A clip of Suzanne with Umbrian friend Paola from book trailer

Ciao a tutti, I have been so busy getting ready for the release of my book that I haven’t had time to enter anything in my blog.  I had my first talk and signing at Book Passage in Corte Madera, CA.  I worried there’d be only a few friends (because I am a new author) but I think there were around 50 people!  It was very exciting.

I showed a sneak preview of my book trailer that I am producing with an Umbrian cinematographer.  I’ll be posting it as soon as we’ve worked out the bugs.

Tonight at 7 PM I am at Books Inc. in Palo Alto at the Town & Country Village.  Tomorrow (Friday, August 20, 2010), I will be signing a the St. Helena Farmers’ Market from 9 am until noon.  Saturday at 2 PM I will be at Barnes & Noble in Sacramento, 1725 Arden Way.  If you’re around, please come!

For a complete, up-to-date schedule, please click here.

Last week’s winner of an autographed copy of my book, The Dog Who Ate the Truffle, is Carol Troy of St. Helena.  Next drawing will be this afternoon–and the final one will be a week from today.

After spending 28 hours on the road and in the air, I returned in the wee hours on Thursday from Umbria. Today, I am writing from my home in Napa Valley.

During my last two weeks in Umbria, there was a heat wave.  In fact, all of Europe was bollente (boiling) with temperatures in the high nineties to over a hundred degrees Fahrenheit—and it was humid.  The heat made sightseeing more exhausting than usual, so we lingered over long lunches in steamy restaurants.  At least the heat and sun—and the heavy rains in May—were good for the crops.  Everyone says the sunflowers are a couple feet taller this year than normal. 

In spite of the heat, July is really beautiful in the countryside in Umbria.  The hills and valleys are a patchwork of colors. Fields of just harvested grain—oats, wheat, and barley—look like plush golden carpet.  There are acres and acres of green tobacco, corn, grapevines, and olive trees.  But the fields of sunflowers make the biggest splash.  About a week ago, they were in full bloom in the fields surrounding my country house in Romeggio (outside of Umbertide). But by now, they must be starting to droop.

July 17, 2010

Ciao a tutti,

Congratulations to the second of my blog subscribers to win an autographed book—Louie Mele from Umbria!

Assisi is Umbria’s most popular destination—for tourists and pilgrims. The ancient city is filled with treasures—and among those are two unforgettable sites you won’t want to miss.  The Basilica di San Francesco (St. Francis) in town and la Porziuncula inside Santa Maria degli Angeli, near the superstrada E45 below Assisi.

We just visited both places—and if you are lucky enough to visit the Basilica di San Francesca between now and September 5, 2010 for a 10 euro ticket you can visit the restoration in the Chapel of Saint Nicola.

Inside you’re given a hardhat, an audio guide, and led up the scaffolding to see close-up the artist’s work on Giotto’s ancient frescoes. It was very exciting to be so high up in the ceiling and so close to the actual art!  Unfortunately we were allowed to take photos only on the third landing, and given only a few seconds to shoot.  If you are in Umbria during this period, it is really worth the price.  The ticket also includes access to an exhibition at the Palazzo Vallemani.  For information about visiting the restoration at the Basilica, visit www.icolorigiotto.it or call 199.75.75.16.

Fuzzy view of artist's tools.

La Porziuncula—the tiny frescoed chapel used in the 13th century by San Francesco—is easy to miss because most of us drive past it, heading up the hill to visit the famous town of Assisi.  Keep your eyes open for the Basilica Santa Maria degli Angeli as you exit E45 for Assisi.  La Porziuncula is one of my favorite sites in Umbria.  No cameras allowed inside—so no pictures to post. 

Spaghetti alla gricia

Umbertide, July 9, 2010

I just heard back from the subscriber who won the first cookbook in my drawing–until now I had only her email address.  Her name is Sally Free from Cape Coral, Florida.  The next drawing is Monday.

I craved pasta at lunchtime yesterday, but I didn’t feel like shopping for ingredients or spending much time cooking.  It was too hot.  So I dug up my notes from eating in Rome at Armando al Pantheon.  The small intimate restaurant—just a few steps from the Pantheon—was so popular that I was unable to get in after I fell in love with this dish on my first visit.  So if you go, I suggest you make a reservation.

The sauce is made with guanciale (made from pork jowl), but pancetta or bacon will do.  If you use bacon, you’ll need to drain some of the fat after sautéing.  The classic cheese for this dish is pecorino Romano, a sharp, salty cheese, but since I am in Umbria, I used the region’s traditional aged pecorino.  For a milder dish, you can use Parmigiano-Reggiano.  Here is my version of the dish .  Buon appetito!  Suzanne

Spaghetti alla gricia 

Yield:  2 servings

8 ounces dry spaghetti

3 ounces thinly sliced guanciale, diced

1/2 tablespoon plus 1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1-1/2 ounces (a large handful) grated aged Umbrian or Tuscan pecorino

Kosher salt

Freshly grated black pepper

1. Cook the spaghetti in boiling, salted water until just al dente (usually 1 minute less than package directions); drain but reserve about 1/2 cup of the cooking water.  Return the spaghetti to the pot.
2. While the spaghetti cooks, sauté the guanciale in a large saucepan in 1/2 tablespoon of the oil until cooked but not crisp.  Stir the cooked spaghetti into the saucepan with the guanciale.  Toss well; add several tablespoons of the reserved cooking water.
3. Cook about 1 minute over low heat, adding more liquid, if needed, to keep it moist.  It is ready when the spaghetti has absorbed the flavor of the guanciale and the spaghetti is al dente.  Remove from the heat; stir in the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of oil and the cheese.  Toss to evenly coat; season to taste with the salt and pepper.

Note:  The recipe can be doubled.

Armando al Pantheon

Salita dei Crescenzi, 31

Rome, Italy

Phone: 06.688.03034  .  www.armandoalpantheon.it

Bevagna, Umbria (Italia)

Print Onofri Review

Ciao a tutti,

The day of Il Mercato delle Gaite in Bevagna, outside in the streets it was unbearably hot so around noon we sought refuge inside.  We were turned down at every restaurant—they were already packed.  I soon realized that we should have made a reservation.  Fortunately, we happened upon the menu for Ristorante Onofri posted on a wall.  I had eaten there a few times and loved it, so we wandered around until we found the place.  Since Onofri is in a neighborhood away from the festivities, the place was practically empty—and cool. 

We decided that a long lunch would be a good idea—to escape the heat.  The interior had all of the charm and warmth you’d expect in a nice Italian ristorante.  Arched brick ceilings, ancient polished brick floors, dark wooden chairs with rush seats, and a fireplace at the end of the room.  I suspect the thirteen mini apartments in the Onofri Locanda (inn) are just as lovely.

The wine list boasts over four hundred wines—local, Italian, and foreign.  And everything on the menu sounded delicious—traditional flavors with a contemporary flair.  For antipasto, Bill ordered Brie con pancetta e patate (with bacon and potatoes) for 6.5 euro.  A warm 3-inch round of brie arrived wrapped in a few crisp pieces of pancetta, sitting on a bed of chopped lettuce and a few slices of roasted potatoes.  The soft brie and the rich, salty bacon were lovely together; the greens and potatoes were superfluous.

I ordered Fiori di zucchina gratinati con ricotta di bufala, su crema di pomodori arrosto e olio al basilico for 8.5 euro.  Three beautiful zucchini blossoms arrived, filled with creamy, heavenly ricotta and topped with melted cheese and a dusting of fine bread crumbs.  I’ve never tasted ricotta so fresh and sumptuous in the USA.  The roasted tomato sauce under the flowers was light and delicious with a whiff of basil.

For my next dish, I ordered Picchiarelli con fave, guanciale e pecorino—thick, handmade egg-less spaghetti, a traditional local pasta.  It was an excellent choice.  The fava beans were fresh and plentiful.  Guanciale—similar to pancetta but more delicate and delicious—and pecorino cheese added richness and saltiness to the otherwise bland pasta. 

Bill skipped the pasta and went straight to il secono piatto (the second plate), Tagliata di vitello bianco da latte con fave, piselli e fagiolini (milk-fed veal steak with fava beans, peas, and green beans) for 15 euro.  The thick steak, sliced into medallions, was tender and juicy. In Umbria, meat is usually cooked until well done, but Onofri cooked it perfectly, to order.

We ended the meal with an insalata mista (mixed salad)—we were too stuffed to eat dessert.

To date, this is the best meal we have eaten out.

A presto, Suzanne

Enoteca – Locanda Piazza Onofri

Via Onofri, 2

Bevagna, Umbria

Phone:  0742/361-926

Closed Wednesday

Umbertide, Umbria (Italia)

Ciao a tutti,

There are so many things that I love here in Umbria that we don’t have in the Napa Valley where I live.  One of them is schiacciata con cipolla (also called pizza con cipolla—with onions).  In the States we would probably call it focaccia because it is more like flat bread with lots of olive oil.  At its best, the pizza is crisp on the bottom, not too thick, and seasoned with lots of olive oil and a bit of rosemary.  The thinly sliced onions should be sweet and salty but not overbearing.

If you come to Umbertide, the best place to buy pizza con cipolla is at Il Forno Bastianelli. Look for the sign, Il Forno (the oven), on the left side on the street below La Rocca (The Fort), just past the parking lot, heading to the hospital.  The address is Piazza Marconi, 4, Umbertide.  Phone:  075-941-1545.

There is a deep pink apartment building next door on the right.  If you don’t make it to Umbertide, ask for the pizza at bakeries around Umbria.  You can also find a recipe for it in my book.

Ciao, Suzanne

The program for Il Mercato delle Gaite

Il Mercato delle Gaite

Bevagna, Umbria (Italia), June 27, 2010

On Sunday, we went to Bevagna for the last day of Il Mercato delle Gaite, a splendid medieval festa in the small walled town in central Umbria.  The event that began twenty-seven years ago provides a glimpse into the daily lives of Umbrians from the years 1250 to 1350.

For ten days in June, the medieval shops/workshops (botteghe) and food stands (taverne medievali) are open, mostly in the evening.  This year, the first day’s entertainment included plays and concerts.

The neighborhoods, represented by the town’s four doors (gaite), compete in culinary arts, trades of yesteryear, and archery.

Sunday afternoon, two trumpeters heralded the arrival of the judges as they entered the ancient marketplace where tradesman dressed in period costumes showed off their skills as weavers, iron-workers, painters, bookmakers, and candle-makers.

The erborista explains the benefits of herbs.

A weaver displays her wares.

There were great buys on handmade items at the market—ceramics, leather journals, wool scarves, cloth dolls, and copper pans.  Food and drink were abundant at the taverne, where alcoves along the street were transformed into restaurants.  I usually eat at the taverne where the food is tasty and the prices are reasonable, but it was too hot to sit in the sun at the picnic tables.  Menus offered ravioli or pasta with herbs, garlic, pancetta, and cheese for 6 euro.

Side dishes were a great buy—panzanella (bread salad), cabbage, and fava beans each were between 2 and 2-1/2 euro.  Roast goose was 8 euro.  A liter of cheap wine was 4 euro, and one of Umbria’s top sagrantino wines could be had for 25 euro.  I was sorry to miss the fun of eating among the Italians at one of the communal tables, but it was just too hot.  Instead we ate at Ristorante Enoteca Onofri, my favorite spot in Bevagna.  Soon I’ll write about our lunch (pranzo).

An artisan making the bottom of a basket.

Today, Bill and I went to the mall in Collestrada near Perugia.  He wanted to buy a laptop—I was happy to go because I love to linger at IperCoop, the enormous grocery-department store.  The wine selection is even better than it was a few years ago.

I brought home a bottle of Perticaia Montefalco sagrantino and one of my favorite dessert wines, sagrantino di Montefalco passito.  These delicious wines are almost impossible to find in Califorina. The cheese case is enormous and so is the selection of salami and other cured meats.  The store is so unlike traditional mom and pop stores of yesteryear that it almost feels like a mall in the states.  A fun place to visit–and shop.

A presto, Suzanne

Two days ago, I got a request from the local newspaper here in Umbria for a photo of my book cover.  It was with mixed emotions that I sent them the jpeg.  The article will be about Vincenzo “Il Simba” Moretti, the man I photographed walking in the forest with his two dogs.  He died after a long illness just days before I arrived here in Umbria.  The book I brought to show Vincenzo, I will now show only to his wife.  So for the moment, every time I look at the book’s cover I feel a little sad.  But knowing my photo will be used in a memorial article about “Il Simba,” Umbertide’s beloved truffle hunter, I feel closer to my adopted home.

Suzanne resting on Monte Acuto.

Ciao a tutti,

I am writing to you from my old apartment in Umbria, in the town of Umbertide.  If you subscribe to my blog, you’ll be able to follow me along on my month-long journey—I’ll be posting recipes, travel tips, restaurant reviews, photos, and more.  If you subscribe via email between now and August 3, 2010, you will be eligible to win an autographed copy of my book, The Dog Who Ate the Truffle: A Memoir of Stories and Recipes from Umbria.  Every Monday, I will draw a name from my list of subscribers.  I will notify the winner via email each week, but I will ship the book in September.

Bill (my SO) and I just returned from Bevagna, a small town in the famous Montefalco wine region where sagrantino grapes are grown.  We spent the day at the town’s Mercato delle Gaite, a festival where the entire town turns into a marketplace and “theatre” of the trades from the Middle Ages.  Tomorrow I will post photos and tell you more about it.

La Rocca in historic downtown Umbertide.

By the way, Thomas Dunne Books is releasing my book on August 17, 2010. I’ll be doing book signings around the San Francisco Bay Area and in Washington DC.  And I will be one of the authors featured by the National Press Club at their Book Fair in DC on November 9.  Hope to see you at a signing or event (see my blog for details).

Please pass this email along to friends who might be interested.  If you are already a subscriber, grazie mille!

Ciao ciao, Suzanne

Note:  Winners’ names will be removed from future drawings.  Each subscriber may win only one book.