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Making Pasta with Paola

Last night, we were at Casale della Torre again for dinner with our friends Larry and Carrol. As usual, it was such a treat and always a learning experience with Lapo and Paola in the kitchen.

We arrived to find Paola making fresh pasta.

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Naturally, I had to try this myself.

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After a few tips, they said I passed. It was just to get me out of their way, I think.

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Next up, Paola’s fried veggies including zucchini flowers, zucchini, and onions, freshly picked from their garden.

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The men moved outside to enjoy the view and the Prosecco, and wait patiently for the appetizers to arrive. They were also in charge of grilling the sausage.

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Meanwhile, Paola opened the treasure chest from the freezer…porcini mushrooms Lapo had found last fall, and had saved for Carrol and Larry’s arrival dinner. Such a treat for all of us.

Lapo’s Porcini Find!

Frozen porcini sections – blogginginitaly.com

After appertivo on the veranda, we moved inside for dinner. Gustavo, a guest of Larry and Carrol’s, and the evening’s assistant chef, had requested Tripe. Yikes! But the men were all happy and said it was delicious. The ladies just looked on with eyebrows raised as the men enjoyed several servings.

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Gustavo was very grateful!

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Next was two kinds of pasta – one with ragu of chianna beef, a Tuscan speciality, and the second with mushrooms. These were followed by a salad from the garden and the grilled sausage. Delicious.

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Finally, dessert – peaches marinated in Lapo’s red vino, vanilla gelato with mint sprig, and my hostess gift apple torta.

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We quickly learned no evening is complete without a taste of Lapo’s homemade liquors.

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At the end of a very relaxing and fun evening, Lapo decided that Gustavo reminded him of Popeye. And why not – here is a man who, along with his brother, rode his bike from Mexico City to Toronto back in the 50s! Lacking a pipe, Lapo gave Gustavo a wooden spoon and actually lit it.

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Before we left, Paola and Lapo invited us to make cheese with them the next day. Fresh pasta Thursday, cheese on Friday. My cup runneth over!

Ciao,

Judy

Tags: Casale Delle Torre, Making fresh pasta

Comments 6 Comments
Categories Cortona, Food, Grilling in Italy, Italian countryside, Italian Food, Italian Hospitality, Italian WIne, Italy, My Blog about Italy, Tuscan hill views, Tuscany

A Typical Thursday – Camucia Market and Tuscher Caffe

26 Jun

If it’s Thursday in Cortona, it’s market day in Camucia, the town at the bottom of the hill. As usual, we strolled for hours amongst the clothing, housewares, shoes, jewelry and food stalls.

Camucia Market – blogginginitaly.com

Len and I returned to Cortona about 2 PM and had lunch at our very favorite Tuscher Caffe on Via Nazionale. We eat here almost everyday, and usually try to be a little heathy, but today we really splurged. We shared the special, a pasta prepared with light cream sauce of prosciutto, onions, and melon, (yes thinly sliced melon! as only the Italians know how), and it was not only beautiful but incredibly delicious.

Tuscher Caffe – blogginginitaly.com

We also shared our daily tomato salad – very healthy!

Tuscher Caffe –
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Then for dessert, which we usually never have at lunch, Edoardo, the chef and our friend, convinced us to try his special tiramisu with fresh cherries. Well, it ranks among the best desserts I have ever had. No drenched cookies with liquor here. Instead, a light, smooth, lovely dessert with the fresh cherries – simply amazing.

Edoardo's Tiramisu Tuscher Cafe blogginginitaly.com

Edoardo’s Tiramisu
Tuscher Caffe
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Edoardo, Chef at Tuscher Cafe blogginginitaly.com

Edoardo, Chef at Tuscher Caffe
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Tonight we have been invited to a friend’s home, so Edoardo is making me his delicious apple torta to take to my hosts.

Edoardo’s Mela (Apple) Torta –
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As for tomorrow’s agenda? Extended hiking, then more eating, of course.

I know, it’s a tough life. So glad it’s us that “has” to do it!

Ciao,

Judy

Comments 4 Comments
Categories Cortona, Cortona Market, Cortona Trattoria, Food, Food shopping in Cortona, Italian Food, Italian Hospitality, Italy, Market Day, My Blog about Italy, Tuscany

Lapo turns 60!

23 Jun

Last year, I wrote about the wonderful dinner we had at Casale delle Torre Agriturismo. Our dear friends Carrol and Larry, who rent there during the summer, had invited us to dinner

Carroll, Lapo, Larry – blogginginitaly.com

and it was there we met Lapo and Paola, the Agriturismo’s proprietors, and now also our friends.

Last night, we were again invited, this time to celebrate Lapo’s 60th birthday. The lovely women in the family, Paola, Ilaria and Laura, threw a surprise party for Lapo, and surprising him was no small feat!

The trees were filled with photos of fond memories of Lapo’s life.

Their wedding

Night gowns for two?

Pheasant Hunting

Sempre amore

Their two successful daughters

And a poster representing 60 years of Lapo’s work, with cheese, sheep and hay –

and place cards to match.

Place cards

The setting could have been in an Italian film, with one beautiful table set for 48.

Lapo’s Birthday table
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And a view no movie set could match.

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Our friend Larry was tasked with keeping Lapo busy from 3:30 till 8:00, not an easy assignment, but alas, they arrived, and we knew Lapo was surprised by the tears rolling down his cheeks.

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Appertivo was poolside, with music and dancing, of course!

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Lapo is a proud farmer who among other things raises his own sheep, and produces wine, olive oil and cheese – a man of many talents for sure.

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He is also affectionately known as “movie star” as he is the sheep herder in Under the Tuscan Sun and appears several times throughout the movie.

Dinner as you might imagine was several delicious courses, most of which I remembered to photograph before eating!

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Fagottini di Borraggione – blogginginitaly.com

Rosemary roasted potatoes
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smoked pork
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Toasts and speeches were made, and Paola read a poem she wrote in the local dialect. Even the Italians next to me from Bergamo didn’t quite understand, but there were plenty of laughs and smiles from those who did. We think we got the gist of it, however, from Paola’s antics!

Paola’s poem to Lapo
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Lapo
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While most were eating, Mother and daughter Laura were busy decorating the homemade cake, again with elements of Lapo’s life.

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Laura decorating the cake, blogginginitaly.com

And the final, very delicious product…

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After dinner, we moved poolside once again to sing Happy Birthday, then Lapo did the honors, fireworks and all!

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Time for more champagne and Lapo’s heartfelt gratitude to his wife and daughters for their love and hard work.

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Afterward, Ilaria read a tribute and followed it with a short and fun movie of Lapo’s life.

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Besides being a great husband and father, Lapo is also a caring and wonderful friend to so many. Just ask his family and friends.

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The evening, which began under the warm summer sunshine and ended under the stars, was filled with love, laughter and the happy celebration of a wonderful man by his loving family.

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Tanti auguri, Lapo!

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E un grande abbraccio,

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Ciao,

Judy e Leonardo

Tags: Casale Delle Torre, Lapo Salvadori, Lapo's 60th Surprise!

Comments 14 Comments
Categories Cortona, Food, Grilling in Italy, Italian Hospitality, Italian WIne, Italy, My Blog about Italy, Renting in Cortona, Tuscan hill views, Tuscany

Treasure or Trash?

22 Jun

Every third Sunday in Cortona, the antique market comes to town. Trash or treasure, it’s in the eye of the beholder, yet it brings many antique followers to town. I keep hoping I’ll find a da Vinci, but alas, none so far.

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Children’s books:

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Remember the Brownie?

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Victoria No 2 – 1825 small sewing machine, still working!

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Serving bowl?

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Actually this is Snoopy but the Madama looks right~

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And then our long walk, with vistas like this everywhere… makes exercise enjoyable.

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Heading to a party tonight. As I close, someone is playing lovely music outside, and it is flowing in with the summer breeze.

Ciao,

Judy

Comments 8 Comments
Categories Cortona, Cortona Market, Italian Art, Italian Festival, Italian History, Italian Hospitality, Italy, My Blog about Italy, Piazza Life, Piazza Signorelli and Piazza Republicca, Tuscan hill views, Tuscany

“An Enchanting Walk”…

21 Jun

There is a new project underway in Cortona entitled An Enchanting Walk Under the Tuscan Sun. The goal of the program (I think) is to increase awareness of the historic center of Cortona and other towns in Tuscany, and it ties to some of Frances Mayes’ writings and some of the shooting locations of the movie. Tonight she was celebrated as a Cortona ambassador and together, we toured some of the town’s historic sites. I had a chance to speak with her briefly and she was very gracious.

Frances Mayes in Cortona, Blogginginitaly.com

An unscheduled stop was in the piazza, where there were several vintage sport cars on display including Fiats, Alphas, and a Mercedes or two.

Cortona, Blogginginitaly.com

Vintage Fiat, Cortona, Blogginginitaly.com

Earlier today was the typical wedding concluding on the grand steps of the municipal building, where the uninvited join the guests,

Wedding Cortona, Blogginginitaly.com

this one followed by a release of white balloons.

Last night, we enjoyed a wonderful multi-course fish dinner at AD, a new restaurant in town, with a chef from Napoli. I took many photos and will write about it as soon as I can get back to ask the chef what we ate! (There were eight of us and we let the chef decide our dinner.)

Always something interesting happening in Cortona.

Ciao,

Judy

Tags: An Enchanting Walk Under the Tuscan Sun, Frances Mayes, Vintage Fiats

Comments 4 Comments
Categories Cortona, Cortona Restaurant, Cortona weddings, Italian Festival, Italian Food, Italian History, Italian Hospitality, Italy, My Blog about Italy, Piazza Life, Piazza Signorelli and Piazza Republicca, Tuscany, Under the Tuscan Sun

Return to Cortona

19 Jun

Hardly here 24 hours and have already reconnected with so many local friends, returning friends, and even had time to make new friends.

My long time wonderful friend Sue was visiting her daughter in Firenze, then spent a night with us before heading home. We had appertivo last night at Tuscher Cafe (Benita’s favorite!),

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then lunch there again today including Pici Amatriciana and a caprese salad.

Pici Amatriciana da Tuscher Cafe in Cortona, blogginginitaly.com

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Pici is like a thick spaghetti, made from flour and water only. It originated in the Siena area and is usually only found in Tuscany. The Amatriciana included speck, mushrooms, onions, tomatoes and cheese. Delicioso! And as usual, there’s nothing quite like an Italian tomato.

In between all the eating, we managed some walking on the steep streets of this lovely Etruscan town.

And then just before heading home, we stopped in the piazza, and as usual, always something happening.

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Finally, I had to stop these kids as I had never seen so large a gelato. Glad I got to them before the dripping began!

Ciao for now,

Judy

Tags: Pici Amatriciana, Tuscher Cafe

Comments 6 Comments
Categories Cortona, Cortona Restaurant, Italian Food, Italian Hospitality, Italian Recipe, My Blog about Italy, Piazza Life

Cortona in Winter

12 Feb

I always wondered what Cortona would be like in winter, and now I know. The same wonderful people, the same beautiful town, albeit a little quieter, and the same feeling like I’m home…ok, also colder and sometimes rainy, but certainly warm compared to Chicago.

Benita and I took the train from Roma last Saturday and spent two wonderful days and nights in Cortona. It’s an incredible feeling to walk through the market or down a street and recognize so many faces. We shopped, walked, ate, drank, talked and laughed with our wonderful Cortonese friends.

I think the pictures and smiles tell the story!

Grazie ai nostri amici per un tempo meraviglioso!

And Len, this one is for you…un baccino from Daniela!

Can’t wait to return this summer!

Ciao,

Judy

Tags: Bucaccia Ristorante, Casale della Torre, Cortona, Il Pozzo Galleria, Tuscher Caffe

Comments 10 Comments
Categories Cortona, Cortona Restaurant, Italian Food, Italian Hospitality, My Blog about Italy, Tuscany

Happy New Year – Buon Anno!

31 Dec

A warm thank you to all who have found and followed Blogginginitaly.com, which had over 10,000 views from 83 countries in 2013. When I began writing in 2011, little did I realize the joy this blog would bring me. It is such fun for me to share my thoughts and experiences and know others enjoy reading about them as well.

A few things in store for Blogginginitaly 2014…

A winter visit to Rome… (haven’t done that since I was a student!)

as well as Cortona, which I’ve never been to in winter!

Much more about Alex and his travels to Italy

and a summer journey for Len and me to Alex’s birthplace, Pietrabbondante.

Pietrabbondante (Photo credit: diffendale)

As we anticipate our summer return to Cortona, we know it will be filled with wonderful new and familiar experiences, great food and wine, the tranquillity of piazza life, and so many roads less travelled to discover and share with you. But best of all, we know we will be spending time with dear friends we have made through our travels.

May your new year be filled with health and time spent with loved ones, and may you find time to enjoy a sunset, wherever your roads lead you.

Happy New Year and Buon Anno 2014!

Ciao,

Judy

Tags: Cortona, New Year, Pietrabbondante, Rome, travel

Comments 3 Comments
Categories Cortona, Italian Food, Italian History, My Blog about Italy, Piazza Life, Rome, Through HIs Words: Reflections From and About My Grandfather

Preludio

14 Nov

Sometimes, we walk by a place, take note, and know we need to return. That was the case for us with Preludio, an elegant restaurant in Cortona. Unfortunately it took us three summers to eat there, but now it’s on our annual To-Do list.

From the outside looking in, it seems as though this is a restaurant for celebrating an occasion – a birthday, an anniversary, etc. Draped linens adorn the tables which are set with long stem wine glass and glowing candles.

Local friends Luca and Simone first introduced us to the restaurant and assured us that wanting great food is occasion enough. Fortunately for us, they did all the ordering, but I must admit, we dined as if we were celebrating a big occasion. First things first, some incredible wine from the Bolgheri region of Italy.

Then on to the primi. The attention to detail at Preludio is as incredible as the food, and the presentation of each dish is truly a work of art. I especially loved how our friends chose their favorite local and regional dishes to share with us. While I can’t remember the names of many of the dishes, I do remember the taste.

Escalope of foie gras sauce, lettuce, grapefruit and potatoes pumpkin

Not being such a foie gras aficionado, I was very content sitting next to this incredible fondue!

For the secondo, we were treated to a Tuscan trio – two pastas with meat and one saffron porcini risotto with black truffle. I headed right for the risotto!

Although two-thirds of my plate was still covered, our friends wanted us to share a Florentine steak. With no more room for dinner, we finally agreed on dessert which they insisted was mandatory. Well, feast your eyes!

According to their website:

Preludio is always looking for new challenges posed by the evolution of taste, frequently revisited by combining creativity and continuity and adapting it to the current seasons.

Do not ask us what is our main dish, because our ambition is to ensure that every dish that leaves our kitchen is new and unique…

Sometimes a night doesn’t need a special occasion to celebrate as the night itself becomes the occasion. Our dinner at Preludio with our local friends was one of those nights. Grazie for a special night we will long remember.

Just like in English, the name Preludio (prelude) means the beginning or an introduction. I’m so glad we’ve been introduced!

Ciao,

Judy

Postscript:

Len and I enjoyed the restaurant so much, we returned another evening for a “simpler” dinner of risotto, salmon, artichokes and potatoes. We’ll be back for more.

Tags: Bolgheri, Cortona, Italian cuisine, Preludio

Comments 6 Comments
Categories Cortona, Cortona Restaurant, Italian Art, Italian Food, Italian WIne, My Blog about Italy, Tuscany

Ristorante IL CACCIATORE, Cortona

20 Sep

Since it’s Friday, I was thinking about where I’d like to have dinner tonight. A simple choice would be Ristorante IL CACCIATORE, except for the fact that it is in Cortona and we are in Chicago. Oh, well, I can still think about what we might order after receiving a warm welcome from Alessandro, owner and always visible greeter.

The entrance to the two-story restaurant is on Via Roma, and you can choose indoor or limited outdoor seating. According to its website, “It was the first restaurant opened in the medieval town of Cortona, around 1904.” The word cacciatore means “hunter” in Italian, and the restaurant serves typical Tuscan dishes and “specialities including grilled meat chianina, ribollita and pici with meat sauce,” a local pasta favorite.