In This Issue
Carnevale Treats
Taste of Tuscany in June
2018 Dates Announced
Try these sweet fried 'rags' for your Carnevale celebration:

Cenci Recipe

1/2 cups flour

3 eggs
pinch of fine sea salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup sweet liquor (tuaca, cointreau)
1/4 cup water

Mix all ingredients together until a soft dough forms, adding additional flour if too sticky to handle.   

Let it rest 15 minutes then roll through a pasta machine to form thin strips, adding flour when necessary.  Fry in peanut oil and dust with powdered sugar.

Quick Links
 

 

Trip Advisor reviews

 

Register for Tour  

 

News 

   

2017 Food & Wine Tours


Tuscany:  

June 24 - June 28 - 4 spots open  

June 24 - July 1 - 6 spots open 

Oct 7-14 - Sold out

Oct 14-21 - 2 open spots   

 

Bologna & Tuscany

October 5 - 7

Piedmont
June 16-22 - sold out
  

Join us for a fun, full immersion to the regions of Tuscany and Emilia Romagna - great food, wine, history and culture!   

 

Vacation Villas
& Farmhouses

Casa Marta
Great accommodations for either a night or a week. When planning your stay in Italy, begin your 'country living' on a Saturday and depart the area the following Saturday for the best selection of villas and houses! 
Call for more information.
Contact Mary: 972.342.8308 
  
Find us on Facebook
Join Our Mailing List
Ecco La Cucina Cookbook

gina's cookbook  

 

Gina's revised and updated cookbook is available. It has more than 20 new recipes! This collection of traditional Tuscan cooking, features dishes of the Siena area and some of her favorites. 

CLICK HERE TO ORDER 

Carnevale Treats     
Ciao a tutti!  Seems like yesterday we were in the midst of the holidays...and now its February and we're preparing for the 40 days of Lent!  

There is a big celebration all over the world in the days leading up to Lent, in what are, or formally were, Catholic countries.  Called carnevale in Italy, the word literally meant " a removal of meat", and began as an acknowledgment that they would soon be faced with 40 days of fasting before Easter.  It evolved into a decadent celebration of masked parties and rich foods, before Ash Wednesday reminds us all that "man thou art dust and unto dust thou shall return."

Italy abounds with many special dishes that show  up in celebration for any number of feast days and holy days, some more regional than others.  The fried and sugared pastry strips, cenci, lattughe, bugie and chiacchiere, are found  throughout all of Italy, with different names; but in Naples you also find struffoli, those little chickpea size fried balls with colored sprinkles. And who doesn't like sprinkles?!
Buon Appetito!
Gina and Mary
Taste of Tuscany Tour in June
We'll be escaping back to Tuscany this June!
Join us  we have our mini tour in Tuscany - 3 glorious fun filled days and 4 nights or the full culinary tour. Our mini tour is perfect for those time crunched travelers planning to spend time in Rome or Florence or other city, but still want to experience the relaxing calm and beauty of the Tuscan country- side. We include a cooking classes, winery visits, hill towns and artisan food producers in our short week. As with all our tours, it is a wonderful balance of wine, food, culture and history. Click here to see a sample itinerary.
2018 Tuscany & Piedmont
Explore the real Italy with us! We focus on the regional, authentic foods and wines of Italy on our small group culinary tours.

Its not too early to begin thinking and planning for next year - 2018.  Experience Italy with us, we'll guide you through these beautiful regions of Italy! We have a lot of fun too!

-May 26-June 2, 2018 (Tuscany)
-June 3 - 9, 2018 (Piedmont)
-September 29-October 6, 2018 (Tuscany)
-October 6-13, 2018 (Tuscany)

If you've got a group already and are interested in the Palio or Campania, c
ontact Mary for details! [email protected], 972-342-8308  

Educational trips on the top of your bucket list? Italy is a great destination with its exceptional foods and wines. Read this!

More Carnevale treats from Piedmont!