You know our early May medieval festival, Calendimaggio, is around the corner if you walk the stunning backstreets the end of April: those banners are flying. Blue ones in la Parte de Sopra (“Upper Assisi”) and red ones drape windows, terraces on the home of la Parte de Sotto (“Lower Assisi”). Calendimaggio is around the…
You’ll miss out on the best in local cuisine – enjoyed with “the locals” – if you miss a sagra while visiting Umbria. Running about ten days, these village food festivals animate the Umbrian countryside from April to late November. At every sagra, an array of entertainment – balllroom dancing will always be part of…
[gallery1 ids=”14958,14953,14955,14959,14957,14963,14956,14960,14954,14964,14961,14965,14962,14985″] You might “save the date” for a wedding, an anniversary or another milestone. And when coming to Umbria, make your stay unforgettable by “saving the date(s).” Which ones? Time your trip to include a wondrous festival. They animate Umbria nearly all year round as you can see here. Here are a few of…
What better way to wrap up a U.S. cooking lessons/lectures tour than by cooking Italian flavors with so many who have lived in Italy- or toured there with me (and not just once!)? Ah, those “Italian connections”! Hostess Leslie put it this way: “I feel as if we knew each other in another life. Perhaps…
Neil put it this way after our Silver Spring cooking class (our third? fourth?) together: “Thanks for reminding me of the spectacular taste from simple fresh ingredients. The senses are awakened.” Neil Thanks, Nancy and Neil, for hosting me once again and mille grazie, Phil and Susan for opening home and hearts to us all.…
Sherry and Karl, mille grazie for inviting me again to Herndon to cook with you – and Emily, glad you joined us this year! You were right there with us, all the way, from mixing the green beans and potaoes the right way (with your hands!)… …to teaming with your Mom on peeling oranges…
Frank and Sharon, the Malvern Italian gestures-theme lecture evening on March 25th just couldn’t be beat – or so I thought. And then came your Clarion University staff cooking class the night after! Good times, right from the Italian market shopping in the morning, with you and the Dean: – and what cooking class…
Not all alum “gift” their school (in this case, Clarion University of Pennsylvannia) with a tandem of Italian food-focussed events. But that’s what Frank did in Malvern, Pennsylvannia. On my first night there, I gave my talk on Italian gestures, “Italians, HANDS ON!” at the Chester Valley Golf Club after we all enjoyed an array…
Bill, you summed it up: “A gastronomical adventure!” Thanks to you and Carol Lynn for joining in Rick and Mary’s Umbrian feast. Rick and Mary, we did it! You both booked your class when I was already cooking my way across the U.S.A. – and so glad you joined in on my “culinary tour.”…
“…a fabulous evening of good friends, good food, and a little garlic,” is how co-host Diane summed up our delightful Potomac cooking evening, adding “Everyone in our group has told me they thought the evening was fantastic. We all bonded and are much closer than before. The men also had a wonderful time getting to…