It's July! That means it's time to visit Buttonwood Farm Winery and Vineyard in the Santa Ynez wine country for their fabulous peaches--carefully tended by orchard manager Fred Munch. The peaches are his babies and they get special pampering, rewarding his tender care by developing beautiful flavor and color. We bought three boxes so we can indulge in eating them out-of-hand and baking up lovely peachy desserts.

The Buttonwood farm produces a cornucopia of culinary delights, including organic herbs;  fruits for Buttonwood's line of handmade preserves, salsas and sauces; olives for their estate olive oil; cut flowers; and summer vegetables--oh, yes--and the sustainably grown Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Semillon, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Grenache Noir, Marsanne, Grenache Blanc and Malbec for their lovely food-friendly wines.

Try the following recipe for the Buttonwood Farm Winery & Vineyard peaches:

• Warm Peaches With Chile and Maple Syrup

Don't miss Buttonwood's All Farm Dinners in August! The farm-to-table feasts are held in the grassy knoll in the midst of their 39-acre vineyard, next to a peaceful pond and a short walk from the top of the hill where one can take in a panoramic view of Santa Ynez Valley. The dinners are created from Buttonwood's farm-raised meat, farm-grown fruits and vegetables--including those famous peaches! Buttonwood's Rhone and Bordeaux varietal wines pair with each course.

To read more about Buttonwood Farm Winery & Vineyard, click here.

Il Porticciolo: Haute Cuisine in Italy's Lake District

If you ask an American if they know about the Lake District of Italy, the first thing they tend to mention is George Clooney. He's the most visible of the celebs who have homes on the shores of Lake Como. The largest and most picturesque city on that lake, Bellagio is the subject of many paintings, with its grand formal gardens, sun-dappled stairways and grandiose villas lining the shimmering water. In the summer, there are hordes of tourists soaking in the romantic atmosphere and hoping to catch a glimpse of the movie star in person.

But, if you're looking for a quieter place, more affordable, with the same breathtaking views of the Alps and limpid lake water, try Lake Maggiore. The most westerly of the lakes, it is on the border of the Piedmont and Lombardy regions and it provides a convenient base to explore the wine regions producing Barolo, Barbaresco, Valpolicella, Dolcetto, Soave and Prosecco, among others. Lake Maggiore is laced with ferry routes, a fun way to see the art galleries of Stresa, the Swiss town of Locarno at the north end of the lake, the white peacocks and villas of the Borromean Islands, and other interesting locations. I've stayed twice in the Laveno area, which is home to the funicular that ends with a panoramic view of the lake and mountains--and to Il Porticciolo restaurant and hotel.

Hotel Ristorante Il Porticciolo is built nearly on the water. One can peer down from the lake-side rooms and see the waves lapping against the base of the hotel. I was there five years ago with a yoga group and we enjoyed the warm summer evenings on the restaurant patio overlooking the sparkling lights of the lake at night. The food was wonderfully fresh and innovative. Proprietor Giovanni Bassetti and his son Riccardo created delicate and flavorful entrees like lemon risotto and many types of lake fish in aromatic broths. When I returned this spring, I found that in the intervening years, Chef Riccardo had been in Paris working as Chef de Partie for the 3-star Michelin restaurant Le Maurice and as Premiere Chef de Partie for the world-renown Joel Robuchon at his L'Atelier Etoile.

Chef Riccardo returned with a new skill set for haute cuisine and is turning out fabulous food. His innovation continues, but with elevated technique. Two of my favorite dishes were Beet Gnocchi with Valcuvia Goat Cheese Snow; the Cream of Asparagus Soup with Egg, Parmesan Wafer and Joselito Ham; and the Cone of Chicken With Curry, Potato Puree and Caramelized Green Onion, which was plated to look like a landscape of path, boulder and pine tree. The cone-shaped chicken was coated with very finely minced parsley. Everything was hand-made, including the bread and lovely plate of miniature pastries.


Chef Riccardo has shared one of his recipes with me, seen below: Branzino With Leek and Clam Broth With Lime. The hotel has undergone extensive renovation and modernization. For information on their hotel or restaurant, visit their website: www.ilporticciolo.com

Branzino With Leek and Clam Broth With Lime
Chef Riccardo's recipe tantalizes the senses with aromatics and delicate flavor. Branzino is a European sea bass with a sweet and mild taste.

Ingredients For the Clam Juice

1 pint live clams

approximately 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves of garlic

approximately one bottle good white wine

4 tablespoons butter



Ingredients For the Branzino

2 Branzino fillets

1 lime, juice and zest

2 small leeks

1 cup clam juice (recipe above)

herb garnish: argula, green onion, chervil or dill
extra virgin olive oil for garnish

Directions For the Clam Juice

Clean the outside of the clams with a stiff brush and water and discard any that have opened. Coat the bottom of a large, deep pan with oil and turn the heat to medium low. Cut each clove of garlic in half and add to the pan, cook for a couple of minutes until browned. Add the clams, then cover them with the white wine. Cover the pan, turn the heat to low and cook until the clams open.



When ready to use the clam juice, strain off one cup and pour into a small pot. Heat over low and add the butter, lime and zest. Stir until butter is melted and well mixed. Divide between two plates with raised rims, before plating the fish. Serve the clams as a side dish or save for future use.



Directions For the Branzino

Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil to cook the leeks until tender. At the same time, heat a steamer pot to steam the branzino--this should take about 12 minutes.

Place a cooked leek and branzino on each plate over the clam juice and garnish with aromatic herbs. Drizzle a bit of extra virgin olive oil over the top.

In Istanbul, Everything Is Possible

Two weeks before Taksim Square was used by protestors to demonstrate against Turkey's prime minister, our Celebrity cruise ship docked in this historic city on a Touring and Tasting's "Wine Festival at Sea" with Thacher Winery and Venteux Vineyards. I had some trepidation about traveling to an Islamic country, fearing Turkey might mirror the grim scenes of Anti-Americanism and civil unrest of Afghanistan and Egypt. But, bolstered by the rave reviews the destination received from friends, we stepped off our cruise ship for a day and a half port stay with a sense of excitement. The positive reports turned out to be true, but in retrospect, the civil unrest we read about later should not have been a surprise.

Cruise ships dock at the passenger terminal in Karaköy. It is a short walk from the bay called the Golden Horn which bisects the European side of Istanbul; the southern half of the city is on the Asian continent. Perpendicular to Golden Horn is the Bosphorus Strait that connects the Aegean Sea to the Black Sea. The view across the bay is the dramatic skyline etched with the rounded domes and pointed minarets of the Old Town.

To get there, we were determined to negotiate a one way taxi ride, then walk between the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and the Topkapi Palace. Guidebooks warned that drivers would persist on negotiating a longer tour. As it turned out, our driver "Genghis" (‘Cengiz’ in Turkish) offered to be at our disposal for 3-4 hours for just 100 American dollars. With four of us sharing the cost, $25 apiece seemed like a good deal, plus it would save our aunt with a knee problem from a great deal of discomfort. It turned out to also save us a great deal of time.

After a stop at the fish market where the fish were so fresh some were leaping out of their buckets and flapping on the sidewalk, Genghis headed up the sinuous, one-way streets leading to the Blue Mosque. The traffic was horrendous, but the snail's pace gave us time to take in the bustling street scene of tourists and Turks, cafes, rug shops, jewelry stores, hotels and restaurants. Istanbul felt more cosmopolitan to us than Rome, with throngs of tourists from all parts of the world, including the Persian Gulf. Women in black abaya, and occasionally in the full coverup complete with burqa, were not uncommon--though most women were dressed in European style. Noteworthy was the cleanliness of the city. Unlike Athens or Rome, all the buildings were in good condition and every shop filled with enterprising shopkeepers. As testament to Turkey's economic growth, no storefronts sat empty.

We discovered Turks make good salesmen. All the ones we met were looking for a way to create some business for themselves or a friend, but in an extremely courteous and friendly manner. Without exception, we were impressed with everyone we encountered. We found that Genghis had arranged to have his friend Ahmed serve as our guide, at no additional charge, by walking us from one site to another. It was here that we found real value, as Ahmed miraculously led us to the front of each of the long lines at the entrances. When asked how it was possible to go in without waiting at the end of the line, he just smiled and said, "In Istanbul, everything is possible."

We marveled at the immensity of the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia, but fought the crowds inside the Topkapi Palace since Ahmed had not bought a ticket and was not at our side to insert us into the front. We missed seeing the jewels and precious objects in the Treasury as the line looked to be 30 minutes long, but saw the gorgeous tiled interiors of the rambling compound, including the Bagdad Kiosk with its spectacular mother-of-pearl and inlaid tortoise-shell walls.

We had the chance to pepper both Genghis and Ahmed with questions about Turkey. We learned that business is thriving and that both men own property and cars, thanks to working more than one job. Both complained about Prime Minister Erdoğan, saying they see themselves as "modern Muslims" who don't want to lose the freedoms they gained under their first president Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. We saw many Turkish flags with a picture of Atatürk hung in shops and restaurants. Ahmed explained that "modern Muslims" are ones that believe in Allah, but don't participate in the daily calls to prayer. They are friendly with the West and want Turkey to remain progressive and modern. Sadly, Ahmed has a wife and child that are American citizens--her parents live in the US and the child was born in the US--but he cannot get a visa to visit them. As an American, I felt conflicted. With the recent Boston bombing, caution on the part of the State Department is understandable, yet I felt sympathetic with this affable, hardworking man.

By this time, we were all hungry for lunch. But, first, Genghis wanted us to see the rug shop of his friend. A hand-tied silk rug for just $2,000, DSL shipping included, sounded like a good deal. But, there were no takers and we went on to a restaurant for fish in the center of Old Town. The fish was not inexpensive--25 euros a plate, but it couldn't have been fresher or better.

The next stop was the Grand Bazaar, encompassing over 5,000 shops selling everything from pashmina scarves and jewelry to spices and water pipes. "Take a picture of the gate with your phone! If you get lost, show it to anyone.

They'll get you back here! I'll be waiting!", was the last thing I heard before we were swept up in a tidal wave of people funneling into the largest covered shopping complex in the world. At that moment, the arresting sound of daily prayer bounced off the walls. I was struck by the sheer volume and mesmerizing sound of the song. No one else seemed to even notice as we were squeezed in the entrance. The Bazaar's website says 250,000-400,000 people visit each day; imagine the population of a medium-sized city deciding all at once to go shopping and you will have an idea of  the size of the crowd. Inside, we found an array of shops with dazzling displays, but were fearful of losing our way, so limited our window shopping to the aisles near our entrance.

Afterwards, Genghis wanted to take us to the souvenir shop he runs with his family, but by then, most of the day was gone and our legs were tired. We had spent twice the amount of time negotiated, so we tipped him 50 dollars for his patience and good service. Back on the cruise ship, we traded stories about our day in Istanbul. Some had taken a tour, some rented a taxi, some walked from the European to the Asian part of the city. The sentiment was unanimous that, despite the crowds, Istanbul was the highlight of our cruise and everyone wanted to return.

The next morning, with just a few hours left in port, we struck out on our own and walked to the Spice Market and Rustem Pasha Mosque along the waterfront with gulls wheeling in the wind and a myriad of ferries and boats stirring up waves. Waiting for the Spice Market to open, we walked around the adjoining plant nursery admiring the piles of seeds. There many more piles of seeds inside the Spice Market, plus heaps of herbs, spices, salts, plus other shops with glittering jewelry and jewel-like lights. The shopkeepers do their best to entice customers in with sociable conversation: "Where are you from?", "Taste these dried figs.", "Have a taste of Turkish Delight."

Laden with vacuum-packed bags of spices, we stopped at a shish kebab place for a lovely lunch of lamb meatballs served over fried pita, with tomato sauce and yoghurt. We felt regretful as we walked up the gangplank to the ship, wishing our time in Turkey had been longer. It was heartening to be in an Islamic country and feel so welcomed and safe. We would have liked to see the modern part of Istanbul, with its upscale nightclubs and restaurants. As we sailed away from this vibrant and open city in a country that borders Syria, Iran and Iraq, we wondered about its future. Will a push towards fundamentalist Islam change the cordial atmosphere? Or will the demonstrations keep the government open and the city welcoming to the West? In Istanbul, everything is possible.

Turkish Meatballs in Tomato Sauce with Yoghurt

These tasty meatballs can be grilled or fried in a pan and are a perfect pairing for a rich Syrah. The crispy pita, sweet tomato, savory meatballs and tangy yoghurt create an unforgettable combination of flavors and textures.

Ingredients For the Meatballs
1 pound ground meat: beef or lamb or a mix of the two
1 cup bread crumbs
1 small onion, minced small
1 clove garlic, minced small
1 egg, beaten
1/3 bunch parsley, minced
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup flour
1 cup sunflower or olive oil, if frying

Ingredients For the Fried Pita
4 pita
olive or sunflower oil, about 1 cup, in parts

Ingredients For the Tomato Sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup minced onion
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
4 large, ripe tomatoes, skinned and chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 bunch of parsley, minced
about 1 cup yoghurt, as garnish

Directions For the Meatballs
Mix together all the ingredients except the oil. Knead them together well. Wet palms of the hand with water and form small meatballs, press into discs. Sear on both sides on a grill or fry in a hot cast iron or heavy-bottomed frying pan until browned on both sides but not cooked all the way through--they will cook completely in the sauce.

Directions For the Fried Pita
Float a thin layer of oil in a cast iron or heavy-bottomed frying pan. Heat over medium low until the surface of the oil dimples when you tilt the pan, but not as hot as to let the oil smoke. Fry as many pita as will fit into your pan without overlapping, turning to cook both sides until light golden brown. Add more oil as needed to keep the thin layer of oil for frying. Drain on paper towels and chop into rough 2" squares.

Directions For the Tomato Sauce and Final Plating
In a pan over low heat, cook the onion in the olive oil until translucent. Add garlic and stir, then add the tomatoes and raise the heat to medium. Stir and cook for a few minutes, then add the tomato paste and sugar. Stir and add salt and pepper to taste. Add the meatballs and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Serve over fried pita and garnish with a dollop of plain yoghurt.

Serves 4. Pair with a rich Syrah.

At Home In Northern Italy: An Italian's Homecooking

Italians really know how to eat! It's not just the food--though it starts there, beginning with excellent produce: ripe red tomatoes dripping with sweet juice, perfect basil, asparagus, wheat, broad beans and other wholesome vegetables raised in the mineral-rich soil. (Much of Italy was watery some 100 million years ago, being under the ocean floor receiving layers of calcium carbonate deposits before the land was lifted and crunched up against the European continental plate.) Parmesan cheese, prosciutto, Parma ham, balsamic vinegar, and Italy's extra virgin olive oil are known the world over for their quality. Give these to a great cook, add extended family, friends, some local wines, a classic setting--say a long table under a string of lights outside on a warm, fragrant evening--plus conversation in abundant servings and you have yourself a real Italian meal.

My Italian friend Luciana is a terrific cook. Out of her kitchen emerge delicious foods. In fact, it was after a superb meal at her place near Lago Maggiore five years ago that I started blogging about food and travel. (See her recipe for Tuna Mousse from my first visit) I had the chance to visit with her again last month on Italy's Labor Day and she prepared a lovely meal to be shared with her family--including "il più' bello zio nel mondo", as he introduced himself ("the best looking uncle in the world"). Family dinners in Italy last for hours because Italians take the time to converse and enjoy the food and wine. (The longest meal I experienced in Italy was 5 1/2 hours long--but that's a subject for another blog post).

"Frittura di paranza" is mix of small fishes washed but left whole, dusted with flour, deep-fried, then sprinkled with lemon, salt and pepper. Luciana had bought baby fish from the Mediterranean: triglia di scoglio which is a reef mullet and gamberetti--tiny shrimp. Clams and mussels were stirred into a sauce for pasta; raw artichokes were trimmed, soaked in water and lemon juice, very thinly sliced and dressed for a raw salad (Tuna Mousse recipe); bread was rubbed with garlic and topped with tomatoes, olive oil and balsamic; and a cheese plate prepared with a quartet of artisanal cheese, including tallegio, mozzarella, and Parmesan. On this beautiful day, we enjoyed a leisurely meal, lingering with a dessert of an ice cream cake covered with meringue and little cups of aromatic Vin Santo served with biscotti.

Families are close in Italy, often living under one roof. Luciana's parents live in the house next door, on a property that includes her father's workshop. Gianfranco Caporali and Luciana's partner Uli, who is learning from the master, create fabulous works in wood: custom cabinetry and "paintings" with intricate wood inlay. Her father has also made three one-of-a-kind cars of wood. These miraculous creations are fully functional. The chassis and engine are the original metal components, but all the accessories like the sunshades, mirror holders, sunroof frame, hubcaps and steering wheel are all crafted from wood. If you are traveling to the lake district of Italy, stop by the little town of Cittiglio to see his creations. His shop is open every day.

Visit www.labottegadicaporali.it (website in Italian, but email inquiries answered in English)
See Luciana's Tuna Mousse recipe.
See Luciana's Artichoke Salad recipe.

Cruising the Mediterranean with Thacher Winery, Vinteux Vineyards and Touring & Tasting

Our fabulous cruise to Italy, Greece and Turkey is off to a roaring start! Scott and Bobbi Stelzle of Venteux Vineyards and Sherman and Michelle Thacher of Thacher Winery poured their delicious Paso Robles wines at the welcome aboard reception for our group. The first Wine Festival at Sea in 2013 debarked from Civitavecchia, the port for Rome. This cruise sold out, so we had nearly 90 people at the wine tasting, held in the SkyLounge on the magnificent Celebrity Reflection. Floor to ceiling windows provided panoramic vistas of the blue Mediterranean.
Scott and Bobbi poured the Venteux 2009 Grenache, 2010 "Raucous" (25% Cabernet, 25% Estate Syrah, 25% Grenache, 15% Zinfandel, 10% Carignan), and 2010 Estate Cuveé (50% Estate Syrah, 50% Estate Petit Sirah). Sherman and Michelle poured the Thacher 2011 Grenache Blanc, 2010 "Controlled Chaos" (47% Mourvédra, 41% Zinfandel, 11% Grenache), and 2010 Vin Rouge (71% Syrah, 29% Grenache) as we mingled and met some of our fellow cruise passengers. Lovely appetizers were passed out, included spring rolls and wontons.
The welcome reception and wine tasting was delightful, and if that wasn't enough, we had lovely gift bags embroidered with the Thacher, Venteux and Touring & Tasting logos, thanks to the wineries. They were filled with goodies, like visors, t-shirts, information on the wineries and the latest copy of Touring & Tasting Magazine. Plenty of room for all the souvenirs we'll find on our port excursions to Santorini, Mykonos, Athens, Ephesus, Istanbul, Naples and Rome! Wine cruises
Thacher Winery and Vineyard's award winning winery and tasting room are situated next to a 90 year old barn with spectacular and ever changing vistas of vineyards, hay fields and oak trees. They have been hand-crafting wines from superb dry farmed and head trained vineyards found on the Westside of Paso Robles and in Southern Monterey County since 2004.
Venteux Vineyards' ten-acre estate is nestled in the renowned "windy" Templeton Gap in the heart of Paso Robles Wine Country. Known for hot dry days and cool damp nights this growing region is ideal for dry-farmed, head-trained vines, which produce our intensely bold and flavorful Rhone varietals. You can enjoy a stay at their Paso Robles Bed & Breakfast inn, perfectly located for wine country exploration.
At our Syrah Vertical Seminar, Venteux and Thacher Syrah went head-to-head for us to compare the effect aging has on the wine as well as sense the difference created from diverse vineyards and winemaker style. Thacher poured their 2010 Syrah Monterey (pre-release) from the Coast View Vineyard, and the 2009, 2008, and 2004 vintages of the same. Venteux their 2010 Tache Le Verre (pre-release) 2009 and 2008 Tache Le Verre and 2004 "Starr Ranch" Syrah. The 2010 were ready to drink, but one could see how the wine developed with time, with the 2004 vintages having a deep bouquet and smooth texture. The Syrah Vertical Seminar was in the Tuscan Grille, which will be the venue for the wine pairing luncheon later in the cruise. Though the photos could not capture the view, through the glass walls of the Celebrity ship, we had a moving "wallpaper" of blue ocean, blue sky and a thin blue line in the center marking the horizon. Enjoying great wine and interesting people is even better at sea!

Cooking Class in Umbria -- La Madonna del Piatto

National Geographic's list of the Top Ten Cookery Schools in Italy describes the schools this way: "The locations are glorious, and the cuisine is exceptionally rich and varied. Up and down the Italian peninsula, schools teach you how to cook traditional dishes the authentic local way."  [From Food Journey of a Lifetime 500 Extraordinary Places to Eat Around the Globe.] It's not surprising that Alla Madonna del Piatto is on this list, nor that the charming bed & breakfast was discovered by the press long ago. Umbria is being discovered by Americans who love Italian regional cuisine, as Tuscany was when Frances Mayes published her bestseller about Tuscan life and cooking.

Glorious location--check! Alla Madonna del Piatto rests in an enormous meadow, verdant green in springtime and edged with flowers, with a panoramic view of Assisi's towers, churches and the valley floor below. Rich and varied cuisine--check! Proprietor Letizia Mattiacci selects the freshest seasonal produce to create luscious dishes fragrant from garlic, artisanal cheeses and extra virgin olive oil.  Schools teach you how to cook--check! Surprisingly, it was the men in our group who were the first to roll up their sleeves and try their hand at rolling pasta and finishing the plating. Authentic, local--check! Letizia is a native Umbrian who returned with her husband Ruurd to renovate the farmhouse and create their welcoming retreat after careers as entomologists. The saga of their endeavor to wade through Italy's infamous bureaucracy is a fascinating read on her blog.

I'm on my own food and wine journey of a lifetime, starting with VinItaly in Verona at the beginning of March, through my stay in Montepulciano studying Italian and sampling Tuscan cuisine, through this stay at Alla Madonna del Piatto, through a visit with my Italian friend Luciana--an amazing cook, to going on the Touring & Tasting cruise to Greece and Turkey aboard Celebrity, with the fabulous on-board cuisine.

Our class began in the village of Santa Maria degli Angeli dominated by a Basilica of the same name. In a store of local food products, we tasted olive oils, cheeses, prosciutto, wild boar sausage, truffle pesto, sweets, and liqueur made from olive leaves. Letizia was a storehouse of information, beginning with one of the staples of Italian cooking. At the food pavilion of VinItaly, I discovered that olive oil comes in a wide range of tastes from simply buttery to piquant, depending on the varietal of the tree. Letizia had us try a grassy, mild oil and a more peppery one. However, these were made from the same variety of tree, but 25 km apart, proving that, like wine, olive oil is terroir-driven as well as varietally distinct. She cautioned us to always buy extra virgin or virgin olive oil since it is "cold-pressed". Regular olive oil is extracted from the leftovers from the first pressing, using hot water in the best case, and using strong solvents like hexane in most cases.

I didn't realize that olive oil in Italy has a printed expiration date on the label. If properly stored, you can still use it for five years but the flavor and the green color present from chlorophyll will have disappeared after 18 months. Use this oil for cooking and use your best, fresh oil for "finishing" by drizzling a bit on pasta, bruschetta, and vegetables right before serving.  Check for the DOP certification on the labels of the best Italian olive oils, which ensures producers have followed strict production regulations to guarantee the quality of the oil. I thought vineyards require patience, since it takes several years after planting for vines to produce wine quality grapes. Olive trees take 30 years, so the trees Letizia and her husband are planting on their land are for their daughter to enjoy.

We sampled balsamic vinegar, aged 10 and 12 years . Commercial balsamic is made by adding caramel and possibly chemicals to regular vinegar; true balsalmic is made by fermenting grape juice (must) and aging it in a succession of barrels made from different woods such as oak, juniper, ash , and maple. If you see anything in the ingredients list other than  must, it is not authentic balsamic. I bought a bottle of 30-year-old balsamic that is thick, syrupy and dense with flavor. Try top quality balsamic vinegar drizzled on grilled salmon.

Back at Alla Madonna del Piatto, Letizia showed us how to make the focaccia and the regional pasta called strangozzi in Assisi and pici in Montepulciano. She marinated the broiled asparagus in olive oil and pressed garlic, then let us roll and cut the pasta. After pressing the focaccia into the pan and adding rosemary and caramelized onion, she set on top of the stove to rise. Meanwhile, we made zabaglione and macerated fresh berries in Vin Santo for the tiramisù. The pasta was boiled for only a minute in heavily salted water. Letizia instructed us that "it should taste like the sea"--about 1 teaspoon salt per quart. The marinated asparagus was cut into bite-sized pieces and stirred in a saucepan with about 2 cups of freshly made ricotta. The pasta was quickly strained without rinsing and dumped into the saucepan along with a couple cups of grated Parmesan and three ladles of the pasta cooking water. The cheese melted into a creamy sauce--no cream added--with a enticing seasoning and aroma of garlic.

The pasta with puttanesca sauce was made in a similar way, with whole black olives, capers, Italian red chile peppers and chopped tomatoes. Letizia admonished that the noodles should always be combined with the sauce in the pan, then plated and drizzled with olive oil. "If someone serves you sauce ladled over the top of the pasta, get up right away and go out of there because that is not the way pasta is served." The warm, juicy olives were sensational in the spicy sauce.

After our cooking, we sat down to a convivial meal that started with local antipasti of green olives, homemade bread, Parmesan and prosciutto with local red and white wine, followed by both pastas, the focaccia and the delicious dessert, made with layers of Savoiardi cookies, zabaglione custard and the macerated fruit. When Letizia makes the traditional coffee tiramisù, she dips the cookies in expresso before assembling the dessert, letting it sit for a few hours for the Vin Santo to infuse into the cookies.

Alla Madonna del Piatto has five lovely guest rooms with handmade linens and radiant heat floors. The property is green, with solar water and electricity, plus a furnace to contribute to the heating of the water. Surrounded by fields on the hill above Assisi, you will find tranquility and friendliness. As Letizia says, "if my guests are not happy, then I'm not happy." Cooking classes are twice a week, on weekdays and dishes change with the seasonal local produce. If you picture yourself on their veranda, under grape arbor, sipping wine and soaking up the view, visit /incampagna.com for more information.

Try one of Letizia's recipes:

Alla Madonna del Piatto Duck Breast in a Rosemary, Balsamic and Citrus Marinade
"Duck breast is virtually boneless, but it’s intensely flavorful and surprisingly easy to make. This is my foolproof recipe based on a classic French sweet and sour marinade. I have twisted it with Italian ingredients and herbs and I must say it is rather lovely."--Letizia

Ingredients For the Marinade:
Juice of 1/2 lemon or of 1 orange
3 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoon red wine
1 tablespoon raw honey
3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Ingredients for the Duck Breast:
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
1-2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
1 pound duck breast with skin
1 tablespoon olive oil

In a bowl large enough to fit the breast snugly, mix the marinade ingredients, add the garlic cloves and whole rosemary sprigs. Place the duck breast in the marinade, skin side up, cover and marinade in the refrigerator overnight.

Remove the duck breast from the marinade, pat dry and transfer, skin side down, into a heavy pan, better if cast iron. Reserve the marinade. Cook the breast on low heat for at least 5 minutes. Be patient as the duck fat renders out slowly, melting onto the bottom of the pan. This is the most important phase of the cooking by which you get lovely crispy skin. If the skin burns too soon, the breast will taste fatty and rubbery. When the skin turns golden, remove the breast, quickly drip away the fat and wipe the pan with paper towels. Now you need to be fast: bring the heat to high, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sear the skinless side of the breast all over, until slightly brown, about 2 minutes. Pour the marinade in the pan and reduce it, this takes less than 1/2 minute.

Remove the pan from heat but leave it on the stove, cover with a lid and 1 or 2 folded kitchen towels. You want to keep the pan as warm as possible. The breast will finish to cook with the indirect heat of the pan and will keep wonderfully moist. Wait for 5- 10 minutes, then slice thinly and serve.

Serves 4.
Pair with a Sangiovese or Sagrantino.

Alla Madonna del Piatto Spaghetti with Salmon and Brandy

"I still remember the arrival of cream in my life. My mum did not use cream, she was Sicilian. By her law, a sauce is red and must be made with tomato and olive oil. A stick of butter lasted easily a couple of months in our fridge as she had no use for it…Then the 70′s and ’80s exploded with all sorts of sophistication. Tortellini with cream and ham, crepes rolled with Bechamel and champignons, tiramisu, pannacotta…Please note the quality of the ingredients and the modest amounts of condiments which are necessary to achieve balance."--Letizia


1 small onion, diced very finely
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for finishing
white wine, optional
10 ounces canned diced tomato (or fresh, in season)
3 ounces smoked wild salmon, diced
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/2 pound good quality spaghetti (possibly bronze drawn)
1 fresh red chili pepper, sliced (optional)
2-3 tablespoon brandy
2 tablespoon chopped flat leaf parsley

Start heating your water to cook the pasta according to package directions. Using a shallow pan – a frying pan with high sides is ideal – sauté the garlic and onion in 1 tablespoon olive oil over very low heat. If the onion starts browning, deglaze with a little white wine. Add the diced tomato, cover and simmer until a little thicker, about 5 minutes. Add the salmon and cream, bring back to simmering temperature and switch off. You don’t want to cook the flavor of the salmon away. The whole preparation should take no more than 7-8 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti according to package instructions until al dente. When the pasta is cooked, turn the heat under the saucepan to high. Drain the pasta and transfer into the saucepan.  Add the chili pepper now, if using.

Stir the pasta quickly into the sauce as explained here. Add some pasta water – up to one tablespoon per person – and stir some more until the excess liquid is absorbed. Add a generous dash of brandy  and stir again to incorporate. Sprinkle with parsley . Serve on warm plates with a drizzle of fruity extra virgin olive oil.

Serves 2-3

Pair with Sangiovese or rose´.

Avignonesi Winery in Tuscany

A Renaissance is occurring in the Avignonesi winery in Montepulciano. A Renaissance that began when Virginie Saverys purchased the winery in 2009. Just as the cultural Renaissance of the 14th century witnessed the flowering of art and literature based on the classics, so the modernization of Avignonesi is based on its history--one of the longest of any winery in Italy.

Virginie Saverys has always had a commitment to organic products and homeopathic medicine, shunning pesticides and chemicals as being unhealthy for her family and the earth. Naturally, she envisioned organic and biodynamic techniques in the vineyards and winery of this august estate. The word renaissance means "re-birth" and suggests a revisiting of tradition, sparking innovation and artistry.  Her belief in respecting the land and expressing the terroir in the glass reflects  the time before industrial farming when farmers tended their crops by hand and lived in harmony with the rhythms of nature. In the current age, these practices are enhanced by scientific insight concerning geology, hydrology and soil composition. Biodynamics are used in all Avignonesi's 200 acres and they are undergoing the long conversion to being organically certified. The original estate vineyards of Le Capezzine, I Poggetti, La Selva and La Lombarda will have completed their conversion next year, whereas the recent acquisitions of Lodola, Greppo and Matracchio are towards the beginning of the process.

Virginie brought in a new staff of young people, many women, to implement her vision.  Winemaker, Ashleigh Seymour, is from Australia. While obtaining her Enology degree, she worked in the Barossa Valley and Adelaide Hills before moving on to Condrieu in Northern Rhone, then to Avignonesi. Tamara Marini gave us a tour of the vineyards, pointing out the mustard, arugula and fava beans growing around the vines. Nitrogen fixers, they provide natural fertilizers when plowed into the fields. The air buzzed with bees and insects since no pesticides are used. She noted that organic and biodynamic practices in the vineyard are more labor intensive, but, "If you want to make good products that reflect the terroir, you have to start in the soil." Yields are kept low--only 3-4 bunches of grapes per vine--to produce juice with concentrated flavor.

I found the most interesting of the four experimental vineyards at the main Le Capezzine estate to be La Stella where the vines are bush trained and planted in a “settonce” system. Each vine is at the corner of a triangle, creating a hexagonal pattern of five plants with one in between. So, instead of rows of leaves that create a "wall" that blocks ventilation, air circulates between each plant. When the canes grow, each plant has theirs tied together above the vine, which maximizes sun exposure on the canopy.

We tasted 9 of the 13 wines Avignonesi produces. When Virginie purchased Avignonesi, she also acquired two vineyards in the adjacent wine region of Cortona, which experience a warmer climate than the Montepulciano vineyards. This allows cultivation of the French varietals of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Syrah. The Avignonesi Vignola Toscana Sauvignon Blanc has pleasing grapefruit, lemon and passion fruit flavors, with a long finish. The Il Marzocco Chardonnay Cortona DOC is made from 100% Chardonnay picked at night to preserve acidity, and is round in the mouth with a fresh taste.

Their Rosso di Montepulciano DOCG is a very pleasing 100% Sangiovese with a fresh fruity taste that I think would pair beautifully with tomato and Parmesan cheese crostini. I enjoyed their balanced and structured 100% Sangiovese Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and the premium reserve version called the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG Riserva Grande Annate made with 15% Cabernet Sauvignon; both would pair well with grilled steak and meat dishes. We can look forward to a new 100% Sangiovese, single vineyard Riserva when the 2011 vintage is released.

Their super-tuscan Grifi Toscana IGT is made from 60% Sangiovese and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon from vines from 8-39 years old. The Desiderio Merlot Cortona DOC is 85% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and shows the more fruit-forward side of this elegant blend of traditional and new varietals.  50&50 Toscana IGT was born at a dinner between friends--the former owner of Avignonesi and the former owner of Capannelle in Chianti Classico. Drinking Avignonesi Merlot and Capannelle Chianti, they mixed their wines in one glass and a new wine was born. Multi-faceted and elegant, the wine must be labeled IGT since it does not comply with the DOC and DOCG appellation regulations.

Most Montepulciano wineries make Vin Santo, but the Avignonesi Vin Santo di Montepulciano DOC is in a class by itself. It takes 12 years to make this precious liquid. Hand-selected grape bunches are layered on straw mats from floor to ceiling where they dry from September to January under carefully controlled conditions so no mold is formed. After they have lost about 70% of their volume, the raisinated grapes are gently pressed and the juice poured into Slavonian oak "caratelli" that contain last year's  "madre" mother yeast. Some room is left in the barrel  for air. The caratelli are always stored on the top floor with open windows so the temperature can vary during the year. The wine remains in the caratelli for 10 years.
During the warm summer months, the yeast is actively fermenting, in cold winter, it is dormant and the wine remains on the lees. After 10 years, about 60% of the original volume is lost, part from evaporation and part from having to discard some wine that is not up to standard. The wine is blended, bottled, then aged another 6 - 10 months in bottle. Their Vin Santo is as thick as syrup, a dark amber color and has layers and layers and layers of flavors from dried fig and plum to marzipan, honey and vanilla.

Avignonesi's "green" philosophy extends to the kitchen of their restaurant, where all the ingredients are organic. The cooking classes are a terrific way to learn how to make regional specialties while providing optimal nourishment. In the cooking classes, participants go out to the garden with the chef to pick fresh vegetables, herbs and fruit for hands-on preparation of a meal that includes handmade pasta, sauce, side dishes and dessert. To make a reservation for a cooking class, to taste the delicious Avignonesi wines,  or enjoy a meal in their lovely glass dining room surrounded by the rolling hills of Tuscany, visit their website at: www.avignonesi.it