Flavours of Italy

Italian painting holidays: How Florence makes people swoon – literally

noreply@blogger.com (FlavoursofItaly) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 16:30:00 +0000

Western art all goes back to Florence. The Tuscan city’s Piazza del Duomo, still the biggest and probably grandest of its type in the world, is where the Renaissance began in the 14th century – that remarkable flowering of art, architecture and sculpture, whose results surround you today as you walk the city’s galleries, cathedrals, churches and squares.

No wonder it’s a magnet for art lovers of all kinds – from those taking painting lessons or courses, copying great masters in galleries, or sketching streetscape watercolours, to those simply immersing themselves in the atmosphere.

It wasn’t just Giotto, Donatello, Michelangelo, Botticelli and countless other artists, who learned to paint here. The city’s lavishly booming economy through the Renaissance was also the birthplace of the piano, opera, paved city centres, spectacles, modern table manners and telescope astronomy (via Galileo) – as well as bank-based capitalism, and modern politics (thanks to Machiavelli).
The most famous square is Piazza della Signoria. The heart of the city since the middle ages, it’s also a miniature sculpture park, lined with cafes. The Loggia della Signoria holds many important statues, including a copy of ‘the’ Florentine renaissance sculpture, Michelangelo’s David (the original is in the Galleria dell’Accademia).

For breathtaking aerial views of the Florence, climb the steps in the Duomo, or its Campanile (bell tower). Just as stunning is the sight of the River Arno from the medieval, shop-lined Ponte Vecchio, the only historic bridge to survive Nazi bombing.

Gallery-goers have some of the world’s greatest collections of art within an olive-stone’s throw of each other. Two of the must-visits are the Uffizi, full of Renaissance masters such as Michelangelo, Giotto, Botticelli, Leonardo and Raphael – and of tourists, so book ahead; and the Accademia, with early Renaissance paintings and sculptures, including the original David. The spirit of Michelangelo, as well as his work, can be found everywhere – especially in his house on Via Ghibellini, Casa Buonarrotti.

Florence is full of palaces too, most notably the Pitti – once home of the notorious Medici family, whose banking and political dynasty ruled the city during and after its Renaissance heyday, and who managed to contribute four Popes as they did so.

In fact, the city is so saturated with beautiful buildings and artworks, it’s too much for some people, who literally faint from sensory overload – a recognised medical condition known as ‘Florence Syndrome’. So be aware: that dizzy and disoriented tourist on an Italian painting holiday, stumbling round the square, might not have been overdoing the Frascati, only the frescoes.

Making the Best Extra Virgin Olive Oil

noreply@blogger.com (FlavoursofItaly) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 10:32:00 +0000

Cooking in Italy is underpinned by olive oil; an ingredient used in almost every genre of Italian cooking, from pastas and pizzas, to salads and seafood: around 14 litres of oil is consumed per person, each year in Italy.

Italy, Spain and Greece are the world’s three major olive producers, and Italy’s major oil cities, or "Città dell'Olio", include Olevano Sul Tusciano, in Campania and Siena, in Tuscany. But it’s not only in cooking that Italy’s liquid gold holds value; from medicines to soap-making, olive oil has been a precious commodity in Italy for centuries.

In Italy, growing olives and extracting oil is a straightforward process, and one that families and farmers have been practicing for centuries. Olive trees are some of the more resilient plants in the Mediterranean and are able to thrive with minimal cultivation, and once the fruit has been picked, oil can easily by extracted for cooking by hand-grinding or chemical extraction.

But cooking in Italy relies on superior raw ingredients and the very best oils for cooking are born out of meticulous care. Every stage and aspect of olive production influences its quality and taste, from the region of Italy the olives are grown in, to how their transported and stored.

The type of olive is the key starting point for producing high-grade cooking oil in Italy, with taste, aroma and colour varying wildly between different varieties. Harvest time in Italy is also critical, so great care is taken to make sure the olives are perfectly ripened: green olives produce a bitter oil with a longer shelf-life; riper fruits yield more oil and are milder, with few antioxidants; and overripe olives can produce rancid oil. The very best olive oil in Italy is made from hand-picked, high quality olives that are brought immediately to the mill to be crushed, limiting their exposure to oxygen and light.

In Italy, great care is taken to protect the olives from pressure, temperature, pests and abrasion, as any damage to the fruit begins the fermentation process and can cause defective oils, which will be noticeable in cooking. Before processing, fruits are graded and separated by variety and condition. High quality fruit is made from olives picked directly from the branch, with fallen fruit used for lower-grade oil.

Cooking oils produced in the traditional way - using no chemical treatment - are classed as ‘Virgin’, whereas chemically treated oils are labeled as ‘refined’. Further classification then refers to taste, with ‘Extra-virgin’ olive oil judged to have a superior taste and no more than 0.8% acidity. In Italy, around 45% of cooking oils are considered to be in this superior category.

You have to work quickly in extremely clean conditions to produce perfect oil, with the best cooking oil processed at cooler temperatures, to protect the aromas and further reduce the risk of oxidation. Correct storage encourages the proper aging and conservation of oil, even when sitting on the shelf in an Italian kitchen, in preparation for cooking; the best oils are stored in dark glass bottles or steel containers at temperatures below 18°C.

The value and authenticity of olive oil is monitored by the International Olive Council (IOC), who perform taste and quality tests. Olive oil is central to cooking in Italy and the practice for producing high-grade oils is for cooking is certainly no secret, but the truly magnificent oils are produced by real experts, who know just what it takes to produce, harvest, and process olives of high quality, using sensory evaluations of the oil.

Join us for our short break Italian cooking course in Tuscany this October and November to get a first-hand feel of the the delicate art of the olive oil harvest!

Let An Italian Cooking Class Seduce Your Senses

noreply@blogger.com (FlavoursofItaly) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 11:11:00 +0000

Tomatoes find their way into our shopping trolleys throughout the year but not many people, outside of a Flavours Italian Cooking Class would rush to preserve, bottle, dry, or store late season stragglers by wrapping them lovingly in newspaper; we simply forget warm summer days do actually ease and resign ourselves to picking up another packet of greenhouse specials in the hope they may taste of something.

Compare that supermarket uniformity then, with the sensuous fruit dangling from an Italian vine. Nigel Slater describes its perfume, in his book Tender - Volume 1 as ‘almost erotic’. Imagine these beauties still exuding the sun’s warmth, like fat ladies almost bursting from their corsets with juiciness and fragrance. This is the true smell of a tomato and an Italian Cooking Class may well convince you to abandon mass produced red pretenders.

A temperate climate just doesn’t feed the tomato with the possibilities its ancestral wild abandon and promiscuity pines for; the classic tomato will actually look as if it’s been on a journey and will therefore release its exotic story as your mouth fills with pinkish pulp. Yes, I am waxing lyrical about a plant once considered a weed in its native Peru, where its original name ‘tomatl’ meant ‘swelling fruit’; no wonder it has been forever linked with a certain sensuality and hedonism.

After Peru, tomatoes made their way to Mexico; Cortez, a Spaniard, carried a variety to Europe; although dates are uncertain, what we do know is that an Italian botanist and physician, Pietro Andrea Mattioli christened it Pomo d’oro in the middle of the 16th century. Surprisingly our immigrant wasn’t initially used in cooking; it was incorporated instead into table decorations for many years before finally falling into a Florentine pot. Although there is a Napolitano recipe book outlining ways with tomatoes from around 1692.

So, consider the straining beast you have in your hands before deciding exactly what to do with her. Cooks at an Italian Cooking Class may well suggest the most unctuous way of preserving the vivacity and seductive quality of this fruit is to make a classic tomato sauce. In fact, after a few minutes internet research you will be inundated with different recipes; it seems every chef has a secret but really the only really important consideration is to find your hot faced plump Italian beauty, bursting from her skirts and only then can you really anticipate creating something worth eating naked.

I offer you first an uncooked tomato sauce by the doyenne of Italian cooking Patience Gray from her fascinating book, Honey From A Weed first published in 1986 but reprinted in 2005: Salsa Cruda Di Pomodori.

She suggests you gather tomatoes in early July when they are newly ripe and then scald them in boiling water, around a kilo will do. Drain after a minute, quench with cold water, remove the skin de- seed then chop the flesh.

Pound 2 or 3 cloves of garlic with a little salt and a seared, skinned and seeded hot green pepper, then add basil leaves, chopped tomatoes and the best olive oil you can lay your hands on. Apply this dressing, unheated, to steaming pasta the moment it is drained. There’s simplicity in this celebration of early summer which shows off the intensity of the finest Italian ingredients.

However, if it’s sensuous memories of tanned skins, banks of wild thyme and hot days you wish to conjure then Elizabeth David has this suggestion from Summer Cooking: oil and butter in a large pan, followed by sliced onion, carrots and celery, when the onions have coloured add quartered tomatoes and salt. Cook until it almost sticks to the pan, sieve, bottle, then steam for 3 hours in a large pan of water.

If you can’t wait, cook until thick but add basil, garlic, a little port or masala and possibly a pinch of sugar, then add to pasta. What could be easier?
Our love affair with the tomato is on-going and Italy is the place to sniff, touch, taste and cook and at our Italian cooking classes you will find the ultimate place to experiment and produce a sauce fit for this wise and wizened traveller.

Indulge in some Foods of Love Today!

noreply@blogger.com (FlavoursofItaly) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 11:25:00 +0000

Continuing on the theme of Food and Love from our blog post yesterday, here is our list of foods of love that you could include in a seductive meal for a loved on this Valentine's Day!
Honey – eating honey is a sensual experience in itself, but it also provides a shot of natural energy. Known as ‘The Nectar of Aphrodite’ and created from the nectar of flowers it embodies ripeness and romance.
Chili Peppers – seems an unlikely food to have an amorous effect, but the eating of spicy chili releases natural painkillers, endorphins, which end up making us feel good. Make sure your beloved likes them as much as you do though!
Basil – a wonderful, zingy flavour, fresh basil is a feature of many Mediterranean dishes, but did you know that in Roman times basil was a symbol of love?
Asparagus – this elegant vegetable often features on lists of aphrodisiac foods. This could be down to its shape (ahem!), the fact that it’s often eaten with your fingers dripping in butter, or because it’s packed with nutrients too.
Figs – Apparently eating a fig in front of a loved one is the ultimate sensual act! Linked with love and temptation, it’s been suggested that the fig was the original forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. Why not end a meal with fresh figs and great cheese, which coincidentally has ten times the amount of the feel good chemical PEA than chocolate….
Whatever menu you choose (or persuade your partner to cook for you!), the important thing is that it really is a labour of love, served with verve and in an atmosphere of sensuality and indulgence. So go on, cook up a storm this Valentine’s – At Flavours our Cooking Holidays in Italy are a great way to learn new dishes with the person you love!

Biography: Virginia Webb
Virginia Webb recently founded The Good Fork after a varied career which has involved studying and working in Italy, France and Portugal, before becoming a director into the public relations sector. She has had a lifelong interest in good food, starting as a child at her mother’s side baking biscuits and intensified by eating and cooking her way round most of Italy as a student, teacher and translator, working in Paris as a waitress and latterly hosting a local supper club. With The Good Fork she aims to bring the fine foods of the Mediterranean within easy reach of keen cooks across the UK and to encourage them to taste some of the delicious flavours she has enjoyed on her travels.

If you are feeling inspired by the idea of cooking something for someone you love, then visit The Good Fork which currently features a delicious deli-box packed with ingredients on the theme of love, The Lovin’ Forkful. For further information about this deli-box or their monthly deli-boxes, visit www.thegoodfork.co.uk or call 020 8166 1900.

The Way to Someone's Heart this Valentine's Day?

noreply@blogger.com (FlavoursofItaly) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 12:30:00 +0000

The cliché of the Latin lover is firmly fixed in popular culture – but did you know that there really is a very strong connection between Italy and Valentine’s Day, and that its origins are all lead back to Rome? The eponymous Valentine was a Christian in the second century who was put to death for defying Emperor Claudius’ edict and marrying soldiers. There’s a second Christian Valentine (though there is some debate that they might be one and the same person) who allegedly used his outlawed Christian faith to restore a blind girl to sight and was martyred for it. And even centuries before that Romans celebrated Lupercalia on 15 February, one of their oldest festivals – which all revolved around fertility and food, again linking in with the festival nowadays.

So it does seem appropriate to enjoy Italian food this Valentine’s, don’t you think? And if you’d like to make sure your cooking hits the spot, come back tomorrow to find out our list of some really seductive foods of love – all reputed to have certain ‘effects’. But whatever you do, don’t take that aspect of the food too seriously or you’ll be too focused on the result rather than enjoying the moment!
If you happen to be single at the moment, may we remind you that our Flavours cooking breaks are great for Singles Holidays in Italy because we have no single supplement! And who knows – with over 60% of our clients being single you might go to Italy single and come back as a couple as one of our recent travelers did!

Biography: Virginia Webb
Virginia Webb recently founded The Good Fork after a varied career which has involved studying and working in Italy, France and Portugal, before becoming a director into the public relations sector. She has had a lifelong interest in good food, starting as a child at her mother’s side baking biscuits and intensified by eating and cooking her way round most of Italy as a student, teacher and translator, working in Paris as a waitress and latterly hosting a local supper club. With The Good Fork she aims to bring the fine foods of the Mediterranean within easy reach of keen cooks across the UK and to encourage them to taste some of the delicious flavours she has enjoyed on her travels.

If you are feeling inspired by the idea of cooking something for someone you love, then visit The Good Fork which currently features a delicious deli-box packed with ingredients on the theme of love, The Lovin’ Forkful. For further information about this deli-box or their monthly deli-boxes, visit www.thegoodfork.co.uk or call 020 8166 1900.

Nero D’Avola: Juicy Good Value

noreply@blogger.com (FlavoursofItaly) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:46:00 +0000

Today's article comes to us today from wine expert Paola Tich at www.sipswooshspit.com Check out her wine blog for more thoughts on Italian wines and many more!

Friends often ask me for advice on what wines to order when they go out to eat.

Obviously, I don't have a crystal ball and won't know what food what they’ll be ordering. But I know what they're after - some tips on wines that both taste good and are friendly on the pocket, even with restaurant mark-ups.

One of the wines I recommend time and again is Nero D’Avola, made from the grape of the same name. I’ve rarely had one from a wine list that has disappointed me.

This Sicilian red originates from the sun-baked south – east corner of the island, from a town called Avola, south of Siracusa (Syracuse).

Nero D’Avola is probably Sicily’s most famous red grape and is now planted across the island. Most major supermarkets carry wines made from it, as do many restaurants with a reasonable wine list.

But I would argue that it is still not well enough known in the UK to fetch premium prices like, say, Chianti or Barolo and therefore, restaurant mark-ups tend to be comparatively kinder.

A classic Nero D’Avola should be a deep purple colour, with flavours of black fruits such as blackberries, plums or juicy black cherries. You might also get cocoa, coffee, liquorice and maybe some wild herbs and a sprinkle of spice. Some of that sweet spice – such as vanilla - will come from the oak barrels it has been matured in.

It should feel round and juicy when you taste it - without feeling too heavy – and have a good level acidity to give it some zip.

Like hot climate Syrah (or Shiraz), tannins in this grape can be moderate which means a) it is easier to sip without food and b) it goes with wide variety of dishes, including a Sicilian-style gutsy, marinated, grilled tuna steak. It may feel too big to drink in the blazing sun, but is perfect for a cooler, starry Sicilian night. Next time you are on one of Flavours' cooking courses in Sicily, be sure to have a taste and pair this with your dinner.

It can be a bit sweet and jammy (depending on who has made it of course) – which is more common in the lower-priced versions. Some wine purists may throw their hands up in horror. But let’s get some perspective. We’re not talking about a complicated or cerebral wine here – though at the higher end you will get some complexity. We’re talking about something that is easy to drink, will go with a lot of different foods, and appeal to many different palates.

If you cannot find Nero D’Avola on a restaurant list as a varietal (i.e. made 100%, or as near as, from a single grape) then you might find it blended with other red grapes. The most notable is Frappato, a light-bodied red indigenous grape, to make Cerasuolo di Vittoria. This adds perkiness to Nero D’Avola, along with summer fruit flavours such as red cherries and strawberries. However, my advice is to stick to one that has 70% Nero D’Avola if you want to retain the voluptuous characteristics of this genial grape.

Paola is a London-based wine blogger who also runs a communications consultancy. She trained as a journalist, working for Sky News, GMTV and BBC radio amongst others before jumping ship into PR and internal communications for major global companies. Starting her own business has given her the flexibility to indulge in her passion for wine and how it’s made.

Saving Money on Your Italian Holiday

noreply@blogger.com (FlavoursofItaly) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:45:00 +0000

It’s January, for many the most depressing time of the year, not only are we battling to work through the freezing temperatures but many of us have the debts of Christmas to contend with as well. The thought of booking a holiday and imagining ourselves enjoying a glass of wine on a sunny evening outside a beautiful terracotta roofed farmhouse can be just the thing we need to get through the rest of the winter months.

Recent research by TravelSupermarket has found that even though people’s finances are stretched, 96% of us plan to get away at least once during 2012, which is 5% more than managed to go on holiday in 2011.
If booking a holiday after over spending at Christmas does seem a stretch to far at the moment, here are some tips on how you can still get away to your favourite spots in Italy without breaking the bank.

Travel off peak
If you have the luxury of being able to travel at whatever time of year you want an effective way to save money is to travel off peak and avoid the school holidays. Those who are able to travel outside of the school holidays, on week days and during anti-social hours are usually those who get the best deals on their holiday travel.
If you’re in the position to, booking your flights well in advance is another way to save money as generally the earlier you book, the cheaper the flight.

Take out travel insurance
When you’re thinking about ways to save money when you’re planning your holiday purchasing travel insurance might seem like an unnecessary extra cost. This isn’t the case; the small outlay that you have to pay out initially could end up saving you thousands if anything were to go wrong whilst you were away from home.
Price comparison sites will allow you to view several different policies to make sure you’re getting the best deal for your money; visit MoneySupermarket.com to compare travel insurance policies before you go.
When travelling to Italy, make sure you also get your EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) this doesn’t act as a replacement for travel insurance however it does have several benefits. The EHIC is completely free and allows the bearer to have any medical treatment in the same way as an insured person who lives in the country.

Savvy spending money tips
Planning in advance how you are going to get your travel money can end up saving you money, if taking cash never leave it until you get to the airport to change your currency as the rates here aren’t very competitive. Pre-ordering your money in advance and shopping around can allow you to get a good deal on your Euros.
For an alternative to carrying large amounts of cash, prepaid cards are designed for use abroad and do not have the large charges for transactions made overseas that a lot of debit and credit cards usually have.

Our friends at MoneySupermarket provided these great tips for traveller's to help you save money on your upcoming holidays. On the topic of great deals - did we mention our holidays start at £899 per person, all included?

My Perfect Indulgent Tuscan Holiday

noreply@blogger.com (FlavoursofItaly) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 10:31:00 +0000

At the start of a New Year are you thinking about getting fit and healthy but also where your next holiday might be? Is it really possible to go away, indulge in good food and drink, learn something but also come home more toned and without putting on a pound?

If you think that’s an impossible ask, read on!

I love food. I really love food however I also like to eat in a healthy way and keep fit, so holidays sitting by a pool for days on end don’t really do it for me.

Finding a holiday that fits the bill is always a challenge, especially when you’re looking for a trip that suits single travellers. So when an advertisement for a Flavours pilates holiday appeared on my Facebook page, it looked like it could be just what I was looking for.

Six weeks later I was on a plane to Pisa wondering just what I had let myself in for! I can confidently say now it was one of the best holidays I have ever had and just about ticked every box for the perfect trip.

The surroundings were beautiful, the villa stunning. The hosts more than attentive and very importantly for me a magical pool that used at all times of the day and night to meet my exercise requirements. Even my desire for a room that faced the sunrise was accommodated!

Then there was the food. Our chefs Marco and Claudio sourced as much as they could locally, herbs grew in the garden and ricotta arrived from the farm we could see on the hillside. The ingredients were about as fresh as you can get, and when you get to learn how to cook it with a lot of laughs and fun, well it’s all just even more heavenly!

My philosophy on food is that you can have it all, you just need to control how much of everything you eat, if you learn about food, you gain a respect for it. Sensible eating then becomes easier and smaller portion sizes don’t matter as much. For me I wanted to experience everything so portion control becomes important however this wasn’t difficult in any way on this trip.

Of course the perfect way to also be able to enjoy good food and wine is to have an active holiday so two sessions of pilates a day certainly helps. Our teacher Candice tailored the classes to all abilities, it really doesn’t matter if you’re an expert or a complete novice; what it does do though is ensure you’re burning calories, making enjoying the food and drink so much easier.

When we weren’t in the kitchen or doing pilates, there were also visits to some of the local towns and time to relax in the sun if you wanted it. Our trip had a mix of couples and singles, men and women; we all got on like a house on fire and it was hard to say goodbye at the end of the week.

So I totally enjoyed the food and the drink, learnt to cook a wealth of new recipes, made newfriends and came home more toned without putting on a pound. My perfect holiday!

It was so good I went back in September, I’ll tell you about that trip another time!

If you want to read more about how I lost a lot weight and got fit in the first place and more importantly now it stays off, take a look at my blog Lose Weight & Keep It Off!

Want to have a healthy holiday like Trudy's? Take a look at our Pilates holidays offered in Tuscany and Sicily!

Silver Spoon

noreply@blogger.com (FlavoursofItaly) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 15:54:00 +0000

A million Italian Mamas will be delighted at the relaunch of the Italian classic cookbook, The Silver Spoon. Originally published in 1950, it’s still one of the most popular wedding presents in Italy today – you rarely go into an Italian kitchen without seeing a well thumbed copy on a shelf. Originally a tranch of cooking experts was commissioned to collect hundreds of traditional Italian recipes and pair them with recommended (and delicious) wines. There are over 2000 recipes illustrated with specially commissioned art work and photography, For this new edition they have added some special, celebrity recipes (Italian celebrities, of course!) This is the first time the Silver Spoon has been available in English. Our Italian cooking holidays follow their lead in that we always teach family recipes in the region where they originated. It’s been a Flavours tenent since we started in 1998.

UK-based parent site, Mumsnet are currently running a competition looking for your favourite family recipes – the biggest treasure a Mama can pass on. We’re delighted that the prize Mumsnet have chosen to offer is a Flavours holiday. That’s a marriage made in heaven.

OLIVE OIL HARVEST

noreply@blogger.com (FlavoursofItaly) — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 10:24:00 +0000

Take a rake, a big stick and a large net - and you’re all set. Olives are still harvested traditionally, by hand, throughout much of Italy. And joining in the harvest gives you the chance to experience a real slice of rural Italian life: a raw, vivid, backbreaking – but wonderfully invigorating, taste of Italy.

The autumn harvest has followed the same pattern for centuries. Workers, friends and family all come together to gather in the crop from the small farms. The olive groves, regimented terraced slopes of shimmering silvery leaved trees, rustling and rippling in the breeze, suddenly swarm with activity. The gnarled trees, their trunks knobbly and scared are old and curmudgeonly, but their branches are laden with young, ripening green fruit.

Timing is crucial – you want to harvest the olives when they are on the brink of turning from green to black to get the best quality oil. Then, once picked, the olives need to be taken to the mill or Frantoio and pressed quickly – usually within 36-48 hours before they start to deteriorate and mould develops on the fruit. The olives are generally harvested in Italy from October to December depending on location: in the cooler north the crop ripens later.

Machinery has been developed to harvest the olives, contraptions which shake the trees so that the fruit falls to the ground where it’s collected in nets, but this is only possible on flat, even land. Olive groves tend to sprawl across rocky, inhospitable hillsides where harvesting manually is the only option. Picking by hand takes time, of course, but the advantage is there’s less bruising to the fruit. Stripping the olives from the branches with a special hand rake can be slightly quicker catching the olives, again, in nets on the ground.

It’s tough, hot work even though the sun is weak and watery, but you get a real feel for they way life has been here for centuries. And a sense of camaraderie as you work together, breaking for a rustic picnic lunch, sitting on the hard earth in the olive grove with your fellow-pickers.

Flavours of Italy offers the opportunity to join in the olive harvest on its trips this autumn with availability on the 22-25 October, 26-29 October, 4-7 November, 11-14 November, and the 18-21 November.

Pilates Q&A

noreply@blogger.com (FlavoursofItaly) — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 07:01:00 +0000

Candice Eales is an advanced Pilates instructor who worked at Champneys Health and Spa Resort for five years and is now the director of Sports Pilates UK. She has trained and worked with some of the leading Pilates masters in the world and is an instructor on Flavours' Italian Pilates Holidays.

What attracted you to Pilates?

I come from a dance background so have always been interested in fitness, but have never been a huge fan of the gym. When I discovered Pilates it was the first time exercise made sense!

What is Pilates?

Pilates is the most efficient, and therefore effective, exercise you can do. It works from good posture and alignment, strengthening core postural muscles and increasing flexibility.

What are the benefits?

You start to understand your own body, its strengths and its weaknesses. You gain better posture, often relieving troublesome problem areas. Your body can actually change shape, tight muscles are lengthened and weak ones strengthened, resulting in much better body performance whether you are an athlete or someone who plays tennis once a week.

Are there different types of Pilates?

There is the classic mat, and also equipment-based Pilates, but we should all be teaching from the same principles of the classic method devised by Joseph Pilates. As Flavours holidays are all held in private villas we are not able to offer the major equipment, so we focus on the classic mat exercises. You do also hear of yogalates and power Pilates but these are just variations on a theme and not pure Pilates.

There seem to be so many yoga holidays about why do you think there aren’t as many Pilates?

Simply because although it has been around longer than most people realize, Pilates hasn’t been around for as long as yoga which still has a bigger following.

Is Pilates in yoga's shadow?

No not at all. They are very different, even though they have similarities. I taught at Champneys for five years and guests would often arrive to do my intermediate classes saying that they should be able to do Pilates as they have been doing yoga for x number of years. I would reply that that was great but they still needed to do a Pilates beginners class as you can compare it to playing instruments - you may be able to read music but if you can play the piano it doesn't mean you can play the violin!

Why would you want to go on a Pilates holiday?

Because you have several lessons in a short period so you can really achieve something. At the same time have a wonderful holiday in a beautiful location with like-minded people. Don’t’ book if you don't want to have a lot of fun!

What if you’ve never done Pilates before?

We ask you before the holiday what level you are. Beginners and those who have been doing Pilates for years are equally welcome. There is enough time to work with everyone at their individual level.

So it can give you a good taster of Pilates?

I believe you get more than a taster - you really get into the method. We go over all the principles and basics, making sure that you truly understand the core work. Everyone goes home at the end having moved up a notch - and it's a good way to balance out all the wonderful cooking, eating and drinking!

Would you like to join us for an invigorating Pilates holiday in a beautiful Italian landscape? Check out our Pilates holiday options online or order a brochure to see next year's planned trips!

Arborio Rice: An Italian Storecupboard Staple

noreply@blogger.com (FlavoursofItaly) — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 19:19:00 +0000

Think Italy and food and the first thing that springs to mind will, no doubt, be pasta. However, dig a little deeper and picture the menu in an Italian restaurant and alongside the spaghetti carbonara and lasagne you’ll usually see a risotto dish. Rice as well as pasta is quintessentially Italian.

It’s thought that rice was introduced to Sicily by the Arabs and arrived in northern Italy in the 14th century, possibly brought in by traders from Genoa and Venice. In the Po Valley north-east of Turin, it thrived in the flat, wet and humid conditions and soon became a staple food. Today the main rice-growing areas are Piedmonte, the Veneto and Lombardy.

At one stage there were around 40 different varieties grown, however, when we talk about Italian rice we usually mean Arborio or risotto rice. In Italy there are four varieties of rice used for risotto: Arborio, Carnaroli, Baldo and Vialone Nano. However, outside Italy Arborio is the most commonly found.

This short-grain rice is plump, firm, chewy - and creamy when cooked. This is because of the starch content: as you stir the starch is broken down and released creating a creamy consistency. (You should never wash risotto rice as you’ll rinse away some of the starch). Risotto should be slightly al dente – with a bite, like pasta. Arborio rice is, crucially, able to absorb a lot of liquid yet still retain a crunch. You don’t want mush – although in parts of Italy they prefer their risotto soft and soupy...

Risotto is an incredibly easy dish to rustle up. The basic ingredients are always the same. You start with soffrito (sauteed onions and garlic). Then add the rice to the pan and lightly toast it with the mix. Add a splash of wine and then gradually ladle in a good broth or stock plus any additional ingredients for flavour. To finish grate Parmesan on top.

In Italy risotto is generally served as a first course and they tend to keep it simple. You can’t beat a good Risotto Parmigiano. However, there are also regional variations. In the Veneto they love their seafood risotto. In Milan they add saffron for Risotto alla Milanese. In the spring Risotto Primavera with zingy fresh asparagus and peas is a perfect light dish. Mushroom risotto is moreish, or add Italian sausage and beans for hearty comfort food. Risotto is nothing if not versatile. The most intriguing recipe I’ve found, however, is one for strawberry risotto with balsamic vinegar. A pink concoction it’s not sweet, apparently, but has a fruity sourness - perfect for summer.

Olive Oil

noreply@blogger.com (FlavoursofItaly) — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 08:48:00 +0000

Olive oil is good for you. That’s old news, of course. We all know that olive oil is an intrinsic part of the healthy ‘Mediterranean diet’. But there seem to be so many claims for its powers that it can often seem more miracle cure than kitchen essential.

It’s a ‘good’ fat, bursting with antioxidants and high in monounsaturated fatty acids. Studies have shown that it can protect against heart disease and raise HDL – the good cholesterol levels which help to unblock clogged arteries. In a study back in 2005 taking eight teaspoons (40ml) of extra virgin olive oil for just two days was shown to increase the elasticity of the arteries. It’s also claimed it can help to prevent strokes, colon cancer, breast and skin cancer… along with staving off the ageing process. It’s no wonder stories circulate of Italian grannies swearing by a medicinal teaspoon a day.

Scouring the internet I found one website touting 101 uses for olive oil, Olive Oil Only www.oliveoilonly.org (although they’re only at number 13 so far…). A link from there will take you to another site, www.thepassionateolive.com. Carol Firenze’s book, The Passionate Olive also lists 101 things to do with olive oil. It’s a growing trend.

Thomas Jefferson was a firm advocate claiming ‘the olive tree is surely the richest gift of heaven,’ while Homer called it ‘liquid gold’. Greek athletes used to rub it over their bodies (it’s a great moisturiser too). Anyone cutting down an olive tree in Ancient Greece was sentenced to death or exile. Olive oil, even then, was used in medicine and cosmetics, infused with herbs.

Most of us also know that there are different grades of olive oil, however. The health benefits come from the crème de la crème - extra virgin olive oil. This is the oil from the first cold-pressing: essentially the ‘fruit juice’ of the olive. Virgin olive oil is made the same way but has a higher acidity, while plain old olive oil comes from the second pressing or the chemical extraction of the olive mash. Some people find the extra virgin olive oil too strong for cooking, overpowering the other flavours. Which is when the blander olive oil comes into its own.

So how do you choose your olive oil? It’s down to personal preference and taste of course. And price. The best extra virgin olive oils come with a hefty price tag. There are around 30 different types of olives grown in Italy alone, each with its own characteristic, their flavour influenced by a number of factors including soil type, weather and terrain. For instance Tuscan oils tend towards the rich, green and fruity, Sicilian oils can be nutty and spicy while in Umbria you get full-bodied, leafy oils which pack quite a punch.

As far as cooking goes – save your extra virgin olive oil for drizzling on salads or using in dressings. Swap it for butter in mashed potato – or more unusually try it with toast and jam… And don’t forget the teaspoon a day.

Eat your way round Tuscany

noreply@blogger.com (FlavoursofItaly) — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 23:12:00 +0000

Ask Aoife. Forget Ask Jeeves, or even Google – when it comes to restaurant recommendations I ask Aoife.

Aoife O’Riordain is another travel writer who worked at the Independent – but she should be a food writer. Her other passion is Italy. So before flying to Tuscany last week the first thing I rooted out was her last feature on Florence. And after dumping our bags at quirky Casa Howard, our B&B, my boyfriend and I flip-flopped over the river Arno for supper. For that ‘dining with the locals’ experience she had name-checked Trattoria Cammillo (Borgo San Jacopo 57r, 00 39 055 212427, closed Mondays).

This atmospheric neighbourhood restaurant is crammed with locals in three higgledy piggledy little dining rooms. A rich pungent rabbit macaroni and a creamy sea bass ravioli started the holiday perfectly.

I texted a thank you for the tip. “Where are you eating tomorrow?” she fired back. “You should try Cibrèo, but go early.” And so it began.

According to my guidebook Cibrèo (8/r Via A. del Verrocchio, 00 39 055 234 1100) in Santa Croce was split in two, the more formal restaurant full of tourists and three times the price, the little trattoria buzzing and full of locals. You share cramped tables and you can’t book. We ate with a German couple and two New Yorkers working in Hollywood. The waiter squeezed onto the table with us to explain the menu. It was pure theatre.

Cibrèo gives you a gourmet take on traditional homespun Tuscan dishes and injected a bit of pizzazz into Florence’s food scene when it first opened. Soups are a speciality. I slurped the spicy fish soup, my boyfriend the traditional Tuscan vegetable - more of a thick stew. Then for mains, pigs cheek, dark and rich. The trattoria had bags of atmosphere and a dollop of Italian chaos.

After a couple of days in Florence we were moving on to Fortezza de Cortesi a rustic old farmhouse B&B, dripping with climbing roses outside San Gimignano for a few nights. Just down the road in the little town of Colle di Val d’Elsa Aoife had another two favourites: Arnolfo, with its two Michelin stars and Officina della Cucina Populare (via Gracco del Secco, 86; 00 39 0577 921796; www.cucina-popolare.com) - funky, contemporary shabby chic and exciting flavours.

“You’re my pawns,” Aoife texted as she moved us around the Tuscan chessboard.

We sat outside on the quiet street as the restaurant was packed. I had the Pecorino cheese flan with slithers of pear and drizzled with honey, followed by a rich ricotta and chard tortelli with butter and sage sauce. Iain tried the local speciality Pici, a thick spaghetti with suckling beef ragu. For dessert, spelt and ricotto pie with dried fig ice-cream.

In Greve in Chianti: ‘Go to Mangiando, Mangiando on the main square.” We did. And had one of the best spaghettis vongoles I’ve tasted under the jaunty yellow awning.

We went off piste a couple of times. We found a lovely little enoteca in Radda, La Bottega di Giovannino which started life as a food shop in 1965 and is now a cosy little wine bar. And at the winery and monastery Badia a Coltibuono, also in Chianti we had a lovely lunch: gnocchi di ricotta ripeni di cozze su guazetto di mitili (ricotta cheese and mussel dumplings on a mussel veloute) followed by a selection of local goat and sheep’s cheese with rhubarb chutney washed down with the monastery’s organic Chianti Classico Reserva 2007.

Aoife’s piece de resistance, however, was Locanda Borgo Antico. Partly because we couldn’t find it. “Off the beaten track, outside Greve, in Dimezzano,” she told us. It wasn’t in my guidebook, on our map or on the sat nav. “Are you sure?” I quizzed. “You doubt the oracle?’ came back at us.

“It’s outside Lucolena, in a little clutch of houses hidden among the trees.” We found Lucolena on the map so set off in the car to hunt it down. The terrace overlooking hills blanketed with chestnut woods was picture-perfect, the restaurant an old farmhouse, again full of Italians – not a tourist in sight. “Have the pappardelle with wild boar,” Aoife texted. It’s delicious.” It was. (00 39 055 851024; www.ilborgoantico.it)

Lucy Gillmore was the Deputy Travel Editor at The Independent and is now a freelance writer based in Edinburgh.

Pastastic

noreply@blogger.com (FlavoursofItaly) — Mon, 02 May 2011 21:20:00 +0000

Matt Wade, was a journalist based in Dubai when he got an invitation to a press conference on Lake Como in Northern Italy. The event organiser was Laura – now his wife. Marrying into an Italian family resulted in a newfound passion for pasta and a culinary career change…

What inspired you to write a cookery book?

Pastastic - The Recipe Book was really the next logical step after my Pasta Recipes Made Easy website had reached a couple of hundred pages. It is a shareable, easy-to-print version of the recipes, and a digital e-book.

But you don't classify yourself as a cook?

No not really. I do cook, but in terms of my skill set and speciality, it's really all about the pasta. I wouldn't dare call myself a chef as that implies a well-rounded set of kitchen skills. For me, pasta is my niche and the more I learn about it, the more I want to learn (and discover there is to learn).

Why do your site and book just focus on pasta?
A bizarre mix of reasons. Aside from always having loved pasta, at the time (early 2008) I wanted to create a niche website. As an ex-magazine editor, the publisher part of me just loved the idea of creating and uploading interesting content with the aim of creating a little niche club and gaining lots of traffic. Therefore I needed a topic. The ongoing brainstorm I had over this question actually occurred the year after my wedding when I was in the kitchen more than ever before. Once my mother-in-law, mamma Marisa introduced me to the easiest pasta dish known to man ('breakfast pasta'), I knew I'd found my calling!

Which part of Italy is Mamma Marisa from?

My wife's family is originally from Naples in the south and they still regard themselves as Neapolitans, however they have lived in Rapallo, Liguria (close to Italy's north-west tourist hotspots Cinque Terre and Portofino) now for many years. This, and the fact they have friends right across Italy, means I've been able to learn a great mix of pasta dishes: from Genoan pesto to Neapolitan ragu and spicy Sicilian dishes.

Are there any regional specialities in the book?

There are, from all kinds of regions too! The two Ligurian dishes I would point to first and foremost are traditional basil pesto, which is stupidly easy and tastes lovely and fresh smothered over pretty much any pasta, and a dish called La Genovese. This is effectively a kind of onion-only ragu and actually has a combined Ligurian and Neapolitan history. It's not quick to make, but all you really do is chop and stir, so it's not difficult at all. And it’s lip-smackingly delicious!

What was the first thing Marisa cooked for you?

'Breakfast pasta'. I turned up unannounced for lunch one day, and with nothing in the fridge Mamma Marisa got creative. She chopped a little leftover medium-hard cheese into chunks and dropped these in a mixing bowl. Then she popped some tagliatelle in a pan and melted a little butter in another. With these ready, she added everything to the bowl, stirred it through and served it with a fried egg on top. I can't tell you how tasty that dish was (I'm salivating now just thinking about it). "Even I can manage that!" I thought, and I was off. Since then the dishes I've learned have come sometimes from recipe's hand-written recipe book, sometimes direct from my wife, and often as not as a result of their shared knowledge.

What’s your favourite dish?

For me it's probably 'pasta alla norma'. Everyone should try this vegetarian winner at least once. It's basically short pasta shapes with a tomato sauce containing fried aubergine strips. This was the dish that really introduced me to the taste combination of soft, sweet, fried aubergine and rich tomato sauce. It's simple, but as with lots of Italian cuisine that isn't in any way to its detriment.

What's your most memorable meal?

That would be our 'make do' dinner the first night of our honeymoon, at Villa Pitiana near Florence in Tuscany. When we arrived after a long drive from the north they had mislaid our restaurant reservation, but the chef had some leftover bits of food in the kitchen. One glass of full-bodied chianti and plenty of "Can you believe we're married?" chat later and the chef walks back in with two dishes of fresh green tagliatelle coated in a glorious wild boar ragu sauce.

Are there any really unusual dishes in your book?
La Genovese is not that well known outside Italy, or at least I've never seen it offered in any restaurant. There are also several Sicilian dishes which are unique to a friend of Marisa's who helped teach them to me. The book also includes one pasta-free recipe, which is so tasty I just couldn't leave it out. This is aubergine parmigiana which is similar to lasagna only with fried aubergine slices where the pasta sheets should be. It takes an age to make but the taste is glorious.

What would you recommend for someone wanting to whip up an easy dish?

A good starter is pasta with ricotta sauce. It's creamy thanks to the soft cheese, it's calorifically sweet (and therefore seriously moreish), and in making it you'll learn the basics of how to whip up a great Italian tomato sauce.

And for a dinner party?

That would be my new favourite - fresh open ravioli. I recently made this using spinach pasta dough, for a glorious green colour, then filled them with butter-fried wild mushrooms.

So is fresh pasta really better than dried?

No doubt! Fresh pasta is more succulent, it holds the sauce better, plus there's no chance of any preservatives being in there. The process of making it really isn't tricky either and there are numerous dough variations you can experiment with once you've nailed the basics, using different flours like chickpea or buckwheat, adding ingredients into the mix to colour your pasta and so on.

What’s your top tip?

I have three! The first is to always drop plenty of salt in your pasta water. For four people I use a full handful. The second is to use a lotof water when boiling long pasta (this helps to avoid sticking), and the third is to avoid that very British, I think Jamie Oliver-inspired disease of throwing a ton of garlic into every dish. It's really not the Italian way - for some seafood dishes yes, but often as not meat and veggie dishes do without it.

http://www.pasta-recipes-made-easy.com/Pastastic-The-Recipe-Book.html

Learning Holidays

noreply@blogger.com (FlavoursofItaly) — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 16:10:00 +0000

My first ‘learning’ holiday was a Spanish language course in Valencia. I was sixteen and homesick. Then I met Enrique, a tall, blonde train driver. We drank sangria and stayed out until 7am. I didn’t learn much Spanish, but I was still at school – learning and holidays were mutually incompatible.

It was another fifteen years before I tried putting them together again. I enrolled on a salsa weekend, this time in Barcelona. We practised the steps in a studio in the morning and whirled around the dance floor, fuelled by tapas and rich red Rioja, at night.

My first cookery course was in Cornwall. An editor at The Independent sent me to Rick Stein’s school - as a joke. I had set fire to my kitchen making teriyaki salmon for my book club friends. I dragged my heels thinking I would hate it, but was immediately hooked. It was the perfect pint-size package: the setting, a little Cornish fishing village, the group gregarious, the food gourmet – and the wine flowing. I skipped home with a folder full of recipes and a passion for Padstow.

Since then I’ve learnt how to make organic cosmetics in France, bread in Cumbria and pizza and pasta in Italy. I’ve done tai chi in Umbria and learnt how to be a mahout in Thailand.

And I’m not alone. A Mintel report published in August 2009 highlights the growing trend for learning holidays and our changing tastes as far as overseas travel goes. We no longer want to just flop on the beach - we crave new experiences and want to come home with a new skill. It might be a niche market, but it’s one that’s expanding rapidly.

But why do we feel the need to learn something on holiday? By definition a holiday (or holy day) is a time of rest. Do we really need our free time timetabled? Have we lost the ability to amuse ourselves? Or even to relax. Check out the growth in yoga and spa breaks too.

In the Guardian last month, Dea Birkett railed against this ‘new wave of foreign travel anxiety’ – the fact that you’re made to feel guilty if you’re not combining your holiday with saving turtles or embarking on a programme of self-improvement.

However, if you enjoy painting or you’ve always wanted to pick up a brush, what could be lovelier than setting up your easel on a Tuscan hillside surrounded by rippling fields of wildflowers? You love Italian food but never seem to have time to learn new recipes or techniques. You can’ t cram in that Pilates class at home…

We’re all so used to multi-tasking that it makes sense to combine a couple of interests on holiday, or use the time to experiment with something new. After all it’s not like being at school – the classes are fun and relaxed and there’s plenty of free time. A learning holiday just gives a bit of structure to your days and allows you to go home feeling that you’ve spent your time well.

It’s also about immersing yourself in a different culture, of course, rather than just skimming the surface. And how much more fulfilling is it to tuck into a plate of pasta that you’ve created with an Italian chef in an old Tuscan villa than sitting down to that same dish in a local restaurant - knowing that you’ll be able to recreate it back home for your friends?

Parmesan

noreply@blogger.com (FlavoursofItaly) — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 08:51:00 +0000

“Parmesan?” A huge slab of cheese is brandished over your plate of pasta as you’re about to tuck in. Say ‘when’ and you’ll get a generous coating – or tentative sprinkling - of rich, tangy Italian cheese. I like my Parmesan in thick buttery-yellow slivers. I want to taste the graininess, the crystalline texture. I love a pungent, crumbly mountain, not a light dandruff-style shower.

Often called the ‘king of cheese,’ Parmesan is not simply an accompaniment to carbonara, of course. It gives depth and richness to soups, stocks and risottos, it’s a vital ingredient in pesto, while a few shavings jazz up any salad. Rocket and Bresaola without Parmesan? Unthinkable. It can also be eaten in chunks with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar – or honey. As a dessert it’s delicious with fresh figs and caramelised walnuts or juicy pears.

Parmesan is, arguably, the most famous cheese in the world. If you delve into its history you find literary references to piles of grated Parmesan in Boccaccio’s Decameron back in the 14th century, while Samuel Pepys is said to have frantically buried his Parmesan to save it from the Great Fire of London.

Of course there are plenty of pretenders around. Pale imitators. While the usual territorial squabbles meant that eventually it gained PDO – protected designation of origin. Now only cheese produced in Reggio Emilia, Parma, Modena and part of Bologna can use the name Parmesan in Europe. Look for Parmigiano-Reggiano stamped on the rind along with the date.

Parmesan is a granular, hard cheese, made from cows’ milk and matured for a minimum of 12 months. The cows eat only grass and cereals and are given no antibiotics. The only additive is salt. The cheese spends 20 days in a tank of brine, saturated with sea salt.

As for maturity, Giovane is the youngest (and cheapest option for cooking), Vecchio is between 18 months to two years old, while Stravecchio is matured for two to three years. This is often thought to be the best ‘table cheese,’ wheeled out after dinner. The most expensive Parmesan is Stravecchione, which can be up to four years old. As a rule of thumb, the older the cheese, the more complex the flavour: true Parmigiano-Reggiano has a vibrant, nutty taste with a hint of fruit.

When you’re buying Parmesan, never opt for ready grated cheese as it loses its flavour incredibly quickly. And as for those tubs of powdery Parmesan, they’re a culinary crime. If possible always go to a cheesemonger or deli and watch as your chunk is cut from a whole cheese or ‘wheel’.

Other interesting facts about Parmesan: Italian mothers used to give the Parmesan crusts to their children to chew, as they have a high calcium content. A whole Parmigiano was traditionally hollowed out for special occasions in Italy and used as a serving bowl. And, in Italy, Parmesan is thought to be an aphrodisiac…

Forget Panettone…At Easter it's all about Colomba Cake

noreply@blogger.com (FlavoursofItaly) — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 18:38:00 +0000

I have a cake craving. I am fantasising about Colomba Pasquale (Easter Dove), a soft, sweet, traditional Italian treat. Like panettone – only better, some say. A pigeon-shaped pastry; a moist, buttery, bready cake topped with a sugary almond icing. Fluffy, moreish and melt-in-the-mouth.

It was a Milanese baker Angelo Motta, who popularised panettone at the beginning of the 20th century, who created the Colomba Pasquale. Instead of the dome or cupola-shape of the traditional Christmas panettone he turned it into a dove of peace for Easter. (Pedants might say it looks more like a doughy four-leaf clover.)

As well as the shape, he changed the recipe, taking out the raisins and adding a little something extra – amaretto. The rich, springy sponge is pricked with cubes of candied orange peel and topped with crunchy sugar and almonds.

I google Italian delis in Inverness. Then drive into town. “I’ve ordered them,” says the man in the little Crown Deli. “But I’m still waiting. It might be tomorrow, it might be another week...”

“Are you going to London? Princi’s bakery in Soho is sure to have them,” he adds helpfully - if a little randomly.

I’m not going to London.

I pick up some pancetta, a leek, still specked with soil, fresh cream and a big bag of organic pappardelle pasta. Supper.

“Try Valvona and Crolla.” I am going to Edinburgh. Sometime soon. I check the website. They’ve had their delivery – and stock three different types: Colomba Sovrana (with sultanas, citrus peel and whole almonds), Colomba Cioccolato (with sweet Italian chocolate, no candied fruit) and Colomba Antica (rich in candied peel with a hazelnut and almond icing).

I google again, becoming slightly obsessed by all things Colomba-shaped. Luigi’s in London (which stocks Truffle honey - I’m momentarily sidetracked) offers mail order (www.luigismailorder.com).

“We deliver as far as the north of Scotland.”

“That’s good – I’m in the north of Scotland. Have you had your delivery?”

“ They came in ten days ago and are flying off the shelves. It’s such a small window. We stock panettone all year now – not just Christmas – but we only have Colomba cakes in the run up to Easter.”

“Classico or chocolate? Which is the most popular?”

“Definitely Classico – but only because not many people have tried the chocolate…”

I could, of course, try making my own….

I google again and find a recipe. To create the light, fluffy texture the dough needs to rise over and over again. It takes forever. It looks far too pernickety. What are delis for, I think, as I pick up the phone and give Luigi’s a call…

Memories of Florence

noreply@blogger.com (FlavoursofItaly) — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 18:07:00 +0000

It was love at first sight. Clambering with my backpack off the train from Rome, Florence dazzled. Inter-railing around Europe for the summer, along with every other student in the world, or so it seemed, I was dog-tired, dirty and drained. I just wanted a gelato and a cold shower. But that first rush was intoxicating. Dizzying.

Rome was like a pressure cooker; a Mafia trial in full swing, the dust-caked streets prowled by police with machine guns. We had been sleeping on mattresses on the floor of a dingy pensione with ten strangers. I had heat stroke. My brain was fried. We bolted north.

Emerging into Florence’s cobbled streets was like waking from a Francis Ford Coppola nightmare into a Merchant Ivory dream. I might have been in flip-flops but I floated around Florence like a wide-eyed Helena Bonham Carter.

I have hazy memories of that first trip… After weeks of culture overload the Uffizi was museum perfection. Like the ‘three bears’ it wasn’t too big or too small – it was just right. I remember gazing at the Botticellis: the Primavera and the Birth of Venus. Enraptured.

Then there was the leather: the stalls in the Piazza San Lorenzo piled high with bags and belts, the air heavy with hide. I haggled – and left Florence with a real Italian leather handbag crammed in amongst the old T-shirts and shorts.

Church bells ringing out across the city mingled with the whine of scooters. The squares were sprinkled with cool incense-infused churches. The Ponte Vecchio arched over the dreamy green Arno… Once the domain of butchers who threw the remains into the river until Cosimo de Medici had them evicted, this 14th-century bridge is now lined with jewellery stores. And Brunelleschi’s famous dome soaring above the terracotta roofs – behind which was Il Papiro, a little store selling Florence’s ornately patterned paper...

Another hidden gem was Alice Atelier in Via Faenza, a tiny back street near San Lorenzo market - an Aladdin's cave filled with papier mache masks. Like a character from Hans Christian Anderson, an old man crafted intricate masks for Italian theatre and cinema, and the Venice Carnival – using techniques dating back to the 17th century.

I’ve been back again and again, of course – and rub the nose of the wild boar near the 16th-century Mercato Nuovo every time. Stroke the statue’s nose, they say, and you’ll be sure to return to Florence…

And I’ve bought more handbags, along with hand-made leather gloves in every shade imaginable from Madova – Italian glove-makers for almost a century.

And Rome… I love Rome too now. That first crazy claustrophobic trip is filed under bad first impressions. Florence, however, will always be one of the few places that lived up to the fantasy, the E.M. Forster dream. And somehow becomes more magical with every visit.

Balsamic Vinegar - Classic Italian Ingredients for the Storecupboard

noreply@blogger.com (FlavoursofItaly) — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 11:37:00 +0000

Drizzle is one of my favourite words. Not as in ‘rain,’ obviously. Drizzle in that sense conjures up interminable dreariness. It’s the worst kind of rain – damp, undecided, never-ending. It’s a dark, dour, dank Monday morning hiding under the duvet. A torrential downpour, a violent thunderstorm, at least has passion and power. Drizzle is just so lacklustre, depressing and half-hearted.

In chef-speak, however, ‘drizzle’ is sexy. It has an almost hypnotic quality. Somehow it’s the only word to perfectly capture a rich, glossy, gloopy flow. In the context of the kitchen it is sensuous, almost erotic.

You drizzle balsamic vinegar. You don’t pour one of the priciest and most highly prized Italian delicacies. Balsamic vinegar should be used sparingly. It should be slowly and lovingly drizzled.

The balsamic vinegar and olive oil salad dressing craze which hit this country a decade or so ago is a bit of red herring. Dousing our rocket and Parmesan salads with the darkly shiny mixture we cast off the iceberg lettuce and Thousand Island era with a cosmopolitan shrug.

The supermarket staple most of us were using, however, is not real balsamic vinegar. True artisan balsamic vinegar - Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena or Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Reggio Emilia - has been made in Italy since the Middle Ages and will be marked with 'tradizionale' and the DOC label.

It’s made from a reduction of pressed sweet white Trebbiano or Lambrusco grapes. The thick syrup or ‘must’ is then aged for at least 12 years in a series of wooden barrels. The casks are made of different woods - chestnut, acacia, cherry, oak, mulberry, juniper and ash - each adding to the character of the concoction. The flavour intensifies and becomes more complex over the years until you’re left with a rich, sweet, viscous, concentrated condiment.

The bottle will denote whether it’s a 12, 18 or 25-year vintage. Some have been aged for over 100 years - which is why they are so expensive. A 100ml bottle can set you back over a hundred euros. Thankfully, a little goes a long way.

The more affordable mass-produced 'aceto balsamico di Modena' is usually a blend of ‘must’ and wine vinegar coloured and flavoured with caramel. It’s not cask-aged so the flavours are not as strong. At the bottom of the scale you’ve got plain old ‘balsamic’ vinegar, which is simply wine vinegar with caramel and thickeners - fine for a salad dressing – but lacking the intensity of the real thing.

The Reggio Emilia vinegars can be differentiated by the colour of their labels: red for the 12-year vintage, silver for 18 years and gold for 25. The flavour becomes more tongue-tinglingly rich and sweet the older it gets. The Modena vinegars are colour-coded by cap (cream for ten years and gold for 25 years plus).

How best to savour it? Drink it. In Italy they sometimes sip the black velvety nectar as a digestif. And drizzle, of course. Over desserts, ripe strawberries, rich vanilla ice-cream, on chunks of tangy Parmasen or tuna or beef carpaccio.

Rise of the Single Traveller - Going it Alone

noreply@blogger.com (FlavoursofItaly) — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 11:18:00 +0000

Going on holiday on your own: it used to sound, well, frankly a little sad. No friends? No partner? And then there was the dreaded single supplement – to add insult to injury you had to pay more for the privilege. However, perceptions have, thankfully, changed over the years.

They’ve had to. As there are more and more single travellers out there. Statistically it’s a growing market. According to the Office of National Statistics around a third of households in Britain are now occupied by just one person. And in 2009 Lloyds TSB forecast that over the next decade the number of single-person households would increase by two million. Research by the Halifax, meanwhile, showed that the proportion of single women living alone jumped from 9.8 per cent in 1983 to 21.7 per cent in 2002. Everyone was quick to start talking about the Bridget Jones’ generation.

However, although Bridget did occasionally mope alone in her flat with a bottle of Chardonnay, she was generally looking for some fun.

Travel companies have, of course, finally cottoned on. Many have started offering incentives, scrapping the single person supplement, while adventure companies usually offer the opportunity of sharing with someone of the same sex to avoid an extra charge. There are also many specialist singles holiday companies out there now.

But for those who still feel a little apprehensive about broadcasting their single status to the world an activity holiday is the perfect foil. Whatever, you fancy doing, there’s probably a travel company that offers it, from tried and tested cookery holidays, to yoga, pilates and even belly-dancing. You can try something new, or spend a week doing something you love, with likeminded people. And make new friends along the way.

I’ve travelled extensively on my own because of my job. Sometimes, of course, I’ve had boyfriends or friends to go away with. But because I’m a travel writer there have been plenty of times when I’ve had to go alone. And it’s those trips that have often proved the most memorable – for the adventures I’ve had and the people I’ve met along the way. When you’re not in your comfort zone you’re more open to new experiences.

Cookery holidays are some of the best ice-breakers. I’ve laughed more with strangers – who later became friends – around a stove than I would ever have thought possible. And even grew to enjoy cooking! Especially learning to make pizza and fresh pasta in Italy. There’s something warm and all encompassing about an Italian kitchen – like being wrapped in a big, welcoming hug. Add a communal meal under the shade of some olive trees, a few glasses of good Italian wine as you tuck into the dishes you’ve made with your new friends and it doesn’t get much better.

Going away on your own can be liberating and a real adventure. And, ultimately, you’re not on your own, of course, on a group holiday.

Parma Ham – A Classic Italian Ingredient for the Storecupboard

noreply@blogger.com (FlavoursofItaly) — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 20:10:00 +0000

Prosciutto di Parma. Somehow it sounds so much more romantic in Italian. Farmers in the countryside surrounding the little town of Parma (which will forever be synonymous with ham) have been air-drying pigs’ thighs for over two thousand years.

Prosciutto – ham in Italian – originally comes from the Latin perexsiccatus which then morphed into the Italian prosciugare – to dry. Parma ham is a prosciutto crudo or raw ham: the hind leg or thigh of a pig that has been dry-cured with salt for a couple of months then washed and hung in a dark, well-ventilated room to dry and aged for up to a year and a half.

In the UK we often use Parma ham as the generic term for prosciutto. However, although Parma in Emilia-Romagna has PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) status for its ham– it is by no means the only area to produce mouth-watering prosciutto. Some claim that the prosciutto from San Daniele (Fuili) is better – it’s certainly more expensive - and you can get air-dried ham in Piedmont too, the Veneto, Umbria and Tuscany…

So what differentiates them? In Parma production is on a huge scale but, of course, there are still small producers. And every farmer has his own method. The breed of pig influences the flavour, the diet it’s fed (San Daniele pigs eat a lot of acorns) the temperature and altitude when it’s cured.

Parma ham, for example, is known for its sweetness, Tuscan ham for its saltiness.

Of course, purists will say you should, if you can afford it, buy a whole ham. Don’t buy pre-packaged slices. But not all of us have a handy larder in which to hang a slab of pig.

If you do, or even if you just buy sliced Parma ham from your local deli, there is so much more to prosciutto than the (admittedly heavenly) restaurant staple, Parma ham and melon. Wow your dinner guests with Parma ham wrapped around grissini or bread sticks with their aperitifs. Or toss it into a creamy pasta sauce, on top of a homemade pizza or jazz up a sandwich Panini. Or crisp in a pan and use as a garnish on soups.

Or keep it simple. An old breadboard, a slab of Italian cheese, fresh figs, a bottle of Chianti and wafer-thin slices of prosciutto di Parma. The perfect impromptu summer supper.

www.prosciuttodiparma.com

My Most Memorable Dish – Parma Ham and Melon in Tuscany

noreply@blogger.com (FlavoursofItaly) — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 10:02:00 +0000

It might sound a little maudlin, but who hasn’t fantasised about their Last Supper? Whether it’s dinner party chat or an ‘If you were on Death Row’ party game, we’ve all relived our favourite meals with friends at one time or another. At EAT, Newcastle’s annual foodie event last year, Simon Preston, the festival director created an ambitious tour de force: the Pearly Diner. Guests pre-ordered their very own Last Supper with the promise that whether it was rare roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, steak frites, or the ultimate artery-blocking fry-up that is what they would be served on the night.

My choice is always the same: Parma Ham and Melon.

Not, of course, the tasteless, watery honeydew topped with a couple of slices of limp, curled-up-at-the-edges ham you’re likely to wind up with if you’re misguided enough to order it in the little trattoria on the high street - but Parma ham and melon in a rustic restaurant in Italy.

It’s the one dish I can eat until I, literally, can’t swallow another mouthful. I never tire of the subtle mix of sweetness and saltiness. And of course it’s testament to the fact that it’s all down to the raw ingredients. There’s not much cooking involved.

And the place where I tasted the best Parma ham and melon in the world? I can’t tell you.

It was somewhere in Tuscany, about ten years ago, while holidaying in a crumbling old farmhouse in the hills above Lucca with my parents and my then-boyfriend. In the visitors’ book we read rave reviews about a local restaurant slightly off the beaten track so we piled into the car to search it out. I remember that it was nothing special from the outside – and a little gloomy inside.

There was an Italian mama. And an old man watching an Italian soap opera, his shirt unbuttoned to the waist. There were hams, hundreds of them, hanging from the ceiling. We were the only customers. She spoke no English. We had just a few words of Italian. It didn’t matter - as there was no menu anyhow. She gestured for us to sit. And brought out the first course: plates piled teeteringly high with the sweetest, most succulent melon I had ever tasted, topped with a tumbling mountain of rich red ham. It was melt-in-the-mouth heaven.

The second course, mounds of moreish mushroom tagliatelle, I could barely touch. The third, half a cow: giant (think Argentinian sized) steaks – forget it. Even the boyfriend, a big burly Aussie called Moose, clutched his belly and had to surrender. Good honest country cooking – Tuscan style. That meal, more than ten years later, is still the one that I will never forget.

A Venetian Aperitivo

noreply@blogger.com (FlavoursofItaly) — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 18:40:00 +0000

It might be the birthplace of the Bellini but to look like a local in Venice you have to sip a Spritz. Pop your head through the door of Harry’s Bar just off Piazza San Marco, catapulted to fame by Ernest Hemingway and his cronies back in the 1930s (www.cipriani.com). But as the tourists wait patiently for the tiny, overpriced champagne and peach puree cocktails – slope off to find a tiny bacaro and join the locals propping up the bar.

There are four main types of Venetian Spritz and everyone has their favourite. There’s Spritz al Bitters (Campari), Spritz con Cynar (artichoke aperitif), Spritz with Select (Select Pilla) and Spritz a l’Aperol. The mixers are all amari or Italian bitters. Artichoke might be the distinguishing ingredient of Cynar, but it’s made up of a medley of herbs. Aperol, meanwhile, is a lurid orange concoction containing rhubarb, gentian and bitter orange.

To make a Venetian Spritz you clunk a few chunks of ice into a glass. Add two parts dry white wine, a dash of sparkling water – or squirt of soda water, then one part bitters mixer. Traditionally, with the Aperol or Select you garnish with a slice of orange, with Campari or Cynar a twist of lemon and a green olive. For a bit of extra pizzazz some bartenders use prosecco instead of white wine.

Then sip with tapas-style cicchetti standing up at an old wooden counter in one of the bacari peppered throughout the city or recline as the sun goes down on a terrace overlooking the Grand Canal or the lagoon. And savour the wonderful mouthy mix of gently sparkling sweetness, bitters, and citrus notes.

Lost in Venice

noreply@blogger.com (FlavoursofItaly) — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 18:14:00 +0000

Venice in summer? You must be mad, they tell you. It’s swamped with tourists - and the stench from the canals…puh!

I’ve fallen in love with Venice in every season – even when the rain has been sheeting down and we’ve had to teeter across Piazza San Marco on raised wooden walkways. In July, as the sun burnt mercilessly through the early morning mist on the lagoon, I jostled through the camera-clicking crowds – and sniffed. Nothing.

And it’s surprisingly easy to escape the throng. While tourists tramp the well-trodden trails, swarming like pollen-drunk bees, veer down any of the little alleyways and lose yourself in the watery labyrinth. The muffled silence of the dank passageways plunges you back in time. You’ll stumble upon hidden gems, secret gardens, tiny neighbourhood shops, as all around you water laps soporifically against the stones.

Meander mindlessly, crossing little bridges, until you come across locals spilling out of a rustic bacaro or bar. Stop and join them for cichetti – tapas-like snacks eaten standing up at the bar with an ombra, or small glass of wine. Venice is one of the most expensive places in Italy to eat, they sniff. Not if you follow the locals.

And forget about the wallet-mugging gondoliers gliding through the canals and cross the Grand Canal by traghetto. For a handful of loose change these public gondolas punt businessmen in suits, teenagers on their iPods, women laden with groceries – standing room only - across the Grand Canal.

As for the water taxis, they cost the earth – so take the bus. Hop on a vaporetto or waterbus. These ramshackle old boats zigzag down the Grand Canal, Venice's high street, past crumbling palazzi dating from the 12^th to the 18^th-centuries. The trip from Piazzale Roma to San Marco takes around half an hour and, at night, when the canal is floodlit, the architectural extravaganza is even more magical.