intricate flower carpets ~ a rather temporary spectacle of flower petals, leaves and seeds set up by the town inhabitants overnight and swept away after a ceremonious procession leading over the flower carpet to the main church in the morning.

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Mediterranean inspired flavors in the desert

2017-05-05T23:02:00.007-07:00

A couple of weeks ago we decided to take a road trip, driving from San Francisco to the California desert on a quest to see the desert in bloom. We followed the back roads from the Central Valley towards the high desert, detouring to see the California poppies along Antelope Valley, and spending a couple of days at a favorite desert hideaway to catch up with our friend Nancy.

With mild desert temperatures and in anticipation of the next Italy trip we cooked up some Mediterranean inspired menus, from octopus salad and cannellini tuna crostini to cured salumi and grilled lamb chops, the perfect flavors for some breezy spring days in the desert ...

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A sunny escape from the office & tacos at TACOS CALA

2017-03-24T20:20:00.002-07:00

Yesterday brought a rare glimpse of sunshine to a week of dreary downpours, so spotting the Achilles Heel pop up on Instagram was the perfect excuse for an impromptu escape from the office, heading down to the secret taco stand that is TACOS CALA, tucked into the back alley behind CALA.

As it turned out, we were too late to savor Lee Desrosiers' specials {grilled on the sidewalk on a portable Francis Mallmann parrilla traveling in a fancy leather traveling case}, but plates of Mexico City style tacos de guisado {lengua en salsa verde, carnitas & pollo en pipian} with agua fresca {lemon ginger mint} still made for the perfect fix while taking in CALA's cool interiors ...

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When life gives you oranges ... help supporting the Big Sur Bakery

2017-02-25T18:50:00.003-08:00

It has been a crazy winter in California. After five years gripped in a near existential drought, this has been the wettest winter on record, with near biblical storms causing destructive landslides, flooding and irreparable devastation to the state's infrastructure.

One region hit especially hard is Big Sur, the wild coastline between Monterey and Santa Barbara and one of our favorite destinations for an escape from the city ~ e.g. this fall Big Sur road trip and a memorable Big Sur Thanksgiving a couple of years ago. After a summer of ravaging wildfires, evacuations and longtime road closures, Big Sur once again finds itself cut off from the outside world: with a canyon bridge damaged beyond repair by a recent landslide, Highway One was closed indefinitely last week, cutting off access to this remote coastline and to Big Sur Bakery, one of my favorite Big Sur destinations.

With another rain storm approaching this weekend, Big Sur has been on my mind as I find myself browsing the Big Sur Bakery Cookbook, a favorite in this kitchen. And with a basket of sunny citrus on the kitchen counter, I thought I would share an all-time favorite recipe from the archives along with some Big Sur photos ...

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A rainy day in Antwerp { & stay at Boulevard Leopold }

2017-01-09T23:16:00.000-08:00

After spending the past holidays at home, this winter we felt a sudden rather sentimental urge to hop across the pond for Christmas in the "old world" among family and friends.

And with the affordable last-minute airfares flying into Amsterdam, we decided to get on the plane a couple of days early for a pre-holiday detour ~ revisiting Amsterdam and Antwerp along the way.

After a chilly first day in Amsterdam and rainy day arrival in Antwerp, checking into Boulevard Leopold more than made up for gloomy skies, jet lag and tired eyes ...

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A cheese fondue under the moon and stars

2016-12-03T16:50:00.000-08:00

We couldn't have asked for a more perfect first weekend of December: a crisp and sunny fall day turned into a glorious sunset and an almost balmy evening under the moon and stars.

After a long beach walk everyone gathered in the backyard with a glass of wine or bottle of beer, watching the sun set over the ocean, while the kids set up a sidewalk stall selling "Sunset Lemonade", lighting fires in the Mexican chimenea on the patio and the wood burning stove inside the house, before sitting down along long tables set for an authentic Swiss cheese fondue ... along with new world additions like tomatoes, roasted potatoes and whole grain breads.

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A Thanksgiving picnic with friends

2016-11-24T23:19:00.000-08:00

Even after calling California home for almost eighteen years now, I still have a somewhat ambiguous relationship with the Thanksgiving holiday.

As expat orphans we have been lucky to be graciously invited into friends' homes in the past. Our very first Thanksgiving at a friends' home in Sebastopol is still a fond memory, as is an alfresco dinner in an enchanted garden with the same friends many years later. In between there were Thanksgiving dinners in the desert, sharing the dinner table with other holiday orphans at a favorite desert hideaway. An escape to Big Sur and Thanksgiving at Big Sur Bakery. And two years ago I got to watch my friend Maxine set a rustic holiday table.

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I { heart } San Francisco

2016-09-25T15:45:00.000-07:00

SF AMATRICE Italy Earthquake Relief Fundraiser

I ♡ San Francisco. This pretty much sums up the experience of SF AMATRICE, the Italy Earthquake Relief Fundraiser I was honored to support {with web & graphic design} for my dear friends Marcia Gagliardi, aka Ms. tablehopper, and Gianluca Legrottaglie of Montesacro & 54 Mint.

Two weeks of string pulling, fund raising and ticket selling ended with an epic all-day event last Sunday - and we could not have asked for a more glorious Indian summer day or a more generous outpouring of support from community and friends!

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A full moon gathering in West Marin

2016-07-19T18:36:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer: this post was supposed to go live months ago. Let's blame the jet lag ... returning from Europe just a couple of days prior to this dinner, I ended up getting distracted with work/life, eventually misplacing the camera chip and only re-discovering the photos this week {well into fall!}

It was one of those rare balmy summer evenings with no coastal fog in sight, as we headed across the Golden Gate Bridge and over the ridge to Stinson Beach. joining our friend Renee for a sunset gathering and dinner with friends in celebration of the summer night's full moon known as Full Buck Moon, symbolizing the time of the year when male deer {bucks} start growing new antlers.

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A first class waiting room turned Gesamtkunstwerk {Intérieur No. 253}

2016-07-18T21:51:00.000-07:00

Walking into Intérieur No. 253 makes for a striking first impression - from the museum elevator you step into a narrow hallway, opening on both ends to grand dining halls with tall arched windows, soaring ceilings, herringbone parquet and glamorous crystal chandeliers dangling from the raw stucco ceilings.

It turns out Interieur No. 253 is not only a stunning museum bistro, but also a walkable and usable "Gesamtkunstwerk", or total work of art. It is a comprehensive artwork by the Berlin artist Anton Henning who was commissioned to envision the interior of the bistro at the Arp Museum Bahnhof Rolandseck, converting the historic banquet hall and first class waiting room of this former train station into striking visual interiors complimenting the culinary experience at Intérieur No. 253.

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Old world glamour and pretty interiors at Bar Schmitz in Cologne

2016-07-17T23:43:00.000-07:00

Before moving to San Francisco in the late 90s I lived in Cologne, in a classic apartment with tall ceilings overlooking Friesenplatz - and right across the street from "XX", pronounced Dos Equis {as the beer}, a tiny bar with the faded ambience of a opulent fin-de-siècle bordello - and in those days a favorite hangout of the local art crowd.

Dos Equis closed years ago, but the gastronomic team behind this tiny bar is busier than ever. A few streets over, Dirk Mecky and his wife Trixi have taken over three adjacent storefronts, turning each into iconic destinations - Metzgerei Schmitz, a former butcher shop turned bakery and deli, Salon Schmitz, a grand café with Danish and German design classics from the 50s and 60s, Coco Schmitz, a glam subterranean club with a 70s discotheque vibe - and Bar Schmitz, a gorgeous old world brasserie, restaurant, glacier and cocktail bar decked out in glorious Belgian Art Nouveau details.

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Pizza, cocktails and music in an enchanted olive grove

2016-06-25T17:45:00.000-07:00

Finally a long overdue update on this blog, while still playing catch up with so many rolls of {digital} film after this year's #anItalianroadtrip ...

After exploring the Colline Lucchesi, scouting culinary destinations and hidden foodways for Viola's Italy, we returned to the Maremma, Tuscany's wild and beautiful coastal region, to revisit favorite haunts and catch up with friends old and new.

One of those friends is Katja Meier, author of the incredible MapItOut travel sites and overall woman-in-the-know on all things culinary, cultural and literary in the Maremma and beyond. Katja and Sergio had invited to a summer celebration in their olive grove, a magical evening of wood fired pizza, cocktails and music under the olive trees - all served with endless view of the surrounding Tuscan hills and Monte Amiata in the distance.

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A summer lunch with friends in the Florentine hills

2016-06-20T06:47:00.000-07:00

The impromptu invitation to a summer lunch in the Florentine hills arrived a day before, in the form of a private cooking class hosted by cookbook author and blogger Emiko Davies at the magical Villa Medicea di Lilliano, a historical hunting lodge of the Medici family turned wine estate high in the hills overlooking Florence.

The occasion was the launch of Emiko's beautiful first cookbook Florentine: The True Cuisine of Florence and she had invited food bloggers of the region to come together to cook some of the book's recipes in the villa's wonderfully rustic cucina - so together with Valeria Necchio {Life Love Food}, Irene Berni {Val di Rose}, Ilaria Gori {Tuscany Buzz}, Denya Pandolfi {Grazie A Te}and Nardia Plumridge {Lost In Florence} we explored the estate, its gardens and wine caves before joining forces in the beautiful kitchen to whip up a perfect summer menu ...

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A springtime lunch at La Dolce Vita

2016-06-06T22:32:00.000-07:00

A {late} dispatch from Maremma and what has turned into our home away from home ~ Il Baciarino, a rustic agriturismo nestled in the hills of Maremma, Tuscany's rugged coastal region. As we are about to embark on the next hop across pond, I realize I never posted these photos from this springtime lunch.

Our hosts and dear friends Clelia and Andrea are the most gracious and generous hosts, but with a bounty of fresh ingredients from our days in the Lucca hills, we thought it would be fun to turn things around and invite our hosts over for lunch at our tiny "casetta" instead.

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Everyday family life in a centuries-old villa { Tenuta di Valgiano }

2016-05-31T14:49:00.000-07:00

Traveling in Italy, I often wondered what it might be like living in one of the centuries-old villas that dot the Italian countryside. This summer, while scouting the Colline Lucchesi region for Viola's Italy, I finally got a sneak peek into everyday villa life - when I met Laura di Collobiano, who with her two kids and dogs lives in an incredible 15th century villa perched high in the Lucca hills.

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A lazy day under the cherry trees and impromptu market lunch in the Lucca hills

2016-05-21T06:45:00.000-07:00

This year's Italy adventure started off with one of those experiences that make me love traveling with Airbnb: we had arrived in Florence two days prior, hopped into our tiny rental car and escaped the tourists throngs for the nature and quiet of the Colline Luchesi, the fertile green hills surrounding Lucca. After spending the first two nights at a charming olive farm {another Airbnb find}, we moved just one town over to this rustic farm house with endless views ...

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A sunny birthday lunch for young and old {& Diego turns 4}

2016-05-01T14:29:00.000-07:00

It's crazy how time flies by these days. I still remember Diego as a baby and have shared many meals with Diego and his parents, so it's not surprise he has made various appearances on this blog - from a spontaneous springtime dinner to a holiday brunch with family and friends to a sunny Epiphany Day picnic with Galette des Rois to a summer summer aperitivo in Diego's garden ...

and with the snap of fingers Diego just turned 4 last weekend!

And a sunny Sunday in the city and a cheerful lunch with friends young and old, followed by not just one, but three fabulous birthday cakes - all prepared by the talented Philippine, Diego's mom ...

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A backyard house concert & potluck dinner on a warm San Francisco night ...

2016-04-15T16:47:00.000-07:00

Last Friday was one of those rare San Francisco days that start off with a pink sunrise, turn sunny and windless - and actually stay balmy into the evening, making it the perfect night for a backyard house concert and potluck dinner hosted by San Francisco artist and product designer Windy Chien.

I first met multi talented Windy at last winter's Remodelista Market, where her beautiful hand carved corner spoons {see below} and hand knotted hex lighting had caught my eye - and as it turns out, we have some dear friends in common!

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