Taverna Pane e Vino, Cortona

27 May

Pane e Vino. Bread and Wine. Food and Italy. Judy and Len. Some things just go together.

So what are these, you ask? Cheese stuffed gnocchi with fresh sautéed artichokes and sun dried tomatoes. And yes, they are as good as they look!

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A sampling of bruschetta

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and some thinly sliced zucchini with cannellini beans, shaved pecorino and lettuce.

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Taverna Pane e Vino is located in Piazza Signorelli in Cortona. The covered entrance (beyond the arched glass door) serves as an open market in the morning which disappears later in the day to become the entrance to this local restaurant at night.

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The owner, Arnaldo, and Len talked about a few events they will be hosting this summer.

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All is a day’s work!

Ciao,

Judy

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Fett’ unta on Via Maffei, Cortona

26 May

In Italian, the word “merenda” means afternoon snack. Fett’ unta is a new small eatery in Cortona, just opened a week, serving light lunch and dinner as well as afternoon snacks. We watched them doing construction at this location last summer so we stopped in today to sample the local cuisine. As for the name, if I understand it correctly, unta means “greased” as in greasing something with oil. Since literal translations rarely work, I’ll go with drizzling olive oil on your bread or panini, etc. At any rate, the food we ordered was delicious.

We shared two different bruschette:

Pear, cheese and walnuts; Mozzarella and roasted tomatoes

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Then we each ordered a hearty local soup as summer has yet to arrive in Cortona:

Orzo, artichoke and pecorino

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And pearl barley and beans

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Meet the owners, Ulisse and Antonio

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and check out their website at www.fettunta.net

Better yet, stop by when you are in town and they can make you a fresh prosciutto panini!

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Ciao,

Judy

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Destination: Cortona!

24 May

Arrived yesterday, a bit tired and jet lagged, and encountering some internet issues (hopefully temporary), but nothing some great food and vino can’t cure!

In the meantime, click to see my shortest post yet!

Ciao,

Judy

Italy Info Worth Reading

10 May

Whether or not you have travel plans for Italy, reading and learning about the country and planned events can be great fun. Several people have asked what sites I follow, so I thought I’d share a few.

If looking for Cortona specific information, check out www.cortonaweb.net. This site provides information on everything from weather to local events, podcasts, restaurants, accommodations, history of Cortona, maps, wedding planners, tours, wine shops, etc. While not all-inclusive, it certainly covers a broad spectrum of interesting and useful information about Cortona.

The website was started in 1999 by a few locals just for fun, and with sponsorship, has grown over the years. It is well-written and informative. The following picture and caption from the site’s front page describe Cortona’s amazing Etruscan Museum, or MAEC, which is definitely worth visiting:

“A journey back 2700 years Restoring History. Dawn of the Etruscan Princes.”

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Un viaggio a ritroso di 2700 Anni Restaurando La Storia. L’Alba dei Principi etruschi

I’ve been in touch with the authors of cortonaweb.net and look forward to meeting them this summer!

For reading about Italy in general, a site I enjoy is an online magazine called Italy Magazine: http://www.italymagazine.com

Its byline reads: “Since 1999, the n.1 magazine for lovers of all things Italian.” Like me! Included in the magazine are Italian current and cultural events, travel tips, accommodations, properties for sale, festivals and recipes such as the one below on how to make limoncello.  Hey, something fun to try on Mother’s Day, which by the way, is also celebrated on the second Sunday in May in Italy…
Tanti Auguri Mamma!

limoncello

italymagazine.com

http://www.italymagazine.com/recipe/how-make-limoncell

So sit back, relax, and take some time to explore these wonderful, ever-changing and totally free sources about Italy.

Happy Reading and Enjoy –  Buon divertimento!

Ciao,

Judy

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Illy on My Mind

2 May

This morning, as we drank our cappucino, Len and I talked about  just how good the coffee is in Italy.

English: Cappuccino Loves Italy in Florence, I...

Wikipedia

A short time later, when I dropped him off at work,  this was parked on the street in front of his building…

Illy to Go!

Illy to Go

And these two lovely ladies were more than happy to share the goods…

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Serendipity…

a “happy accident” or “pleasant surprise”; specifically, the accident of finding something good or useful while not specifically searching for it.

Works for me!

Ciao,

Judy

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Festa della Liberazione

30 Apr

Before we close the month of April, I want to take a moment to highlight a special Italian celebration…the Festa della Liberazione.  Each year on April 25th, the day is dedicated to celebrating Italy’s liberation from Nazi occupation. According to an article in Italy Magazine, “The day marks the liberation of the country by Allied troops in World War II and is celebrated throughout the peninsula with parades, concerts, demonstrations, speeches, and more.”

In the States we have the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds. In Italy, they have Frecce Tricolori, or the Three Color Arrows.

Rivolto

Rivolto (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

For more on the celebration, and to see the Frecce Tricolori in action, click on the article by Carol King, Le Frecce Tricolori, the flamboyant aerobatic antics of Italy.

And if you happen to be in Italy this summer, or even in November, you might be lucky enough to see Le Frecce in action.

According to Carol, “This year, the Frecce Tricolori take to the skies to perform displays in Italy and abroad, starting on 5 May at the Falconara Air Show in Ancona…The Frecce Tricolori will round off the year on 4 November in Rome to celebrate the Giornata Unità Nazionale e delle Forze Armate (National Unification and Armed Forces Day). The day marks the anniversary of the unification of Trentino-Alto Adige and Friuli-Venezia Giulia with Italy, as well as the end of World War I.”

Italiano: Frecce Tricolori all'Air Show di Fal...

Italiano: Frecce Tricolori all’Air Show di Falconara Marittima, Ancona, Italy. (Wikipedia)

A cause for celebration indeed! Buona Festa!

Ciao,

Judy

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Chianti and the Fiasco

20 Apr

In the May/June issue of La Cucina Italiana,  www.lacucinaitalianamag.com, there is an interesting article on the last page entitled what a fiasco. The fiasco the article refers to is not a disaster or a problem. Instead, it tells the history of the straw clad Chianti basket, the fiasco.

Vin Chianti

Chianti Bottles

Of course, we all remember the bottle…a not too long neck that flowed into a rounded bottle nestled in a straw basket. When empty, the bottle served as a wonderful candleholder. Back in the day, I would vary the candle color to add a rainbow effect to the mountain of drippings that hugged the bottle’s curves. While I have none left, I did find this on a site called The Cottage and it looks just like mine did after burning a few candles.

As the La Cucina article correctly reminds us, “No first date was complete with out a Chianti bottle candleholder on the table, and no image of the bottle was as iconic as the spaghetti scene in The Lady and The Tramp.”

Disney Lady and the Tramp

Disney Lady and the Tramp

But back to the history…Long before commercial trucking was available, bottles of wine were carried on horse drawn carts, up and down hills and through winding roads. Not surprisingly, the bottles could rub against each other and break, especially when a single cart could carry more than 3000 kilos of wine. In order to protect them, the Chianti bottles were wrapped in straw.

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Wine delivery, Florence, Italy, Circa 1920 (La Cucina Italiana article)

This great photo shows Chianti fiaschi arriving in Florence  via horse drawn carriage,  a few workers, and no broken bottles. So  next time you pour Chianti from regular wine bottles, and some very good ones at that, raise a glass to the simple ingenuity of times gone by, and remember, a fiasco can be a good thing!

Ciao,

Judy

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Anticipation!

7 Apr

With the calendar reading April, I am filled with anticipation. As I look out the window, or take walks, my eyes are surrounded with the signs of spring…plants pushing aside their winter hibernation as they eagerly seek sunshine; trees coming to life and showing off their annual budding ritual.

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In addition to spring, I am also anticipating our return to Cortona. According to local friend Patricia, spring is also in the air.

“April 3rd was a fine day.  It wasn’t very warm but the sun was shining and it felt like spring.  This made everybody particularly happy because of an Italian proverb:

Terzo Aprilante, quaranta dì durante, 

or as some say,

Terzo aquilante, quaranta dì durante.

That means that if it rains on April 3rd, it will rain for 40 days!  After all the rain we have had, nobody could bear the thought of that, so the sunny day was a great relief!”

Sure hope the proverb holds true!

So, on this sunny Sunday, a few other things I look forward to in Cortona:

Getting back to piazza life –

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Taking in the incredible vistas –

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 Marveling at the architecture –

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Strolling the local markets –

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Enjoying simply delicious food –

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Sharing some incredible vino –

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Being immersed in “Italian class” every day –

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And after walking for miles, sometimes just hanging out with Len in Piazza Gharibaldi, watching tourists come and go, and feeling, if only for a short time, that we belong to this little piece of heaven – 

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Perfetto!

Ciao,

Judy

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Update on Cortona Spring

30 Mar

News from Patricia in Cortona:

Unfortunately, everything has had to be  cancelled this year due to rain.  No procession.  No lanterns.  Just grey sky and rain.  But trees are in blossom and little green leaves are shooting, so Spring MUST be here really.  Happy Easter –  Buona Pasqua from Cortona.

Thanks, Patricia. And to my friends in Cortona, wishing you sunny days…

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endless blue skies…

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And a good glass of vino!

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Ciao!

Judy

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Springtime in Cortona

29 Mar

Cortona Spring is more than just a time of year. In the town of Cortona, it is a week of events commemorating spring and Easter week.

Tonight, on Good Friday, there’s a procession through the streets. Men carrying statues of Christ from various churches process through town. The statues, large and heavy, are carried on the shoulders of strong men in hooded cloaks.

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Others carry large crosses in the procession.

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Locals and visitors follow behind as the procession, which begins at the Church of Santo Spirito, passes several other churches and eventually ends in the historic Piazza della Repubblica.

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Patricia, my local friend, describes the procession as “quite dramatic.” On Saturday evening, assuming the weather cooperates, the skies above Cortona will once again be lit by lanterns (minus the Christmas decorations!).

Chinese lanterns Cortona 29 12 12 2

On Sunday, as in many parts of the world, families will gather at one of the many beautiful churches in Cortona to celebrate Easter. Later in the day, in their homes, they will gather with family and friends to feast on traditional dishes and Easter specialties.

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Whatever your traditions may be, I hope you have time to celebrate them with family and friends.

 

Buona Pasqua a tutti!

Ciao,

Judy

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