Posts Tagged ‘travel’

Posted on March 12, 2009 - by napavalleybath

The Feast of San Giuseppe

My favorite thing about living in Florence is there is no end to celebration…..this month it is the feast of San Giuseppe.  The festival celebrates the coming of spring and St. Joseph, the patron saint of the family and pastry cooks…..and the unofficial saint of fava beans.

As we’ve learned, the Italians celebrations are always inclusive of food….during this holiday, the fornos(bakeries) are making pastries in the shape of moons, stars, baskets, flowers, fruits and symbols of the holy family.   Traditionally,  the woman make bread all day for up to two weeks before  the festive day, March 19, and will cut the dough into shapes, glazing it with eggs and lemons before baking.

The traditional families create an altar overflowing with food and garlands and the people who are less fortunate are invited to share in the bounty.

On March 19, everyone must consume at tleast one dish with bread and one with fava beans….these foods are the bearers of luck and health!

Posted on March 4, 2009 - by napavalleybath

Dove è coltivate?

Dove e cotivate?…..an Italian sentence that I’ve mastered….it rolls off of my tongue just like non parlo italiano….you have to start somewhere…..

Where is it grown?  Yes…I’ve been knee deep in Slow Food Nation again….it’s a slow read as it is an intense book….the stories are great…..the technical parts are painful for me as spending too much time in my left brain can prove hazardous to my health…but I know…this is real….and I want to understand it all….even if I have to read one page a night to absorb this….we have a huge responsibility to rebuild our planet….on all levels….and it can’t happen if we are not willing to do the hard work….gain the understanding….knowledge…and then apply it to our choices in the marketplace.

The book brings out some very interesting points to ponder….one in particular that has made me reflect is that we need to pay attention to the carbon footprint of the product we are buying….and perhaps organic zucchini grown in Mexico has a bigger footprint then a zucchini that is locally grown….but not necessary organic.  Don’t get me wrong…I’m not an advocate of eating pesticides but there are so many farmers who farm without sprays, etc…but cannot afford to get the certification of organic.  So…dig a little deeper into the stories of your food…

I have to admit that I used to buy zucchini at Sunshine Market that was organic…it was from Mexico (that is why I used that example)…and it always felt a bit odd…but I wanted organic…..aha…..I want I want……I never gave thought to the resources that were used to transport it to our market….

Another example of my ignorance…we have been buying the most amazing apples from Elizabetta…the kids are devouring them…..the other day….after I learned my new sentence…I asked Elizabetta, “Dove e coltivate?”  She looked at me with a confused look as most Italians do when I try to speak their language…..so I said it again….very slowly….”Dove e coltivate….le mele?”  and she again looked as if I just told her that her mother was ugly….so finally I said….”grown…mela…dove grown?”  She laughed and said “ah…….”…and then she got a squimish look on her face….”ah….those come from Argentina….they are not in season here so we have to get them from Argentina.”….my heart sank……and I could tell she was not proud to give me that information…..as the majority of things in her shop are local….and the best…and I know just by all of my encounters with here that she believes in local…..but she’s in business…..I get that…and she has to give the people what they want….so she can survive…..and as a small business owner, I know how she feels.  But herein lies the problem my friends….we are each others own enemy….don’t demand…she won’t have to carry….and the planet wins….the only loser is the “ego” that WANTS an apple.

So I went home…with my dieci (10) Argentinian apples and announced to the girls….these apples are from Argentina…..and they both looked at me…..wide eyed….”but mom…we have virtually no carbon footprint here compared to home” Kaelin cries, “ In our biology class last year, we had the second highest carbon footprint of anyone in the class….can’t we just eat the apples since we don’t have our suv?!” she joked.   I stayed quiet for a few minutes as I pondered the whole situation….I try not to be fanatical about things…but this is real….our planet is suffering and we need to do whatever we can with the knowledge we have to support its recovery…..our habits need to change…..it isn’t really about the 10 apples….buts its about the priniciple…how can I be an advocate for our planet and then make choices that don’t reflect that…I believe that’s called hyprocrisy.

hypocrisy |hiˈpäkrisē|
noun ( pl. -sies)
the practice of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which one’s own behavior does not conform; pretense.

Yes….that is hypocrisy.

Why is it such a big deal?  If I continue to demand things that are not in season…nor grown locally…then I will be feeding the supply…I will be supporting a market that is not healthy for our planet.  I don’t want to be on that team…nor do I want to set that example for my girls.  Is it a pain in the butt to believe that we, as individuals, have impact?…oh yea it is!  But one thing we tend to overlook is the emotional and (I believe), spiritual impact that good choices have on your being…much more satisfying then the fleeting sensation of a sweet apple.  (and I had NO intention of tying this in with good and evil….hmmm )….so if we can just get past ourselves and our ego and receive the real goodness that comes from that then it will be all down hill from there…

And…please…don’t get overwhelmed or fall into the “my small choices don’t really matter” club….just break it down…one ingredient at a time….and next time you pick up a food product in your local store….ask yourself that tough question……Dove e coltivate?  And make the right choices..for yourself…and your planet.

Oh…and about the apples….the kids have never asked for them again….although I’d like to believe that I have molded them into teenage advocates for the planet….I think it may have more to do with the discovery of the oldest gelato shop in Florence…just 3 blocks away…..lots of footprints there…but they are mainly ours leading to and from our apartment!

Posted on February 24, 2009 - by napavalleybath

A Wooden Table

I have found the most amazing enoteca….a wine bar…..right around the corner….

One day I decided to take a short cut down a cobblestone path..it’s actually a road…I have to accept that these “cobblestone paths” are roads…that cars race…..vespas wiz and bikes meander down…when you first arrive in Florence it is unsettling….you feel as if you are walking on a path and suddenly…without warning…. a vespa is flying toward you… you turn to find the sidewalk….and a car nearly sideswipes you…so you freeze…until the woman next to you hits you with her Gucci bag which inadvertently shoves you to safety….

Anyway…walking down the ROAD… one of the first weeks in my new neighborhood….I noticed a small wooden table with two small wooden stools sitting alone on the road…a pretty single flower springing out of a clear vase….I looked around….this table…it is on the road….and it is freezing outside…who would sit here?

As I approached, I immediately sensed the energy on the right…I glanced over into a window framed with beautiful thick wood…and a door to match….on the door the words read…Enoteca…..I started racking my brain for what that meant….ok I KNOW it means that they serve wine….but there’s a whole protocol around it….do they serve caffe…is that why they are open….I see paninis spilling over through the window…at 9am?…ah…I see a large espresso machine…and a man at the tiny bar receiving his caffe….I hear muffled music and laughter…hmm….I need my morning caffe….but I’m not sure if it’s protocol to go in there…and it’s so small that there would be no room to hide my ignorance….so I walked past…very slowly….looking in….knowing that this place was special….and I would be back.

When I got home, I quickly went to the internet to remind myself what a enoteca was…..” An enoteca is used in three diverse ways around town: it can be a wine store  a wine bar or a restaurant that prides itself on its special wine list”….hmm…..no mention of morning caffe and brioche….I then searched the travel pages for this particular enoteca…couldn’t find it.  I was on my own….it was up to me to find out whether I could go in for caffe or not….

The next few mornings, I would pass by the wooden door very slowly….casually glancing in to see …always a flurry of activity….people coming and going….speaking Italian…..well wishes, thank yous and laughter in abundance…it was a neighborhood haunt.  It was not until I had the most unappetizing experience in a “caffe” down the block that I became fed up with my behavior….you’ve blown a meal because you are too afraid to venture into small spaces….give me a break….it was at that point that I realized that even my pride would not hold up to my desire for REAL food…I would risk humiliation and rejection for the possibility of REAL food!  The next morning, after the girls left for school, I headed off with a renewed sense of self.   I approached the door of the enoteca…reciting quietly…un caffe per favore……grazie….that’s all I need to say….un caffe per favore….grazie…..and push…remember the doors here all push in……here it goes…as I entered, an immediate warmth surrounded me….it was true warmth….a small space…people…large coffee maker…stove….there was heat indeed…a true escape from the bitter cold…but there was WARMTH….a man behind the counter….nicely dressed….a bit older then me…..great jeans….big sweater…and he was singing…to the very loud music….and making caffe…..bantering (loudly) with his customers… the music playing was the same gendre as our stores back home…and his singing made me smile….I believe Frank Sinatra was on when I walked in…

I chose to play the gendre in our stores because it is the background music to so many great memories growing up…our house would be filled with music at times…and singing…and dancing….joyful times….and my dad…loved to dance the babies to sleep….usually would hold them up in the palm of his hand and dance….no one worried….he was a surgeon after all….and played quarterback for the University of Vermont….

The entire enoteca is the size of a large bathroom…there are three wooden tables squished inside and a bar area the size of an ironing board….it was filled with a few plates of pastries…brioche filled with soft cheese and jams that looked as it they had just been preserved…..thumbprint bisquits with nutella…oozing out the sides…..all usual things seen throughout Firenze…but I sensed something about these….they were special…..and why would that be…this was not a forno (bakery)…they didn’t make the breads….they obviously prepared some of these but others were chosen with great scrutiny from a local forno I presume….

Do you think you can actually see quality?  Or do you think that you sense quality?  Or maybe a bit of both…..Somehow…before I even ordered my caffe…I knew that every thing they put inside a brioche…or a thumb print was the best…it was the freshest….it was real….it wreaked of goodness…I had to smile…it’s happened again….I’ve stumbled upon a gold mine.

After “the man behind the counter” did the ceremonial avoiding the newcomer dance….the man came over and said prego….un cappuccino I said softly so the entire place wouldn’t recognize my accent…or lack thereof…..the man continued to sing…make loud exchanges with the regulars…and without as much as a glance my way, he set down my cappuccino…I said grazie and he said prego….yes prego can mean…what do you want…..follow me….ok….and thank you…..tell me that wasn’t hard to get a grip on at first!

As I took my first sip I immediately sensed the lack of heat…oh great..this isn’t hot….how can it not be hot….he just made it….I’ve been had!  Just as my heart began to sink, I was struck by sensation of the warmth in my mouth….the foam lay over my palette like silken sheets and the soft bitterness of the espresso meandered through..grabbing onto foam and folding it into itself..until the two tastes became a blend of one… flavors in perfect harmony….. that was all that I could hear….I set my cup down and thought….Holy Shit….what was that?! ….my eyes were fixated on the  stained foam that remained atop the elixir in my cup….I stirred it a little and tried it again… the bells of Santa Croce began to ring…..and I do believe…the angels began to sing.

I haven’t even begun to tell you about the pastries….and the paninis….and the “house wine”….you could write an entire novel on the tastes in this tiny space…and the warmth….not just the heat…but the joy…exuded by all who gather together….and share un caffe or a meal….whether meaning to or not…and maybe that’s part of the goodness…

Posted on February 24, 2009 - by napavalleybath

The Pursuit of Real Gelato

Procrastination…writers block….a touch of the flu….lack of adrenaline..some of the causes for the latest lapse in writings and recipes….but now look what I’ve done….I have such a back log of experiences that I won’t be able to go into them all….should I dive into a few or touch upon a lot?

I did try to write…honestly…..but I made a promise to myself that if I didn’t feel it…I wouldn’t post it.  I finally MADE myself yesterday…..I knew even before I reread it…my heart was not in it….mediocre at best….I couldn’t post it with out a guilty conscience…..

SO…..until I can genuinely discuss the true inspiration and excitement that came from the discovery of the best gelato in Florence then you will just have to wait….to find out how to identify REAL gelato in Italy……home made…..straight from the mouth of a local…..I’ll try to work on it soon
….hmm….maybe another visit is warranted….and I should probably get the larger size….and since it is a few blocks away I should vow to return….every day….until I get the motivation to write…and give you the insiders scoop (sorry)…on what everyone should know about…..GELATO!!!

Posted on February 23, 2009 - by napavalleybath

Ragu (Meat Sauce)

I’m always prepared now before I go to my Italian grocer, Elizabetta….today I proclaimed I was going to make Ragu….she was excited.  Before I could tell her what I needed, she grabbed a bag and filled it with one of each of the vegetables that I would need and at the end, added a nutmeg…she must have seen my expression as she immediately did sign language to show me to grate the nut into the sauce…ah…and Elizabetta’s secret….”balance your ingredients”….”a lot of people make ragu but not many make GOOD ragu….make sure your ingredients are balanced!”  Why do I have a feeling that Elizabetta makes a GREAT ragu…..

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb ground beef
• 1 lb. tomato sauce (see our recipe!)
• 1 carrot – finely chopped
• 1 celery – finely chopped
• 1 onion – finely chopped
• 1 clove of garlic – finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon parsley…yep….finely chopped!
• 1/2 cup red wine for the recipe and several for yourself!
• 1 tablespoon of flour
• A real nutmeg!
• Freshly Ground Pepper
• Organic Grey Sea Salt
• St. Helena Olive Oil Co. Tuscan Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Instructions

Heat the oil in a saucepan.  Add the onion, carrot, celery, cover it and cook on a very low heat for about 15 minutes.

Remove the cover and add the garlic….cook for another 2 minutes or so.

Add the meat and brown on very high heat.

Add the flour and “toast” it….I have no idea what that meant so I just mixed it in.

Add the wine and let the alcohol evaporate…another guess as to timing..

Add the tomato sauce, parsley….give a few grates of the nutmeg…a pinch of sea salt and a few grinds of pepper.  Cook on low heat for about an hour.

Observations

Remember Elizabetta…make sure your ingredients are balanced!  I do this by sight and taste…trust your own instincts…I have to say this recipe trumped my old one….I could eat it alone by the spoonful!  But…you may want to add pasta and some parmesan cheese!

You are still energized…..take it and create our lasagna!!!

Posted on February 18, 2009 - by napavalleybath

I Love A Parade!

I have to admit that throughout my childhood, history class was incredibly boring to me. I would memorize the facts so I could do well in the class but there was no understanding….no desire to absorb. As I’ve “matured” or gotten older I should say….I’ve come to value our past….our traditions. I think it may have really taken hold when I fell in love with the olive tree…..16 years ago….I first took note of my new love when I was sitting in a conference room in a large corporation in San Francisco….our group was chosen to evaluate the processes of the company and recommend efficiencies…the “process improvement committee”….aka PIP.

I’m not sure how it came up but our “leader” was telling us that her husband came in very late the night before and he was filthy….he had been harvesting olives for a new olive oil co that he worked for…..At that point in my career I had not given much thought to the olive…nor the tree…nor the oil it produced…so esoteric…..my dream was to get into investment banking and run a Fortune 500 company….I appreciated food…and that is why I ate out….seldom cooked….although my sister can attest to my beef teriyaki with sticky rice……and Kraft macaroni and cheese mixed with broccoli….two of my signature dishes.

As I sat in my chair…..around a boardroom table…..pitchers of water…glass tumblers and white napkins scatttered about……I locked into the words…”came home really dirty”…”harvesting olives”…..the ringing of the words sent me back to my childhood….growing up in the hills of the Napa Valley….spending most of our time outside…..playing….getting dirty….riding horses…mini bikes…giving away wild kittens at Vintage 1870….as I faded into the past…I began to visualize her husband…up in a tree….with a baseball bat (as she described it)…..hitting branches and getting covered in soot….it was at that point that I first felt the shift….I wanted a job where I could get dirty….wear jeans…climb in trees…..my heart started to beat with the pace of my thoughts…my veins began to pulsate as elation set in….I want to start an olive oil company….I’m going to start an olive oil co!

What I lack in research and development, I make up for in determination to make up for my lack in research and development….or at least I’d like to think so….  I immediately started reading every book I could on anything that had to do with the tree….and its oil…..I connected with a few people in the Napa Valley who were just getting started in the business…..and I took advantage of every class on production, etc…that was held by UC Davis.  My obsession had taken hold….and as I learned more…..I fell deeper into love…..with the olive tree and its history….and its place in our world.  History class had begun……

So why share this now?

There is not a place that you can look in my new home that does not wreak of history…the text books have come alive!

Today we attended a parade for Anna Maria Luisa de’ Medici…one of the members of the Medici Dynasty…a family that is credited for establishing Firenze as the “cradle” of the Renaissance.    The parade stopped at a statue of Anna Maria Luisa (see below) on the procession to her grave…the members of the parade gave tribute…played a special tune…said something in Italian…and then continued on ….I couldn’t understand the words that were said but I couldn’t help but feel the power….of this woman…and the reverence that was bestowed…..

Posted on February 17, 2009 - by napavalleybath

Settling into our New Neighborhood

It took me a week but I finally got up the strength to explore our neighborhood and look for new finds. I will never give up my grocer…who by the way is Elizabeth….but I thought I should give my hood a chance. I decided to try my luck at the Market on this side of town…Mercato di Sant’Ambrogio. It is a smaller version of the Mercato Centrale but the goods looked just as fresh! I have to admit…I was a bit intimidated the first time I approached the market….I knew what was ahead of me…..I wouldn’t be known so I would probably be treated with the usual disregard….but I was strong…and I was ready.

I approached the market to find dozens of produce vendors…all outside….trucks pulled to the back of the stands….filled with today’s produce….as I meandered through the crowds….evaluating the produce selections and the gentleness of the vendors ( I always choose my produce based on the nicest vendors)…I was startled….there were produce bags on the outside of the stands…I watched the people as they picked out their OWN produce and loaded their bags…

My heart sank….I just got into the groove of asking for produce….stumbling over the various Italian names….creating a repour with the vendor through our attempt to communicate…the site of the bags made the taste of the produce sour upon site. But…I was there…and I needed produce…so I would do it this one time and go back to Mercato Centrale and Elizabeth tomorrow!

I approached a woman who looked like she would be easy on me…..and pointed to the bags….she nodded and said something in Italian that included yes….a bag….you…..I’ve learned that understanding 30% of a sentence can get you by…especially if the words are accompanied with hand gestures. So, I picked up a bag and started to choose my own produce. I recited the Italian name in my head to upgrade the experience…..and then I handed her each borsa (bag)….she must have sensed my yearning for the traditional ways…as I was staring at the various lattuga…she quickly grabbed three different types…looked at me….I knodded….and she loaded my borsa…..as I said basta (which is used as “that’s it”)…she rung me up and to my surprise, I understood what I owed! To this point I just used a bill that I knew overshot what was due…saving face for my lack of understanding…..but I understood…nove cinquanta…$9.50…I handed her a $10….hoping I truly had a breakthrough….and she gave me back cinquanta cents euro….she smiled and said ciao….wow….a surprisingly easy market transition….maybe picking your own produce isn’t so bad after all.

I proceeded inside where all of the meat, cheese et al vendors are. Again, used to my other vendors I needed to stroll around to figure out what was there. My first stop was cheese….the woman put me to the test as she was not about to speak a bit of english….nor understand mine….so I stumbled over enough to get my mozzarella, parmesan cheese, olives…and panne. Toward the end of the transaction…once again….I got the cost….well she first said ventidue and I felt the deer in the headlights look taking hold…and then she said due…due…. 2 …. 2….ah….22 euro! So I cheated a bit but still made it through!

The parmesan cheese here is so different from what I have had at home…..in Florence, I always get a huge chunk….not some cleanly sliced piece ….it’s more natural…more rustic….I love watching the artisan as he carefully chisels the piece away from the rest….as if the cheese was made of glass….and then the feeling of great relief when the last push is made and the piece falls to the side…in its entirety….without a crumble……it is saturated in oil….unlike any I have seen at home…making grating seamless and the end result covering a dish with the same lightness and grace as a down comforter….hmm….all this over parmesan cheese? I think I’ve gone nuts….

Anyway…gotta run…I finished my market visit with a new butcher…..a vendor of dried beans of every type!!!…and a place that sells our favorite yogurt of all time by the bucket!!! The cows roam the Alps….not a bad gig for a cow….no wonder they set the stage for an amazing organic yogurt!

I hope you enjoy the recipes from our dinner last night. Tonight we will have a ragu….insalata….and bruschetta with tuscan white beans….look for the recipes and reviews tomorrow….now I’m off to the grocer!

Posted on February 11, 2009 - by napavalleybath

The Pursuit of Real Food

As we sat down to eat dinner on Monday night, the girls asked me what I did all day….I thought about my day, laughed and said, “Today I was in the pursuit of food!”

Over the weekend we moved into a new apartment….a whole other series of stories….the apt we were in was 400 sq. feet…a temporary dwelling until we could figure out where the kids friends and life would be centered….we lived in the best neighborhood…right off of what I always called “rodeo drive”…..a few doors down from the Gucchi Store and across the street from the Robert Cavalli Boutique and Cafe….although we were a bit tight in our space, we learned the value of a warm and inviting building and landlords, a “hood” with everything you could want, and the joy of endless sleepovers ….as our kitchen and living room became our bedroom at night….

I began searching for a new place weeks ago….stumbled upon a lot of beautiful large apts in different parts of town but most were dated and I never got “the feeling”……. then one day…when my hope was fading….I inquired about a flat…it was way over my budget if you calculated the weekly rate but I thought I’d give it a shot….after all….with the economy…a long term renter….and good ones at that…..maybe they would give me a break……and sure enough….they came down in to my price range….well..I had yet to see the place so I was still doubtful….the girls wanted to go see this one so we booked at apt for the weekend.

…. as we were having lunch and eagerly anticipating seeing this new prospect, I warned the girls not to get their hopes up….the places are usually dated and not “dreamy” by any stretch….it was cold and rainy and we waited outside for the owner to show….the door of the building opened and out she came….a totally cool chick……she was the architect as well….she and her husband had remodeled three flats in this building and one was just finished……we walked through the large heavy door that is typical of these buildings…. into the hallway that was cold….with high ceilings….and an old lantern hanging that reminded me of  “jack the ripper” …. I knew it…..another old apartment…..up the cold cement steps we stepped…24 steps that is(40 less then our other place)….the owner then  opened another heavy wooden door that went into a tiny space….as we approached I could see two doors within that space…….she waited for us to meet up with her and then opened the door to the right…..she began to apologize for the minor things they had to finish and it would all be done by Sat when we would move in….our jaws collectively dropped….it was beautiful!  It was a loft….and completely remodeled with spectacular taste…..a winding staircase leading to the large loft that holds the bedrooms and bath for the girls and a downstairs with a bedroom, living room, kitchen, and bathroom…..and if that wasn’t enough……..a washer and dryer!!  A place that I dared to imagine but never thought would materialize……we are very grateful for our new home!

So…once again….we are settled….we are on the other side of town….away from my bakery……my grocer…….my routine…..I could dig deep and discover all the treasures on this side of town…..but not today….I am hungry….for familiarity…..for friendliness…..and for good food!

I worked all morning and then grabbed  my big bag and walked a whole 12 minutes over to my grocer….she had not made fagioli beans today but they had received the fresh mozzarella from Sicily…..she knows how much I enjoy her beans so I think she was compelled to let me in on her recipe…….she packaged some of the dried fagiolli beans for me….they are fagiolli but without the skin…I couldn’t understand the full name and I didn’t want to be an idiot so I just went with it…..she said they are better and used more in Tuscany…..I was to take them home and put them in a pot…..fill it up with water as deep as my five fingers…put in one tomato….one piece (clove I assume) of garlic….keeping the skin on(she said that twice so I think that’s important)…..and salt….a few sage leaves and a drizzle of olive oil…..she made a large S in the air as if to say “that much”….

I needed to simmer them for about 2 hours(not the large heat…but the little heat…the beans should not get too hot ….another hand gesture to show me boiling water vs. soft simmer…my assumption is simmer low)……then drain…..and serve with olive oil and salt…..like before.

It’s such a simple recipe but if you pair it with the beautiful accent that permeated every english word….the hand gestures….the yelling at others in the store for english translations….and the joy that she exuded as she shared it with me…it is recipe that I will bring me great joy for the years to come….

I loaded up with fruits and veges…..my fresh mozzeralla….and was sold on a ricotta that she had me taste from the same producer as the Pecorino Cheese that I love…..it just came in from the Chianti region….again….never have I tasted ricotta like this…the softness of the texture matched the flavors that were melting in my mouth…..I couldn’t pass that up….and then a nice slice of the Pecorino Cheese….a favorite….drizzled with our local honey….

My grocer wondered why I was getting so much and I told her we had moved so I’m stocking up….she was so pleased and excited that I am still coming to her shop…..she reminded me of the store hours and that she would have her Ceci tomorrow…..after many ciao grazies I was on my way….stopped at my bakery and picked up some fresh bread…..these olive oil crackers that they make every day that the girls are addicted to….a favoarite pastry that looks like a “doughnut hole” with cream inside…..also addicting…. then I crossed the cobblestone street to the butcher and picked up a petti di pollo (chicken breast) and I was all set.  Loaded down…. I started my trek back to the “other side”!

On my walk back, I started to piece together my dinner….fagiolli beans with olive oil and salt…..chicken breasts and sage….and broccoli and beet greens…..with some “donut holes” for dessert….then… my mind began to wander…as usual…..

I could take you through the maze of my thoughts but I’m afraid…no actually sure…that I will lose you…I sometimes lose myself.  The conclusion of the endless banter in my head was that I was going to start a club…..a club is nothing more then a group of people who share a common interest…..ok….so we have that…..I have had olive oil clubs in the past but it just wasn’t the right time….operationally and creatively we were not ready…….but guess what…..we are now!  Our operation is running beautifully and I have been given the gift of time….to think…..absorb……and create……

The club had several names on the walk home….but I’ve landed on one that fits the origin of the thought….”The Pursuit of Real Food Club”.  A marketing person would have a field day with that…..I know the name has issues…..but so do I……and when I hear the words…..Pursuit of Real Food…..it will bring me back to the dinner table with my kids…explaining my day……and I will draw on that spirit that drove me on that Monday….and then it will get the best of me…..and I will use it to inspire…..all of us……to never compromise on anything that goes into our body (ok maybe a few vices are okay)….so….here we go……

As a 2009 Pursuit of Real Food Club Member you will receive the following:

A.  A quarterly shipment of ingredients and recipes that are centered around the pursuit of real food.  The cost will be a maximum of $60 TOTAL.  This is retail price on our products with FREE shipping.  The first shipment will be on March 1, 2009.

B.  Wholesale pricing (30% discount) on all products for the first quarter of the year….January 1 through March 31…late this year but think to the future!

C.  10% “local” discount during all other months.

D.  Invitations to quarterly Pursuit of Real Food Club Member Only Events….the first one happening in June….centered   around the lavender harvest.

HOW DO YOU SIGN UP?

Go to our website and place a Pursuit of Real Food Club Membership in your cart.

In ordering a Club Membership, you are agreeing to sign up for our Pursuit of Food Club Membership with the first scheduled shipment date of March 1, 2009.  Your credit card will be charged when product is shipped.

Upon shipment of your first package on March 1, 2009, you will be officially set up as a club member and given your wholesale discount codes to use until March 31, 2009.

All membership priveleges will be in effect as long as you are an active member of the Club.

Ciao.  Peggy

Posted on February 5, 2009 - by napavalleybath

MORE ON MY FIND

To be honest, I didn’t feel like writing any more today.  I know I promised you in the email and I was wrestling with that but I am beat…I’ve been working hard this week and then have the night shift when everyone comes in back home in the States at MY 5:00pm….so I’ve been out of balance….and I’m going to rectify that….but probably not til Monday!

Anyway…..I closed down my computer…hoping I would work up a second wind….and grabbed my umbrella as it is our first thunder and lightening storm in Florence…..asked Emmy for any special requests (Kaelin is studying at a friend’s house) and off I went to my favorite grocer.  It is a beautiful night…warmed up a bit so it is a pleasant temperature….and it is pouring….as I watched my step down the cobblestone road I couldn’t help but think how cool this was…walking in a thunderstorm in Italy…..and then I pondered why walking in a thunderstorm in St. Helena wasn’t so cool…and I wouldn’t be walking…I’d be driving….before I could answer that burning question…I found myself opening the door of my favorite grocer….as I pushed the door in…out came a burst of loud Italian banter and laughter….there were four people in the store this evening …plus the two owners…..and that packed the place….they were having a great time…..the woman, who I’ve yet to get her name, sees me and shouts, “Ciao!” with a big smile…..she is wonderful….I think if we could communicate we would be good friends….she’s funny…passionate….and nice….and a mother of a daughter Kaelin’s age….there is nothing like motherhood to form an immediate connection…no matter what your culture is….which must say that “motherhood” is a dominate culture among cultures…..but that’s a whole other note!

Anyway….I wait my turn as all of these men talk and laugh and pick out produce and cheeses and wine…..I so wanted to know the language…..to be part of the laughter…they would look at me as if I was part of it…and smile and gester……even after they realized I had no clue as to what was going on…but I still wanted to know more…..

Anyway….it was my turn and she immediately said….Ceci…you want Ceci?  Well, I was brought into the “behind the counter” group last week….this woman  makes Ceci and Fagioli during the week if she has time and offers it to her customers…..it wasn’t offered to me for a few weeks so I think you have to pay some dues….and rightly so because it is amazing….she asked me what they call this is America…..and I laughed and in embarasement said, “garbanzo beans”…she and the men around looked at me very puzzled…..”gabonzo beans?”..they exclaimed…and although it was nice to have them confused for a change….I was laughing at us…yes…garbanzo beans….and they taste nothing like this!  I would have loved to gone on about how ours our usually canned and not really used a lot..and definately not something someone would pull from behind the counter….but I knew they wouldn’t understand…

As she handed me my allotment, she said that it was a classic tuscan dish and I should take it home and put olive oil on it and salt…that is it…and my girls would love it!  Based on the smell alone…I knew we were in for a treat!

I went on with my usual order….. oranges, apples, lettuce, carrots, zucchini..you don’t pick your own produce here…they ask you how ripe you’d like it and then they choose….as we’ve enjoyed so much amazing produce from her store…I had to know more…..where did it all come from?………how is it that the oranges melt in your mouth….and the apples are so sweet that they are dessert…and the zucchini…still with blossoms…can be eaten raw like candy..all of it…so pure and so good….it doesn’t need to even be cooked!  She explained where the different things came from…..a lot local but some from Sicily…I wish I could REALLY speak to her….ask her how is this?  How is everything so GOOD!

I said my new word, “basta” which means, “all done” and she laughed…everyone said…”Ciao” and I said “Arrivederci” as I think I sound better saying that…although I’m not sure if that is too formal or not…gotta look that up…

I left with my bag of groceries and made the usual stop at the bakery that is two doors down from us…for fresh bread and our new staple…dessert.  Do you know that that every time I open the window of our apartment,  I get a burst of fresh baked pastries….almost go strong that you can taste the air?  Have you ever read the book, Chocolat?  I always admired the way she described things but now I know why…she really did experience them…the smells….the tastes……the pallette is on fire here!

Needless to say I came home inspired and rested……with all of my goodies…and some time before preparation….I knew I could sit down and write…just a short note….:)….about my Find!

Posted on February 5, 2009 - by napavalleybath

An Ingredient Gold Mine

This week marked the first full month in Florence!  When I look back I can’t help but smile….I remember the days that held excitement and jubilation and those that were marred with frustration….home sickness….and culture shock.  Moving to another country is not for the faint hearted….as romantic as it might sound, there is a transitional period that can get a bit painful…especially when you throw two teenagers into the mix….and a business….and our economy……one of my girlfriends informed me that she got an IOU from the State of CA for her taxes….now that is crazy!  Anyway, I’m happy to report that we made it….we dug deep…..we persevered….and we broke through…..I believe we have made it through the biggest adjustment period…have made some nice friends and feel part of the community…this week it seems as if we have begun to live our lives….as if we’ve been here all along.

I’m reading SLOW FOOD NATION, written by the Founder of Slow Food, Carlo Petrini…an Italian of course!  If you have any interest in food at all…..you have to read this….it will give you an awareness that is critical for all of us to have if we want to begin to preserve what we have left….it will make you a bit sad as you will really understand the poor choices we have made in regards to our planet…but it will give you hope…that if we can all just begin….within ourselves…to change….then we can turn it around and begin to truly change our planet…one ingredient at a time.

If you don’t have any interest in food then just know this….it is going to take every one of us to turn around what every one of us has done….just be aware of what you eat…..if we demand “good, clean and fair” food, we will encourage the production of food that is in the best interest of mankind…

Okay…so much to say….I have landed an amazing little grocer…..about 4 blocks away on the corner of two alleys….I was taking a short cut home and immediately noticed fresh flowers and produce in boxes outside a window…..it looked as if it was staged for an organic photo shoot….I was immediately drawn in…..as I opened the door….the room was filled with loud banter of several people….italian words flying everywhere….to my left were stacks of different pastas…all in packaging that I had never seen before….and to my right…rows of different sauces…and olive oils….and vinegar….and  pickled veggies….eggs…..you name it….with prices that were written on old kraft paper…torn off to size and taped on a product….the smell was of produce….as if you had walked into a garden that was ready to pick….I took a few steps and to the left…behind the pillar…..there is was……baskets of fresh produce…oranges and apples of all different kinds…..lettuce, carrots, zucchini still with blossoms, potatoes, tomatoes, leeks, artichokes…you name it…… in season that is……and tucked behind was a cheese case..filled with a mixture of cheeses…now take a right into the other room…it is filled wtih 100s of wines and chocolate….there are boxes around…things to step over…..and enough room to walk single file…..people I have a FIND!