Cari amici (dear friends),

Indian summer in parts of America feels like Tuscany at this time of year. A week ago we were with our last culinary group of the year, touring castles in the Chianti Classico region. We enjoyed amazing wines and a fantastic lunch cooked entirely over wood coals that day. Tuscany is best in the fall when you can enjoy the warmth of an open fireplace, relaxing at the end of the day with a glass of delicious wine you just brought back from the winery. The weather was great – chilly mornings turning into to sunshine and mid 70s. With the evening chill we enjoyed the open fires places that warmed the room. It’s a good time to be in Tuscany in October!

We had such a lovely time seeing old friends, reconnecting with our special Tuscan haunts and sharing our favorite towns, restaurants and wineries with some truly wonderful people! We made hand-rolled pici pasta, walked in medieval towns on its ancient cobblestones and narrow alleys, did some serious shopping to bring lovely things home, and met people passionate about what they do. The new olive oil was starting to show up and we enjoyed tasting it on bruschetta. What a real treat with the bright green color and peppery flavor!

We’re working on next year’s tours, check out below for our availability. We love spring time up north. Piedmont in far northwest Italy is a gorgeous region in the foothills of the Alps. We were struck this past spring with the beauty of the surrounding mountains, some still with snowcaps on their tallest mountains. So many years they’ve hidden behind clouds, it was a treat to see them day after day! After meeting in the Baroque (and chocolate) city of Torino (Turin) we base ourselves in the southern part of this region near the cities of Barolo and Monteforte d’Alba for easy day trips to the famous vineyards and villages of the area.

Puglia is best in mid to late September, before it gets too chilly to enjoy being close to the water and all the beach resorts close down. During our tours we still enjoy warm days and the best part - the hot summer crowds are gone. The heel of the boot of Italy that is the region of Puglia is surrounded by the Adriatic and Ionian seas, and its variety of seafood is delightful. We love the history and culture of this land especially the history of olive oil. Puglia has been known for its olive oil for centuries and many of the olive trees are over 1,000 years old. The oldest trees stand as centurions with their sculpted trunks, and they truly are beautiful works of art!



If you’ve traveled with us before you know how passionate we are about eating with the seasons. Now in the markets and grocery stores there is an abundance of squashes or zucche (zucca is one!), greens, broccoli and chestnuts. There's a huge variety of zucca - squashes readily available for cooking. This month we’re sharing a favorite of ours that was on the menu during our culinary tours Butternut Squash Soup. You could use any variety of squash pictured below. This soup is a nice starter or main course. Scroll down for the recipe!

Buon appetito!

Gina and Mary