Flavours of Italy

A day in the life of a Flavours host...

noreply@blogger.com (FlavoursofItaly) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:01:00 +0000

A native australian but a true Italophile - Jessica is our host in Tuscany at both our Villa Toscana and Villa Maria properties. We asked her to give us the lowdown of a day in the life of a Flavours guide.

6.30 Its always an early start! The day starts with opening up the villa so that the more energetic guests can take an early morning dip while I prepare the breakfast. The all important espresso maker is put to work while I make a fruit salad and bake the croissants. Today, un-surprisingly the weather is beautiful so I set the table on the terrace over-looking the breath-taking views of the Lucca plain. As the first few guests emerge I get busy making the coffee!

9.00 While the guests munch on breakfast I set up the cooking lesson. Today we're making Ravioli, so it's rolling pins at the ready!

10.30 After a leisurely breakfast the cooking begins. This weeks group is a nice mix of ages, there's five people, the youngest Sally (32) is a lawyer from London, while the oldest (early 70s - I don't ask ages) Tony is a retired Maths teacher. Anyway the lessons are always fun with plenty of laughs!

12.00 After the lesson is over I set the table and it's time to eat! There's nothing better than enjoying the fruits of our labour looking out over the stunning Tuscan landscape! Always the favourite part of my day!

2.00 With a full belly we head out to Lucca for a day of sightseeing. Lucca is a lovely medieval town which never feels too touristy. There's some stunning shops and plenty of chances to while away the hours people watching in one of the many pavement cafes. After flashing the cash on some new Italian boots (a girl can never have too many) I go to meet the rest of the group by the famous Piazzo Antiteatro.

8.00 With the whole group accounted for we set off for dinner at 'Ammodonostro' - which translates to 'In our own way.' It's a great little restaurant that takes classic Tuscan dishes presenting them in a contemporary way.

10.30 We head back to the villa with our driver Nicola. Some of the group fancy a quick nightcap, so I get the Vin Santo out. Not that I mind! It's a lovely way to end the day, unwinding and chatting looking out over the unspoilt landscape of the Lucca plain.

11.00 After making some early preparations for breakfast it's definitely time for bed! Buona Notte!

While you're waiting for our new brochure for Italian Cookery Holidays...

noreply@blogger.com (FlavoursofItaly) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:54:00 +0000

While you're waiting for our new brochure to arrive from the printers, why not flick through our current one. It's full of plenty Italian inspiration!

Olive harvest time!

noreply@blogger.com (FlavoursofItaly) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:19:00 +0000

In most Mediterranean areas of

Italy

, olives are normally harvested in the months of November, December and January. But in Tuscany, where cooler valleys are sometimes hit by early frosts, the harvest can begin as early as the end of September.

This early harvest means that the fruit is less ripe when it comes off the vine producing less oil, making Tuscan olive oils a bit more hard to come by than others. The less ripe olives also account for the prized peppery taste of olive oil from Tuscany. This autumnal harvest time is one of the best seasons to visit Tuscany – there are even parties thrown to honour it!

Olives are to this day picked by hand, and they are combed from the tree branches with a long instrument that resembles a giant pair of scissors. This old method, known as Brucatura, provides the best fruit as machines tend to bruise the fruit which has a direct impact on the taste. In Tuscany, the olives are always picked by hand, for proud Tuscans it would be a crime even to use one sub-standard Olive as this can effect the taste of the whole barrel!

As you can imagine, olive harvesting is difficult work. Usually, the entire family, and often their friends, are called upon to pitch in with the farm workers for the harvest. The olives are always picked when green and timing is hugely important. Once the fruit is off the trees, it must be rushed to the press in order to avoid the fruit spoiling. Fermentation becomes an issue once the olives are picked. So, it is on to the presses as quickly as possible.

Each olive is about 20 percent oil, so it takes a huge number of olives to produce a litre of oil – normally about 200! However, with the finer and more expensive oils, it sometimes takes the fruit of an entire tree to produce a litre.

In Tuscany, as in most of Italy, the olives are pressed at a communal mill which is called a Frantoio. At the frantoio, many growers bring their olives to be pressed, but each grower is proud of his olives and comes along with them to the mill, to be sure that only his harvest goes into the pressing. A centuries old tradition still very much alive and well in rural Tuscany!

Flavours offer Italian cooking holidays at two venues in Tuscany, Villa Maria (close to Florence) and Villa Segalato (close to Lucca). Flavours also offer Pilates and Painting holidays in Tuscany.

For more details visit www.flavoursholidays.co.uk

Autunno, autumn in Tuscany

noreply@blogger.com (FlavoursofItaly) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 10:10:00 +0000

Autumn is when you can find the most rich flavours in Italy. The intense heat of July and August finally lets up leaving us with vegetables that taste of the golden sunshine and lucious green landscape of this famous region.

This is a time to enjoy the famous truffles and drink local red wines - perhaps while sitting on a terrace watching the landscape change with the leaves from emerald green through burning red and finally to yellow. In Autumn Italy slows down, la dolce vita takes a different pace and before you know it you've been tricked into winter.

We recommend spening an afternoon driving the meandering roads until you come across a restaurant specialising in porcini mushrooms. During autumn the porcini are predominantly local, or "nostrali" in Tuscany. Rainfall, temperature and exposure of the sun are the main factors effecting the growth of mushrooms in the forests, so it's always better to ask if it's been a good year.

Why not explore the forests and hills of Tuscany when the olive groves and vine yards are buzzing with activity and laden for harvest. The autumn food in Tuscany retains the warmth of the summer - it's a perfect time to have a cooking renaissance!

Flavours offer Italian cooking holidays at two venues in Tuscany, Villa Maria (close to Florence) and Villa Segalato (close to Lucca). Flavours also offer Pilates and Painting holidays in Tuscany.

For more details visit www.flavoursholidays.co.uk

Economy Gastronomy

noreply@blogger.com (FlavoursofItaly) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 10:26:00 +0000

Has anyone seen the BBC's newest foodie show Economy Gastronomy? Allegra McEvedy and Paul Merrett - top London chefs are set the unenviable task of devising a system to slash our food bills and eat better than we've ever done before. It seems as a nation we have become obsessed with labels and branding on food - is splashing out on expensive ingredients really a short cut to delicious results?

The Italians would say no! Italian cooking is about simple good quality ingredients cooked with passion. I'm often amazed when I go to Italy how few ingredients are in the most amazing dishes - take Simone's (our chef in Tuscany) tomato and basil sauce - all you need is good quality Italian olive oil, cherry tomatoes, pine nuts and fresh basil - it's hardly going to break the bank, but you would be amazed a the depth and richness of flavour.

The secret is seasonality. Of course basil picked metres from the kitchen window is going to taste better than the shrink wrapped variety 'fresh' off a 14 hour flight from South Africa (which is now staring at you from the refrigeration cabinet). If you follow the seasons your cooking will be cheaper and tastier, plus by restricting yourself to key local produce you'll become more creative in the kitchen!Our Italian cooking holidays are all about respecting where food comes from the way that Italians do. The credit crunch has taught us a lot about how we spend our money, lets start to look at how we cook our food.

Why not try your hand at Italian style credit crunch cooking in Italy itself - Flavours offer cooking holidays in Sicily, Tuscany, Bologna and Puglia

You can catch Economy Gastronomy on BBC2 on Tuesday at 19:00 (GMT)

Why not treat yourself to a cooking holiday in Florence...

noreply@blogger.com (FlavoursofItaly) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 14:37:00 +0000

We just wanted to let you all know that we only have a few spaces left on our Florence cooking holiday, which departs on the 29th August - 5th September. A Flavours Cookery vacation in Florence includes an afternoon of wine tasting and a full days visit to the fascinating and beautiful city of Florence.

If you're curious about the types of dishes you'll be creating during your stay with us at our Italian Cookery School in Florence, then why not have a look at our selection of sample recipes. To find out what dates are available visit our dates and prices section. This is just a taster of the types of things you will be up to...

Saturday

Upon arrival at Pisa airport you will be met by our Flavours driver who will transfer you to Villa Maria, which is situated midway between the delightful towns of Lucca and Florence. At the villa you will enjoy a Slow Food tasting session followed by dinner.

Sunday

After breakfast cookery lesson followed by lunch. After lunch take we will go for a short walk to San Miniato followed by wine tasting which is just twenty minutes away in our private bus.

Monday

After breakfast we will have a cookery lesson, followed by lunch. The afternoon will be at your leisure to sit by the pool or to take in the spectacular surrounding countryside.

Tuesday

After breakfast we will leave for a day sightseeing in Florence. We will meet for lunch at Fiaschetteria Palle d'Oro - imagine Slow Food/Fast Food, a unique Tuscan experience! Dinner will be served back at the Villa.

Wednesday

After breakfast we will have a cookery lesson, followed by lunch. The afternoon will be at your leisure to relax by the pool or explore the surroundings!

Thursday

After breakfast cookery lesson followed by lunch. This afternoon we head to San Gimignano - a city of ancient towers an a lovely place to while away the afternoon. We stay in San Gimignano for dinner before returning to the villa.

Friday

After breakfast cookery lesson followed by lunch, then a chance to relax at the villa dfor the afternoon before dinner.

Saturday

After breakfast transfer to the airport for return flight to the UK.

If you like the sound of a Flavours cookery course near Florence then why not order our brochure - or call us in the office on 0800 612 6477, and we can answer any questions you may have!

Images from our Fringe Apron Exhibition

noreply@blogger.com (FlavoursofItaly) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 13:21:00 +0000

We're so excited...our apron exhibition is finally open! Already we've had so many visitors with plentty of their own apron memories. If you are visiting the Edinburgh Fringe this year, pop in and see us.

We're open from 10 - 5 everyday (closed Sunday). You can find us on 63 Raeburn Place in Edinburgh's Stockbridge. We have some beautiful examples of vintage aprons as well as original takes on apron design from local textile talent!

Flavours on the Edinburgh Fringe

noreply@blogger.com (FlavoursofItaly) — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 15:52:00 +0000

It would be great to see you there!

Bologna - The Capital of La Dolce Vita

noreply@blogger.com (FlavoursofItaly) — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 13:26:00 +0000

Even with Italian high standards, Bologna is noted for la dolce vita . Its university is Italy’s most historical and well regarded; its council is among the country’s most progressive, showering money on a wide range of cultural pursuits; and its cuisine is widely regarded as the finest in Italy. Bologna’s distinctive cafe lined arcades lend the town an aristocratic air that’s hugely appealing.

The foodie scene is alive and well in this city they nickname la grassa (meaning 'the fat' - referring to the good living the city is so well known for) with lively and theatrical markets and tiny delicatessens to keep you busy and hungry!
Bologna is one of our most popular cooking holiday destinations, as a result we know only have 4 holidays left for 2009! Our holidays to Bologna are great for a quick culinary getaway! For just £849 per person you can spend 3 nights/4 days, cooking up a storm in this delightful corner of Italy! Just book yourself into a spa for the week you get back!

A fine art - a guide to shopping in Florence

noreply@blogger.com (FlavoursofItaly) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:33:00 +0000

When you think of big name shopping in Italy the likes of Rome and Milan immediately spring to mind, however Florence can really hold it's own when it comes to both luxury labels and vintage finds!

It may be easy to pick up the latest off the catwalk looks from Italian heavyweights such as Gucci and Prada yet one of the city's best retail pleasures is stumbling across it's little-known traditional shops from centuries old pharmacies to historic gems selling sumptuous silk to hand marbled paper. Below is a list of some of the quirkiest and cutest boutiques you can find on those criss-crossing Renaissance streets!

Filistrucchi (Via Giuseppe Verdi 9) A wig shop patronised by a plethora of worldwide stars (on a strictly hush hush basis) you will be astounded by the range of human hair wigs and beards. This shop also stocks a range of props for private and commercial use in film - you just might recognise some of them!

Antico Setificio Fiorentino (Via L. Bartolini 4) Florence has famously produced silk for centuries. This friendly shop supplies exquisite silks still made on original looms and according to traditional Florentine techniques. Open by appointment Monday to Friday 9am - 1pm and 2pm - 5pm

Giulio Giannini & Figlio (Piazza de' Pitti 37r) Florence is famous for marbled paper, Giannini has been making distinctive designs since 1856. It comes in sheets, covers, books, frames, bookplates and plenty of other stationery items.

Madova (Via de, Guiciardini 1r) This cute shop may only sell gloves, but what gloves they are! Every style and every colour is available, all in sumptuous leather, with luxurious linings of silk, lambs wool or cashmere.

Fonte dei Dolci (Via Nazionale 120-122r) If you have a sweet tooth - this one is for you! Established in 1954, this is the Florentines' first port of call for sweets and chocolates.

Flavours offer Italian cooking holidays, painting holidays and Pilates holidays in Florence, for more details visit our website.

The rough guide to Modica chocolate!

noreply@blogger.com (FlavoursofItaly) — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 14:01:00 +0000

Modica is a baroque gem, nestled in the south of the island of Sicily. A beautiful city traversed by wide boulevards, which were actually riverbeds paved over after a flood in 1902. The city is famous for one thing, chocolate, but not as we know it!Anyone who has been to Mexico will recognize the chocolate from Modica. This exceptionally handsome Sicilian city owes it's chocolate heritage to the Aztec people. The chocolate makers of Modica create bespoke blends to suit each customer, combining cacao, sugar and spices. No dairy products are added to Sicilian chocolate, as it solely consists of the dry ingrediants of sugar spices and cacao, no heat or cacao butter is used during blending. This method ensures none of the beneficent nutritional properties of the cacao are lost and the chocolate retains a sandy rough texture, characteristic of the mexican product, as the sugar crystals never melt. Chocalate is a major export of this fabulously baroque city.

Flavours organise cooking, Pilates and painting holidays to Sicily and a trip to Modica chocolate maker, Antica Dolceria Bonajuto, is a highlight of the itinerary!

The Dolceria opened in 1880, owner and manager Pierpaolo represents the sixth generation in the bussiness, who comes from the tradition of the ciuculataru, or ambulant chocolate maker, who travelled the towns and villages of the surrounding area mixing chocolate according to the tastes of patrons. He now runs the most idyllic and elegant chocolate shop in Modica.

Learning with laughter...a cookery course in Italy!

noreply@blogger.com (FlavoursofItaly) — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 11:53:00 +0000

Last week I spent a week in Tuscany (a small perk of working for Flavours) and I've come back brimming with stories to tell on our Flavours blog! I thought I would start with what was one of the most hilarious groups we've ever had with us. A group of ladies that really knew how to live la dolce vita!

We have a lot of clients travelling on their own with Flavours (mainly due to our zero single supplement policy) and a common trait of all of these single guests is the apprehension they feel towards the prospect of spending time in a remote villa with a group of strangers - not only that - having to share a kitchen with them too! I can imagine the kind of fear associated with going on a blind date, as you nervously search for that Flavours sign in the foreign and mildly exotic arrivals hall in a antiquated Italian airport, yet I can assure you that this is quickly put to bed when you pull up to the villa, as I did for an al fresco lunch with your fellow cooks!

It never fails to amaze me how food (of course with that secret ingrediant of Italian charm) brings people together, after that first sip of Italian chardonnay, everyone was getting along splendidly. I've seen an accountant from Nottingham swopping recipes with a art teacher from Kent and a retired project manager from Milton Keynes talking wine with a chiropodist from Dublin, every holiday has a huge range of professions and ages!

The great thing about Flavours holidays is that we bring people together that have one common passion, it could be painting or pilates but this time it was cooking! Food is central to la dolce vita that Italians are so fond of and it's suprising how quickly you can slip into a daily life of eating, cooking, sunbathing, wine tasting and shopping, without those niggling annoyances of home (you will never need to wash up on a Flavours holiday). I don't know if it was the wine or the sunshine but I have never laughed so much as I did that week, and I was at work...with compleate strangers! On the second day, one of the ladies coined a phrase that I think will become a Flavours cliche, 'it's like learning with laughter!' I couldn't have said it better myself! Our holidays are as much about relaxation and socialisation as they are about learning authentic Italian ways of cooking, you will find that the week flies by, yet when you come back, you will have scores of different things to do with courgettes, tomatos, rabbit(it's amazing!) and the shapes you will make out of pasta would easily put Henry Moore to shame!

The week ended with us all exchaning email addresses and ready to meet up in the future, I just have to find an excuse to get out of the office for a dinner party, just to make sure everyone was paying attention, rather than giggling behind wooden spoons and pasta cutters!

You can find out more about our cookery holidays to Tuscany on our website, where you can also try out some of the recipes we sampled!

There's more to Pisa than the leaning tower...Our City Guide to Pisa

noreply@blogger.com (FlavoursofItaly) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 11:08:00 +0000

The Leaning Tower of Pisa by Martin Parr

All our aspiring chefs joining us for a Flavours Italian cooking holidayin Tuscany find themselves arriving at Pisa airport. We decided to put together a city guide to give you an idea of the great things there are to do in this often overlooked city!

If you are planning a travel to Tuscany, you must pay a visit to the beautiful city of Pisa. Summer and the cooler days at the onset of Autumn are the perfect times to appreciate the city in all its splendour. Many people don't realise that Pisa is close to the sea and some beautful beaches such as Viareggio so it's the perfect spot for a summer break or during the gloden Tuscan autumn you can lose yourself in the unique colours of its hills that make this area so known the world over.

One day can be sufficient to see most attractions of Pisa city centre; however, if you want to enjoy at best the beauty of its countryside and seacoast, you should allow at least 2 or 3 days.

One-day tour of Pisa

Start your day from Ponte di Mezzo, previously called “Ponte Vecchio” (old bridge), the most ancient bridge in the city crossing the Arno River. At the north end of the bridge, you will find Piazza Garibaldi. Go on along Borgo Stretto, one of the main medieval streets of Pisa, and have a look at the beautiful Gothic–Romanesque church of S.Michele in Borgo. You will then arrive at Piazza dei Cavalieri (Knights’ Square), the core of the ancient republican Pisa, where you can admire some magnificent buildings designed by the architect Giorgio Vasari. Don’t miss the superb Palazzo dei Cavalieri (Knights’ Palace), now seat of the Scuola Normale Superiore, an élite institution for teaching and research founded by Napoleon in 1810. In front of Palazzo dei Cavalieri you can see other 2 masterpieces by Vasari, the Fontana di Francavilla (a fountain dating back to 1596) and the impressive Palazzo dell’Orologio (Clock tower). Worth-seeing is also the beautiful Church of S.Stefano dei Cavalieri.

The next stop will be at Piazza del Duomo, also known as Piazza dei Miracoli (Square of Miracles), where you can admire some of the highest examples of Pisan Romanesque style and pay a visit to the real “symbols” of Pisa. Indeed, the square is one of the most significant and most visited monumental complexes in Italy. You’ll be definitely amazed by the majestic Cathedral, the Baptistery, the Cemetery and of course the spectacular Bell Tower, known worldwide as the Leaning Tower.

Although intended to stand vertically, the tower began leaning to the southeast soon after the onset of construction in 1173 due to a poorly laid foundation and loose substrate that has allowed the foundation to shift direction. The tower presently leans to the southwest. Due to it's fame this area can seem a bit of a tourist trap, so to escape you could pay a visit to the small church of Santa Maria della Spina, attributed to Lupo di Francesco (1230), an excellent example of Gothic building: You can admire it while strolling along the beautiful riverside (the so called “Lungoarno”), which is worth seeing as well.

The cuisine of Pisa

Like Tuscan cookery in general, the cuisine of Pisa perfectly mirrors the forceful character of its inhabitants, having originated in a genuine peasant culture where being simple never means being poor. Tuscan dishes can significantly vary from one city to another, yet the basic ingredients are essentially the same everywhere in Tuscany: beans, peas, chestnuts, game (especially birds) and pork.

Nonetheless, the cuisine of Pisa maintains its own specific character and offers a wide choice of traditional dishes: the most typical first courses are usually minestra di fagioli bianchi di S.Michele (a delicious soup made with navy beans), bavettine sul pesce (thin long strands of pasta – like linguine - with seafood), zuppa di ranocchi (a traditional soup with frogs) and risotto con le arselle (rice cooked in stock with clams).

If you would like some fish as a second course, definetly recommended is the exquisite muggine della foce dell’Arno alla griglia (grilled mullet from the mouth of the River Arno), cee alla pisana (stewed newborn eels), pesce ragno bollito (poached spotted weever) and baccalà o stoccafisso in agrodolce (sweet-and-sour salted cod or stockfish).

Of course any dish can be matched with one of the excellent DOC and DOCG wines produced in the area, such as a full-bodied Chianti (ideal with meat courses) or a white Bianco Pisano (perfect along with fish).

Why not try one of this traditional dishes of Pisa before you go!

Minestra Di Fagioli Bianchi

Ingredients:

Navy beans (about 100 g per person)
Any type of small pasta (such as elbow macaroni)
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 big cloves of garlic
1 small bunch of sage
2 tablespoonfuls tomato sauce

Directions:

Boil the navy beans slowly. Meanwhile brown 2 cloves of garlic and a glass of oil in a saucepan. Add the sage leaves to the oil and a ladleful of bean broth, after having diluted it with two tablespoonfuls of tomato sauce. Sieve the beans and add the resulting bean mash to the sauce. Boil for 10 minutes and then add the pasta, cooking it for 10-15 minutes depending on the type you choose.

Bavettine Sul Pesce

Ingreadiants:

350 g linguine pasta
600 g seafood normally used for fish soup – choose at least 3 different types of fish among scorpion fish, sole, hake, mullet and weaver).
300 g peeled tomatoes
2 onions
Parsley
Chilli pepper
Olive oil
Salt to taste

Directions:

Clean the fish and poach it in a little salted water, adding some parsley and 2 onion halves. Then remove the fish and filter the broth. Remove fish bones and then whisk all the fish.
Meanwhile brown a thinly chopped onion in a saucepan with 6 tablespoonfuls of oil and a pinch of chilli pepper. Add the peeled tomatoes, salt and then cook for 10 minutes. Then add the fish cream and some of the fish broth, bearing in mind that the resulting sauce must be very creamy.
Cook the linguine until they become just slightly firm and then sauté them in the fish sauce. Scatter with parsley and serve hot.

Flavours have a range of holidays available in Tuscany including weekends close to Lucca and Florence as well as painting and pilates holidays.

Win the new book by Paolo Arrigo ‘From Seed to Plate’ !

noreply@blogger.com (FlavoursofItaly) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 09:32:00 +0000

Like Flavours Paolo Arrigo is passionate about food in a very Italian way. Although bought up in urban London he’s still very much an Italian at heart, taught from an early age how to pick mushrooms, grow and cook vegetables and shout loudly when watching football. His passion is real Italian food and ‘From Seed to Plate’ is testament to this.The best way to get fresh, tasty flavour filled ingredients is to grow your own.

This tradition is part of the Italian psyche, no house, apartment, school or office no matter how small isn’t complete unless it has a small corner in which to grow tomatoes, herbs, salad leaves and whatever else can be crammed in! From Seed to Plate covers that very Italian, very ‘Flavours’ way of growing to cook, using recipes handed down to cook to cook, often through generations.

We have 10 copies of Paolo Arrigo’s brand new book to give away. All you have to do is send us a picture of your apron for our summer exhibition, 'The Apron – The History of the Cook’s Best Friend’ by the 21st April, the winners will be selected from a draw and notified by email! Please send high quality Jpegs to oliver@flavoursholidays.com - Good Luck!

Easter in Italy - Italian culinary traditions - What do people eat in Italy over Easter?

noreply@blogger.com (FlavoursofItaly) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 15:47:00 +0000

Buona Pasqua!

What are the traditions of easter in Italy? Our guest writer Ilaria from beautiful Venice tells all!

Easter is a great time to visit Italy, with festivals and celebrations taking place all over the country. Together with Christmas, Easter is one of the two most important festivals in the Christian year.

In Italy, Easter is a strictly observed religious celebration, characterised by specific rites and rituals. Some of them are performed throughout the whole country (such as the traditional procession on Good Friday), but there’s also a variety of town festivals and street celebrations taking place during the Settimana Santa (Holy Week) which are part of the local folklore. One of the most characteristic street representations is probably the traditional “scoppio del carro” (Cart Burst or Easter Fire) in Florence, a ceremony dating back to 1099.

On Easter morning, a monumental, richly adorned oxcart arrives in Piazza del Duomo followed by a traditional procession of trumpet-players and performers dressed in traditional customs. Then, during the mass, the bishop lights an "Iron Dove" (Colombina) with flames and slides it along a wire that connects the major altar to the cart outside. The Colombina ignites the cart, which will burst out in all its magnificence, and then slides back to the altar.

However, for most people Easter means much more than a religious celebration, representing indeed a major occasion for conviviality and family gathering. Like Christmas, Easter day is closely associated with excellent food and special culinary traditions, which Italian people are very proud of. Let’s have a look at them!

On Easter Sunday, after the Holy Mass, people usually gather for the traditional Easter lunch. The menu varies from region to region, but a typical Easter lunch will usually consist of at least 4 courses;

Starters (usually hard-boiled eggs followed by a selection of local cold cuts and cheese), a first main course (chicken broth with tortellini and meat lasagne are the most popular dishes), roast lamb as a second course served with seasonal vegetables, and finally the traditional Easter cake, the colomba, followed by Easter egg. To pay homage to the spring, most Easter dishes are usually flavoured with fresh herbs, especially home-made pies such as torta pasqualina (a traditional Easter pie filled with cheese and vegetables, typical of Genoa). Torta pasqualina is usually eaten during the traditional Easter Monday picnic, as on that day it is customary to go with one’s family or friends for an outing to the hills, the country or the lakeside.

The colomba (the name derives from its characteristic dove shape) is a simple but delicious cake made of leavened pastry with candies, topped with frosting and sugar grains. Its shape is highly symbolic, as doves are typically associated with peace, but is also said to result from an ancient folk legend set in the sixth Century, according to which Olbino (King of the Lombards) received a dove shaped cake on Easter Eve as a symbol of peace, and decided to stop his siege of the city of Pavia.

Another popular Easter cake in the south of Italy is pastiera napoletana, which is typical of the area of Naples and is regarded as the real masterpiece of Neapolitan pastry making. The basis of the pastiera is traditionally obtained soaking wheat and then cooking it into milk and sugar. The resulting pastry will be then enriched with ricotta cheese, milk, eggs and citrus candies. The origin of the pastiera napoletana is associated with a fascinating story as well, according to which seven maidens would have offered the 7 ingredients of the pastiera (each of them bearing a symbolic meaning) to the mermaid Partenope: wheat and flour as significant yields of the Earth, eggs as symbol of life renewal, ricotta cheese as a gift from shepherds, citrus flavours and sugar recalling spring scent.

If you can’t spend Easter in Italy, try one of the following recipes and enjoy the traditional dishes of Italian Easter tradition at home! For more information about our Italian cooking holidays visit our website, we offer courses in Tuscany, Bologna, Sicily and Puglia - which are sure to wet your appetite!

How to make Torta Pasqualina...

noreply@blogger.com (FlavoursofItaly) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 15:42:00 +0000

This savory Torta is similar to a quiche and is perfect as a side for easter dinner or as a starter!

Torta Pasqualina

Ingrediants:

400 g White flour

2 Tablespoonfuls extra virgin olive oil

Salt Water For the filling

500 g Chard

200 g Ricotta cheese

50 g Melted butter

6 Eggs

1 Tablespoonful fresh marjoram

4 Tablespoonfuls grated Parmesan cheese

4 Tablespoonfuls grated Pecorino cheese

1 Glass milk

1 Glass olive oil

Salt and pepper

Method:

Mix the flour with olive oil and salt, and then gradually add as much tepid water as you need to get a soft, solid mixture.

Knead the pastry until you see some little bubbles in it and then let it stand under a moist cloth – if you wish to save time, you can use frozen flaky pastry. Roll out the pastry with a rolling pin to obtain 6 layers, which need to be as thin as possible. Clean the chard and cook it on a low heat for 6 minutes.

Then squeeze water out of it, chop it thinly and put it into a big bowl. Add the crumbled ricotta cheese, 2 eggs, the grated Parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoonfuls of Pecorino and the marjoram: if the mixture is too stiff, soften it with milk.

Line an oiled mould with a layer of pastry and oil the layer itself with a pastry brush, repeating the procedure with 2 further layers – remember not to oil the last one). Lay the filling on the top and dig 4 holes with a tablespoon, then place the raw eggs into them. Season with salt and dust with the remaining Pecorino.

Cover with a layer of pastry and then lay 2 further layers upon it, always oiling the top of each layer. Seal with the pastry left-overs forming a thick border all around the pie. Oil the top and puncture it with a toothpick, paying attention not to break the eggs. Put the pie in the pre-warmed oven at 200° C for 40 minutes.

The torta pasqualina can be served tepid or cool, and it’s ideal for Easter Monday lunch.

How to make Pastiera Napoletana...

noreply@blogger.com (FlavoursofItaly) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 15:33:00 +0000

Here we show you an ancient dish from Italy! A centuries old dish in many versions, each made according to a closely guarded family recipe. Find out how here!

Pastiera Napoletana

Ingrediants:

500 g Frozen short pastry

500 g Ricotta cheese

200 g Sugar

220 g Pre-cooked wheat

40 g Candied citron

40 g Candied orange

A pinch cinnamon

2 dl milk

30 g Butter

5 Eggs

50 g Confectioner’s sugar

1 Lemon Salt

Method:

Defrost the pastry at room temperature. Pour the wheat, the milk, the butter and the grated peel of ½ lemons into a saucepan and let them cook for 10 minutes, stirring often.
Sieve the Ricotta cheese and mix it with sugar, cinnamon, and the grated peel of ½ lemons, cubed candied fruit and salt. Add 4 yolks, the wheat cream and 3 whipped whites, stirring in the meantime.
Grease a baking pan (24 cm in diameter) with butter and line it with the short pastry, after having rolled it out with a rolling pin (until it becomes approx. ½ cm thick). Cut the exceeding pastry, roll it out and form some little stripes. Pour the mixture into the baking pan, flatten it, fold the pastry borders inwards and then arrange the stripes upon it forming a grid.
Brush it with a beaten yolk and put the cake into the oven at 180° for 1 hour and a half.
Let it cool and dust the cake with confectioner’s sugar before serving.

How to make Easter Colomba...

noreply@blogger.com (FlavoursofItaly) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 15:26:00 +0000

The perfect Easter treat! If your someone special isn't all that fond of Chocolate Easter Eggs then consider an Easter Colomba Cake. They've very popular in Italy and is a cake shapped in the form of a dove to symbolise peace.The Colomba Cake is similar to patettone but without raisons and with spiced, candied orange peal.

Ingrediants:
1.2 kg Flour
450 g Butter
300 g Candied fruit
300 g Sugar
100 g Milk
50 g Brewer’s yeast
50 g Sugar grains
9 Eggs
1 Lemon
Salt to taste

Method:
Leaven 200 g of flour and warm up 2 lt. of water in a big-size saucepan.
Dilute the yeast in a bowl with 50 ml. tepid water.
Add 120 g of flour and knead it until the mixture gets stiff.
Form a ball and run it into the flour. Score a cross on the surface with a knife. Lay the mixture into the saucepan containing the tepid water and let it stand approx. 10 minutes. Turn it over more times until it rises to the surface.
Let it cook for 15 minutes more. In the meantime arrange flour into a well, and then add 8 yolks and a pinch of salt.
Add the grated lemon peel, 250 g of softened butter, 100 g of tepid milk and sugar. Finally add the pastry ball and amalgamate the ingredients, soften the mixture with milk if necessary. Knead it for 20 minutes, until it looks smooth and homogeneous.
Make a ball and run it into the flour. Then cover it with a cloth and let it leaven in a warm place at 25° C. When the mixture has risen 1/3 more than its original volume, roll it out and add 75 g of butter. Form again a ball, run it into flour and let it leaven under the cloth. When it is twice its original volume, roll it out and knead it for ca. 5 minutes, adding 75 g of butter.
Add the cubed candied fruit and knead again. Grease two oven plates with butter and shape a dove with most part of the mixture, using the remaining pastry to form some small doves. Lay the big one on one plate and the small doves on the other.
Cover with greaseproof paper and let it leaven in a warm place for 30 minutes approx. Brush the surface of the doves with beaten yolk and sprinkle with sugar grains. Let it stand for 5 minutes more and then put it in the oven at 190° C.
Wait 10 minutes and then lower the temperature. Cover the doves with buttered greaseproof paper and bake for 15-30 minutes, depending on the size of the doves.

Butternut Squash Risotto

noreply@blogger.com (FlavoursofItaly) — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 14:57:00 +0000

A well prepaired Risotto is just about the richest, most delicous, flavourful dish you could eat! Risotto comes from the Po Valley close to Venice, where most of Italy's rice is grown, due to it's lush landscape and more moderate temperatures.

This recipe is great for anyone counting the calories as it's made rich by the butternut squash rather than cream. A tempting vegetarian dish that everyone seems to love, yet a couple of rashers of finely cut bacon would make this dish meaty for any devout carnivores!

Ingredients

100g butter
1 large onion, finely chopped or grated
1 butternut squash (about 500g), peeled, deseeded and grated or cut into little cubes
1 garlic clove, crushed
225g arborio rice
1 litre hot vegetable stock
50g roasted hazelnuts
4 tbsp grated Wensleydale

The (Very) Easy Directions!

1. Heat half the butter in a pan, add the onion and fry for about 5 minutes until softened but not browned. Add the squash and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes, to soften slightly. Add the rice, stir, then add half the hot stock and stir occasionally. When all the liquid has been absorbed, gradually add the remaining stock, stirring regularly, until the rice is tender yet saucy; about 20 minutes.

2. Whizz up the hazelnuts in a processor until they are finely ground. Heat the remaining butter in another pan and add the ground hazelnuts. Fry for a few minutes to brown, then stir into the risotto. Serve with some sprinkled cheese and parmesan.

If you would like to learn how to make Italian Risotto from the Italian's themselves it is included in our Bologna cookery course!

Flavours now organise Hen Weekends / Girl's Breaks / Bachelorette Parties in Italy!

noreply@blogger.com (FlavoursofItaly) — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 16:47:00 +0000

Flavours of Italy now organise Hen weekends in Tuscany - the perfect retreat for a group of friends in the Italian sunshine!

As well as learning to cook with a local chef you will also have the chance to choose from one of the following fabulous Italian activities on days 2 and 3...

Beauty

Indulge in a 45 min massage, manicure & pedicure at Villa Tuscany your private Villa.

Wine

Your own private tour of a local vineyard

Fashion

A full day bargain hunting at Tuscany’s famous designer factory outlet, pick from the likes of Prada, Gucci and Armani.

Culture

Head to Florence and have your own renaissance at the Ufizzi gallery.

Olive (Seasonal)

Try your hand at Olive harvesting and taste the fruit of your labour at a local Olive grove.

Lucca

Step back in time and visit this quaint gem of a medieval town great for shopping, eating and wondering!

Price...
£649 per person (£195 Single Supplement)

What’s included...
day 1:Arrive Pisa airport and transfer to Villa Tusancy. Welcome drinks and dinner.

day 2:Breakfast, followed by cookery lesson & lunch. Choose from our Beauty (£90) or Wine (£45) optional for the afternoon.

day 3:Breakfast. Choose from our Fashion (£65), Culture (£65) or Lucca (£30) optionals for the day.

day 4:Beakfast and depart for the airport

Special notes:Breakfast is included daily, along with dinner on day 1 & lunch on day 2 only.Hiring a car whilst in Italy? Contact the office as your price may be reduced!

For more info...
Call us on +44(0)131 343 2500 or email info@flavoursholidays.com

10 minutes with Vito Marinuzzi of 7Numbers Toronto!

noreply@blogger.com (FlavoursofItaly) — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 16:18:00 +0000

7Numbers Toronto is one of those rare neighbourhood Italian restaurants with a family feel, unpretentous, easy going and simple in the best possible way. The restaurant has been in the family for generations and this shows with the quirky interior, filled with authentic Italian kitsch and family photos. Vito is in charge here (along with his Mamma Rosa), his recipes are closely guarded family secrets, luckily we managed to squeeze a few gems out of him in our brief meeting!

1)If you could chose a cooking holiday from Flavours in either Tuscany, Sicily, Puglia or Bologna which one would you choose and why?
Definitely Puglia. It is straightforward, and simple, I have always loved food with modest origins. Never complicating flavours or ingredients is what makes it my capital of comfort food.

2)Who would be your ideal cooking companion on a cooking holiday in Italy?
My Grandmother, she cooked for real, made everything, lived off the land, cooked on wood fires. Meals with her were Epic, and all being created in a glorified shoebox of a kitchen, and then there would usually be a food fight. Traveling with her searching for fresh fun food would be amazing!

3)What are your essential Italian cooking ingredients?
Garlic
Olive oil
Prosciutto
Veal, (all cuts)
And probably the most perfect of perfect vegetables, Rapini

4)I couldn’t cook without my…?
My Chef’s knife, and my big misshapen wooden spoon, what Italian kitchen is complete without a spoon and knife?!

5)What do you do when you’re not in the kitchen?
Yoga, and spending time with the family, eating what I’ve made in the kitchen! But yoga makes the chaos of the kitchen peaceful, clears the mind and allows me to focus on the food.

6)What is the best thing about Italy?
The best thing about Italy is the people; they have it right, food, family, nap, fun, repeat. What’s not to like? That and their famous stubbornness, part of the reason the classic foods stay so pure.

7)Have you had any cooking disasters?
Yes. Making a meal for my then girlfriend, (now wife), and my brother. I made a fish in gravy with pesto and some bad cheese and tried to convince them it was great. I am not a very good actor, since then I have let the food speak for itself!

8)Please tell us what your favourite Italian Recipe is?
Veal Stracotto. Stracotto literally means overcooked, it is one of those dishes that you would slow cook all night or day and eat it the next day. The longer the better, it is typically, braised in fava beans, white onions, mushrooms garlic and lots of red wine, bigger the better, so Primitivo di Manduria is my choice.
1 btl red wine
2 cup whole fava beans
2 cup button mushrooms halved
4 whole white onions chopped
1 whole veal leg, diced
1 whole garlic bulb, cleaned and quartered
Salt and pepper to taste
½ cup olive oil

Brown diced veal with onions and fava beans and garlic in olive oil, add mushrooms and red wine, slow cook at 250 degrees Celsius until wine is reduced by half, put on simmer and enjoy, oh and you have to drink a little wine while making it as well.

9)What’s your top tip for the perfect Italian meal?
Wine, family, fresh ingredients, and simplicity, but most importantly KISS, (keep it simple stupid)

10)Where can we find out more?

www.sevennumbers.com

Flavours offer cooking holidays to Puglia, with direct flights from London. We are now offering painting and Pilates holidays in Italy. If you would like more information, then please get in touch! T:+44(0)1313432500 W: http://www.flavoursholidays.co.uk E: info@flavoursholidays.com

We have a new venue for Painting courses in Sicily!

noreply@blogger.com (FlavoursofItaly) — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 15:58:00 +0000

We're pleased to announce our new venue for painting holidays in Sicily - Villa Sicily. Take a look at these images to make you feel even worse about the grey weather today!
Our painting courses in Sicily offer a great chance to explore this vibrant island which is filled with colour and history, the perfect blend to inspire any artist!

Flavours Painting Course in Italy!

noreply@blogger.com (FlavoursofItaly) — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 16:32:00 +0000

We are pleased to announce a first for Flavours, Painting in Italy.

Flavours Italian Painting holidays offer a unique blend of expert teaching and free time where you can be inspired by Italy’s dramatic colourful landscape in the company of like minded people.

Our painting courses in Italy are held in Italy’s renaissance region of Tuscany and on the colourful exotic island of Sicily. Flavours carefully select private villas in the most beautiful locations which are sure to provide plenty of inspiration to any artist.

If you would like more information about our painting courses in Italy then please give us a call on +44(0)131 343 2500 or send us an email - info@flavoursholidays.com

Also new for 2009 - Pilates Holidays in Italy

Our painting holidays in Italy offer the perfect mix, daily classes with an expert tutor, excursions to visit historic renaissance gems, delicious food and drink accompanied by evening discussions about the days work. Our holidays are designed for mixed ability groups and you will leave us having transformed your way of thinking and looking, with a sketchbook full of new ideas and techniques.

'Your creativity will be invigorated!'

Our painting holidays in Italy are excellent value for money as everything is included. We have a policy of zero single supplement, all food and drink, daily painting lessons, excursions throughout with private minibus, private villa, return scheduled flights from Gatwick and airport transfers in Italy.

The dates of our Italian Painting holidays are;

Tuscany (for full itinerary visit our Tuscany Painting Holiday Itinerary page)

At Villa Tuscany

26th September - 3rd October

What's included;

Return flights from Gatwick to Pisa
7 nights accomidation at Villa Sicily
5 days painting tuition
Dinner at a local restaurant
Full day visit to Florence
Afternoon in Lucca
Various drawing excursions
Private Minibus transport throughout
All Meals and Wine
Return Airport transfers

Total Price £1499 - no single supplement

Sicily (for full itinerary visit our Sicily painting Itinerary page)

Villa Sicily

3rd October - 10th October
10th October -17th October
Return flights from Gatwick to Catania
7 nights accomidation at Villa Sicily
5 days painting tuition
2 Meals at a local restaurant
Visit to Modica, Siracusa and Ragusa
Various drawing excursions
Private Minibus transport throughout
All Meals and Wine
Return Airport transfers

Total Price £1499 - no single supplement

If you would like to know more then visit our website or give us a call in our Edinburgh office on +44 (0)131 343 2500 or email us info@flavoursholidays.com.

Pilates In Tuscany!

noreply@blogger.com (FlavoursofItaly) — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 16:16:00 +0000

Great News! Flavours have teamed up with Pilates Works to put together a series of pilates holidays in Italy. It's the perfect mix, daily pilates classes with the Pilates Works instructors, cookery lessons with the Flavours cooks.On our Pilates Holidays we aim to conduct the pilates classes al fresco (weather permitting).
Our Pilates holidays in 2009 are held at the exclusive Villa Tuscany.

Theres plenty of info on our Pilates holidays on our website.

Your Italian chef from Flavours will not only be serving up delicious meals but also teaching you the fine art of slow food. Flavours of Italy are experts in Italy and our Italian Pilates holidays are the perfect retreat! What makes our holidays even more relaxing is everything is included in the price and we charge no single supplement!

Our dates for 2009 Pilates Holidays, which incur no single supplement, are:

Short Pilates Breaks in Tuscany
19-22 September 2009

23-26 September 2009

3-6 October 2009

7-10 October 2009

What's included...
Return flights departing Edinburgh/Glasgow Prestwick/London Gatwick3 nights accommodation at Villa Tuscany5 x 1 hours pilates/yoga sessions1 cookery lessonAll meals – breakfast, lunch & dinner with wine (does not include Lucca)Visit to LuccaTransportation throughout by private minibus

Total Price
£989.00 per person (no single supplement)

If you would like to book one of our pilates holidays then give Jess a call in our Edinburgh office on +44(0)131 343 2500 or send us an e-mail to info@flavoursholidays.com .

Our luxury pilates holiday is an ideal location for relaxation. The villa is the perfect combination of rustic enchantment and luxury all rooms are ensuite. Our Tuscan hideaway overlooks the inspiring countryside and is the perfect location for some al fresco Pilates. The villa also boasts an outdoor swimming pool, great for a post pilates dip.

Our first pilates holiday in June 2007 was a great success:
"The food was fantastic and I put on about half a stone although the pilates helped me to justify the indulgence. Thanks for an unforgettable holiday." Mr Thomas, June 2007

Top 5 Luxury Italian Flavours for 2009...on a budget

noreply@blogger.com (FlavoursofItaly) — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 15:45:00 +0000

It seems everywhere we turn we are reminded of the current economic situation that really puts a dampner on our desire to indulge. Who says the financial gloom-mongers’ talk of a recession need rain on our gourmet parade! Italians are famous for the dolce vita and why would they ever let the credit crunch get in the way. Here's our guide to the living like Dolce and Gabanna with the money of gepetto pinocchio - inside secrets from our Italian staff...

Don't buy champagne...buy Prosecco.
Fast becoming the preferred and more economical choice when reaching for the fizz Prosecco is made from a variety of white grape of the same name. The grape is grown mainly in the Veneto region of Italy. The main ingrediant of the Bellini cocktail, it's the perfect antidote to a day cooking up a storm in the cocina.

Prosciutto - more than just a Ham
Like all Italian ingrediants there is more to prosciutto than meets the eye. There are two types of Prosciutto (cooked and raw or cured), most non-Italians think of the uncooked, air cured variety known as Prosciutto crudo. Prosciutto has been made in Italy since Roman times, the name coming from the Latin word meaning, "dried of liquid." Prosciutto di Parma, the variety most non natives have heard of has been praised for its flavour for over two thousand years. One of the great tings about prosciutto is it keeps forever - almost!

A sophisticated but thrifty dinner party starter Prosciutto e Melone (simply prosciutto and melon) is always a hit!

Never scrimp on good espresso.
Italians will never compromise on coffee! Espresso is brewed by forcing steam or hot water under pressure through finely ground coffee.
Espresso was developed in Milan, Italy, at the start of the 20th century and quickly became a hit amoungst Italian society. Espresso has a thicker consistency than drip coffee and is much, much stronger. Most Italians would never dream of starting a day without one. Great traditional brands that won't break the bank are Illy from Trieste,Segafredo from Bologna and Italy's favourite brand Lavazza from Torino.

Grana Pedano...the poor mans parmesan
Very similar in flavour to it's famous cousin although less sharp and milder Grana Pedano is known amoungst Italians as the poor mans parmesan. The name comes from the noun grana meaning (‘grain’), which refers to the distinctively grainy texture of the cheese, and Padano, which refers to the valley Pianura Padana.
Grana Padano was created by the monks of Chiaravalle who used ripened cheese as a way of preserving surplus milk. By the year 1477, it was regarded as one of the most famous cheeses of Italy.
Like Parmesan Grana Padano is a semi-fat hard cheese which is cooked and ripened slowly (for up to 18 months). It is produced by curdling the milk of grass-fed cows. It is produced year-round and the quality can vary seasonally as well as by year like wine.

Good home cooking...
Integral to Italian life and the perfect solution to the credit cruch, cooking at home is not only more economical than dining out, but offers the chance for that very Italian tradition of hours and hours at the dinner table - living the dolce vita. If you would like to learn how to cook and live Italian style then come and join us in Italy for our Flavours Italian Cooking Holidays 2009.