Autumn in Italy
Pumpkins, Truffles, Olive Oil & Cooking!
Crisp autumn days have arrived and the only company is the warm sun and the sound of silence in the garden. The crowds have waned and life is quiet again in sunny Italy.
It's harvest time in Italy with an abundance of golden pumpkins, apples of all kinds, pears, artichokes, walnuts, and chestnuts almost everywhere. Our garden is green and growing cabbage, radicchio, mache,
lollo rosso
- purple lettuce, basil and winter squash.
A bountiful harvest translates to a busy kitchen! And we're cooking up a storm with delicious pasta with pumpkin and fried golden onions; s
autéed
artichokes tucked under pillows of whipped potatoes, and
scarole
with black olives and pine nuts. Poached apples and pears in Vin Santo, cinnamon and amarena cherries are served for dessert and loaves of cripspy bread with walnuts have been baked in the oven.
The olives have been picked in our orchard and also pressed; now the oil is being bottled. This year's crop produced a peppery oil with hints of almond and artichoke and again this season we've made our lemon, rosemary and chili pepper infused oils too. It's been a fine year for the grapes which have also been pressed and bottled. We hope to share it with you soon.
Celebrating these Italian traditions with family and friends is a pleasure and we hope that you will join us in sunny Italy!
Happy Cooking!
Lauren
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We may already be in November, but here in Italy, Cooking Vacations is busy prepping and preparing for the holiday season. We have lots of guests who are arriving to cook, sip, wine, dine, hike and shop for November and December to soak up the Italian sun and the festive time of year too. Days are still warm and inviting, there’s a pleasant, relaxed feeling all around ~ and artisans, chefs and bakers are in the test kitchen trying out autumn and winter recipes.
November is a fabulous month to visit Italy. The summer crowds have waned and the art cities like Florence and Venice are great favorites for cooking and culture and holiday shopping too.
In northern Italy, the lakes take on a whole new calm, bright, hazy days lending a dreamlike quality to the lakeside villages and gardens, the distant mountains providing a majestic, timeless backdrop. Meanwhile, in the kitchen, our chefs are updating their menus to include new arrivals – pumpkin, porcini mushrooms and game, all a sure sign that fall is here. Autumn menus tempting our appetites with roasted baby calamari on a bed of puréed chickpeas; pumpkin and thyme risotto and rustic apple torte spiked with rosemary. Thoughts turn to this year’s new wine, from the big Tuscans to the Sicilians; everyone hoping it’s going to be a good year! And while it’s true that each season has its own charm, it seems to us that fall is hard to beat.
We invite you to plan a colorful cooking tour at this time of year with the new wine and olive oils, Christmas spices for the holiday treats and truffles!
Pack your bags, and make your way to Italy for an unforgettable time in the kitchen, chopping, slicing and dicing with our chefs in our holiday cooking tours in Tuscany at our Fabrizio Estate and the Amalfi Coast with Chef Irma.
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What's Cooking in November
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The Italian Riviera
Who among us has never dreamed of a vacation on the Italian Riviera with its chic resorts, palm-lined beaches, and ports a-bob with yachts and sailboats? A stroll along the waterfront of Santa Margherita perhaps, a day spent exploring Rapallo or a special dinner in Portofino? Or if you are more of a townie, make for Genova with its port and remarkable naval history, its many churches and Palace of the Dodges, and, of course, its much-loved aquarium. But for those seeking an unspoiled setting offering breathtaking scenery, a handful of pastel-colored villages thrown against the rocks and unlimited sea views, then Liguria’s Cinque Terre is for you.
The Cinque Terre lie between Levanto and Sestri Levante, the postcard pretty towns of Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore linked only by rail or footpaths, the most famous of which is the Via dell’Amore. Along the coast lie a string of bays and inlets, with imposing hillsides of hand-hewn terracing directly above.
Liguria may be a mere sliver of a region on the north-east coast of Italy, but for all it is small, it truly has something for everyone – mountains, beaches, simple hillside hideaways or 5-star luxury resorts. It is a region that guards its traditions fiercely, treasures its traditional recipes based on humble, frugal ingredients and, indeed, has charmed the world with a simple sauce that is now a universal favorite – pesto.
Clearly, however, Liguria’s culinary fame doesn’t end with pesto. Just think of
focaccia
, of
pansotti alla salsa di noci
, plump little pillows of hand rolled pasta stuffed with ricotta and marjoram and served in a walnut sauce. Or
coniglio al vino bianco e olive taggiasche
, rabbit with white wine and local taggiasche olives. But the dishes that best embody the thrifty spirit of Liguria are offerings such as chickpea and farro soup, originally created by the dock worker’s wives who would sweep up the grain and cereals that fell from their sacks during unloading at the port, or a simple anchovy potato bake making use of the most humble (but delicious!) of fish caught off local shores.
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Cooking Vacations 2019
Positano & Capri
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Even though we its only November, we kindly remind you that 2019 is already filling up ~ especially Positano and Capri.
Whatever your chosen destination, be it Portofino or Palermo, we suggest to let us help you to reserve now. We will be happy to pencil in your dates for 2019 ~ for those with their hearts set on the Amalfi Coast, Capri and Positano, please note they are Italy’s most popular vacation spots, and this year operated at 100% occupancy rate. Early booking cannot be recommended highly enough to guarantee your preferred dates and accommodations. We are always available for questions or advice on planning your dream cooking vacation – so give us a call!
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Christmas with Irma on the Amalfi Coast
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Join Irma La Dolce and her family for a fun week in her Christmas Kitchen cooking, baking and celebrating the holiday season.
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The Tuscan Traveler’s Christmas Dream
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Join Fabrizio at the family estate, a beautiful farmhouse villa located in the heart of the Tuscan countryside.
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Cooking Classes & Market Tour
Genova ~6 Day
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Step into Genova, Liguria’s capital, set between the Ligurian Sea and the Apennine Mountains for our Genovese hands-on cooking with Chef Stefano!
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Wine, Cooking & Olive Oil
with Chef Luca ~ 5 Days
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Breathtaking panoramas, authentic hands-on cooking and the very best Ligurian food and wine – this is what our Secret Liguria program brings to you.
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Happy Guests at Cooking Vacations
We've enjoyed our guests from all over the world!
We have celebrated honeymoon, birthdays, anniversaries, and engagements. Our guests came from Texas, Boston, Australia, England, New Zealand, Michigan, Canada, Nevada and...every little city in between. Everyone arrived as strangers and left as friends.
Thank you for cooking, sipping and swirling
with us at Cooking Vacations!
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Cozze Ripiene alla Ligure
~
Mussels au Gratin
Mussels are plentiful in Liguria and not too expensive, and this is a favorite way to serve them.
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Cantine Lunae's Albarola is a fresh white wine characterized by light notes of maritime aromatic herbs and intriguing aromas. It has good persistence in the mouth and finishes on an elegant note. Ideal for pairing with fish and seafood.
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Pansotti Con Salsa di Noci
~
Ravioli with Walnut Sauce
The Pansotti are a stuffed pasta typical of Ligurian cuisine, similar to ravioli, from which they essentially differ in size and lack of meat in the filling.
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Medium-bodied white wine, soft and fragrant, with notes of lemon verbena, grapefruit and mint, nice freshness and minerality with a lovely finish. A great accompaniment to vegetable pastas, fish dishes and cheese.
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Coniglio alla Ligure
~
Rabbit Ligurian Style
The Rabbit Ligurian Style recipe is a typical specialty of western Liguria but is now widespread throughout the country with some small variations.
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Refined and elegant with exceptional acidity and full body. Perfect as an aperitif, it will also pair well with various cold meats and charcuterie and fully matured cheeses.
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Latte Fritto
~
Fried Milk
A simple recipe, an authentic harmony of taste, elegance and sweetness. A typical Christmas dessert lends itself to being served as an extra dessert.
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Refined and elegant with exceptional acidity and full body. Perfect as an aperitif, it will also pair well with various cold meats and charcuterie and fully matured cheeses.
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Venturino, Liguria's famous producer of pesto and pate bring you two important ingredients that are a must in any Italian kitchen. Turn your next lunch or dinner into a festa with their creamy pesto or olive pate.
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The
Minaglia brothers have been making artisan pasta for over 30 years from their hometown of Montoggio, in the Appennine mountains near Genoa. Specializing in traditional shapes from the centuries-old tradition of pasta-making in Liguria. With names like
t
rofiette
, smal twists of pasta;
foglie d'ulivo
, leaves of pasta and
trenette
, long laces of pasta, you will turn your next lunch or dinner into a gourmet Italian one with Pasta di Liguria,
www.pastadiliguria.it
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From enjoying a Portofino soda to satisfying your sweet tooth with marmellas - orange, lemon and mandarin - Niasca Portofino is a unique shop with made-in Portofino products only. Whether it's sipping a
limonata del tigullio
, a delicious citrus lemonade, or spreading sweet confections on your toasted bread, this online shop is Liguria's best.
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By Germaine Stafford
Germaine continues her roundup of what's happening in the culinary world in Italy and gives you her chef of the month, book recommendation, and a list of seasonal foods for the fall.
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Sea Bass
Mussels
Oysters
Venison
Partridge
Wood Pigeon
Guinea fowl
Partridge
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Duck
Grouse
Garlic
Ceps
Chanterelles
Spinach
Fennel
Onion
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Kale
Beetroot
Squashes
Pumpkin
Figs
Apples
Pears
Grapes
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V
ia Lungomare C. Colombo 108
Borgo Prino - Imperia, Italia18100
+39 0183 754056
In the heart of the land of
pescatori
, fishermen, is Ristorante Sarri. Chef Andrea comes from a generation of restaurateurs and figures in the most prestigious gastronomic guides and magazines in the sector. His style draws partly from tradition, but is indisputably open to gustatory exploration and surprising combinations. Vegetables are grown at their organic farm, the fish is supplied directly by local fishermen and the meat comes from historical Martini shop in Boves in the province of Cuneo. The wine cantina offers perfect pairings. Today, Chef Andrea, together with his wife Alessandra, welcomes you to award-winning cuisine in the heart of Liguria.
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Book Corner
Lucio's Ligurian Kitchen
by
Lucia Gallietto
Lucio Galletto who grew up in the eastern end of the Riviera di Levante in Liguria shares his family recipes in this gorgeous cookbook. Lucio bring you to chefs, farmers, and fishermen for an indept view of the local cuisine. Lots of herbs, vegetables, and seafood along with colorful photos and 180 delicious recipes that respect the experience of the past and anticipate the demands of the future. This book was the winner of the 2008 Gourmand Award for Best Italian Cuisine Book (Australian Category), and the 2009 Cordon d'Or Cuisine Award for Best Illustrated Culinary Book.
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