Views from Sicily

The weather has been almost perfect here in Sicily, with the exception of one cold, rainy day. I'm sorry I haven't been able to blog as much as I'd planned, but the internet connection in Ortigia was spotty, so keeping in touch was not as easy as I had hoped.

However, we have moved along from Ortigia to Palermo, where it is not only sunny, warm and bright as can be, but the WiFi connection rocks. Score!

Hopefully you've been watching the videos on our home page to keep up with this week's adventures, but I also wanted to show you some still images from our activities this week.

Yesterday we toured the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento, where the ancient architecture still stands proudly on the hilltops overlooking the sea:



Well, of course I had to get in the picture! Here is the same hilltop from another view:



Speaking of views, we are staying at the Villa Igiea in Palermo, from which I have a swoon-inducing seaside view. I took this photo at sunrise, but will try to capture the view in brighter light later today.



One thing I am compelled to share is that the fruit and vegetables here (not to mention cheeses and sausage meats) have incredible flavor -- not like anything you will ever taste in America, anywhere. When I arrived in my room there was a little taste of Italy waiting for me, and even the strawberries were bursting with sweetness:



Another tidbit I'm compelled to share is that we are with a FANTASTIC group of people. Some are restaurateurs from around the US, including a few of New York's best restaurants, others are journalists, and a happy few are simply food enthusiasts who could not resist the pull of traveling throughout Sicily with the group.

We are making some wonderful new friends (and hearty eating/drinking comrades), and this trip is one of the best I've had in the past few years. I'll share more later, but right now I have to hop in the shower and get down to the group! Have a great day!

Off to Italy!

Yes, we're on the road again, folks!

My pointy shoes are packed, and Chef Mark and I are off to Sicily for a whirlwind tour of the island, its unique gastronomic treasures and ancient landmarks. We'll be traveling with a wonderful group of journalists (some of whom were with us on our tour of Alto Adige and Asiago), as well as restaurateur Tony May and our intrepid host Dario Chiarini.

Our journey will include an exploration of Sicilian olive oil, unique in the world for its healthful properties. It also has a fantastic pizzicante, which gives you that little (big) peppery kick to the back of the throat. For more about Sicilian olive oil, listen to my chat with K. Dun Gifford and Dr. Fausto Luchetti on Food Philosophy #60 about Sicily and the Mediterranean diet.

And if you listened to my latest Food Philosophy episode, you know that we're trying to bring a new element to this trip with live (or semi-live) video blogging and more Fork in the Road episodes from planes, trains, automobiles, restaurants or wherever our feet happen to find us.

In addition to the food and wine frenzy, we'll also get the chance to visit ancient sites like Selinunte, an abandoned ancient Greek city with ruins of an acropolis and numerous temples. The city was founded in the seventh century BC, and effectively destroyed in 409 BC. Selinunte's glorious heyday lasted for a period of about two centuries, when it was one of the most progressive Greek cities in Sicily, famous throughout Magna Graecia.

For me personally, this will be a fascinating trip, as my father is from the land just across the strait of Messina in Calabria. Unfortunately we won't be getting over there on this trip, but I am eager nonetheless for a taste of southern Italy. Let's have a little heat and spice!

We're very excited to take you along with us in real-time for this journey, so keep an eye on our CMN home page for updates!

CPN - A Fork in the Road

A Fork in The Road

Jennifer and Chef Mark give you an update from the road on their trip to San Francisco. Listen for these short "Forks in the Road" on upcoming journeys!

A Fork in the Road is a production of the Culinary Podcast Network. http://www.culinarypodcastnetwork.com/




http://www.culinarypodcastnetwork.com/
food, food podcast, San Francisco, Fork in the Road, Culinary Podcast Network, Gilded Fork

Food Philosophy #58: Miami Spice Month

Food Philosophy #58: Miami Spice Month

Well, there's a first time for everything. I recorded some of this show while on my flight back from Mexico, so you get to be in the air right along with me. Before Mexico, however, we had a chance to explore the flavors of Miami Spice Month, which happens during August and September, and features more than 80 restaurants with specially priced menus ($22 for lunch, $35 for dinner).

We began by attending Share Our Strength's Taste of the Nation, which benefits anti-hunger programs both locally and nationally, and I'll have video next week of my interview with coordinating chef Allen Susser of Chef Allen's. We also savored tastings at Table 8 South Beach, La Palme d'Or, La Cofradia, Chispa, Sushi Samba Dromo and Grass, so I've included a little sampling of our thoughts on those. Yes, it was a busy week!

I'm also featuring video of my interview with Chef Govind Armstrong from Table 8 later this week, so don't miss that!

Share Our Strength: www.strength.org/
Miami Spice Month: www.ilovemiamispice.com/
Table 8: www.table8la.com/
La Palme d'Or: www.biltmorehotel.com/
La Cofradia: www.lacofradia.com/
Chispa: www.chisparestaurant.com/
Sushi Samba Dromo: www.sushisamba.com/
Grass: www.grasslounge.com/


Sponsor: Go Daddy (www.godaddy.com)
Use code food1 for 10% off your order
Use code food2 for $5 off orders of $35 or more
Use code food3 for $6.95 domain names

Music: Beau Hall, Super Hot Lady Cop (www.beaurocks.com/), Vasco Debritto, Fiz Um Samba (www.cnet-ta.ne.jp/v/vasco/)

Food Philosophy is a production of the Culinary Podcast Network (http://www.culinarypodcastnetwork.com/).






food, food podcast, sensuality, Food Philosophy, Culinary Podcast Network, Gilded Fork, Jennifer Iannolo, PodShow, Miami, South Beach, restaurants, Miami Spice Month

Scenes from the Road

Well, we are home again as we rest up for the next trip, but we decided to capture a little slice of life on the road. P.S. Did you know that the airport in Dallas/Ft. Worth sells iPods in a vending machine? Gnarly.

As you can see, I'm always in high glamour no matter what the setting. I didn't have much energy left at this point in the journey, though I did manage to record my latest podcast on the plane. That will be up later tonight.





Chef Mark, however, seems to have an unending stream of energy, which means I'm going to have to stuff him in cargo for the next trip. I honestly don't know where he finds it -- I'm the one drinking all the coffee!










This time I at least remembered to take a photo of myself in the actual location. Most of the time I'm so busy gathering content that I forget the "Where's Waldo?" photo, so I've made a mental note to take them from now on. This is from the rooftop of our hotel in Guadalajara, so you can see the city behind me.





food, food podcast, sensuality, Food Philosophy, Culinary Podcast Network, Mexico, Jennifer Iannolo, PodShow

Off to Mexico...

I feel like I just un-packed, but I am now re-packed for our jaunt to Mexico. Chef Mark and I are off to shoot a custom series that we'll talk about very soon, and we're rather excited about it. We shall taste, drink and shoot our way through the environs of Guadalajara and the Jalisco region, where you can be sure we'll be sipping some Tequila. ;)

I'm not sure what our hi-speed access will be like, but we'll do our best to keep things updated from the road. Yes, remember, we're the web monkeys, too. It's a good life. :)

food, food podcast, sensuality, Food Philosophy, Culinary Podcast Network, Gilded Fork, Jennifer Iannolo, PodShow

Grape-Flavored Lip Gloss

Well, we're now in wine country, so it's off for a day of touring with Chef Mark and Rosina Tinari Wilson, our intrepid wine podcasting correspondent. I've easily morphed into a casual, lazy Saturday mode to prepare myself for sipping, so it should be a lovely day. The morning sun in California is unrivaled, and I always feel soothed by the cool morning air and blue skies here. The rain has disappeared just in time for us to explore Napa and Sonoma, so I'm looking forward to a wonderful day! (Yes, dammit, we'll get audio and video.)

gilded fork, food, food writing, wine, Napa, Sonoma

Live from Italy...

...it's me! I'm on a press junket to the Regione Piemonte this week, and we've just finished our first day of exploring, so I'm sending along a recap before heading to din-din. We're presently in the Lago Maggiore region, and though it's rainy and misty today, the moodiness of the weather adds a romantic touch to the air. We visited several islands today including Isola Bella, home of the Palazzo Borromeo, which has some breathtaking grottos meticulously crafted with individual small stones, and tiered gardens accented with live white peacocks strutting about the grounds. Sadly we were not allowed to take photos of the inside of the palace, as it is still the Borromeo family's part-time residence, but to the right I've included a glimpse of the streets of Orta, a town on the western border of Lago d'Orta, where we have concluded our adventures for the day (well, aside from the much-awaited meal).

I will try to blog and post photos as much as I can this week, but as we have quite a schedule to keep I can't make promises that they'll happen each day, particularly because we are attending the White Truffle Festival in Alba, and I might be beside myself with satiation.

I'm also recording a lot of our explorations for the Culinary Podcast Network, so stay tuned for those later in October and November.

Ciao!

gilded fork, travel, food writing, italy, piemonte, alba, Lake Maggiore

Oh, Canada...

I found British Columbia to be the optimal location for a July visit. The air is temperate and dry, and the views are magnificent. My travels took me from the mountain's peak to the water's edge as I meandered through Vancouver, Whistler and Vancouver Island.

The farmer's market in Vancouver is a sight to behold -- every stall is a study in color and texture. I could not believe the variety of exotic ingredients for sale, and was saddened that I did not have a kitchen in which to experiment. It was not so bad to settle for dining out, however, and I delighted in the choices of Thai and Indian restaurants.

Thankfully I was able to work off my decadent meals with plenty of outdoor adventure, and learned that my body is capable of a lot more than I thought. Believe it or not, this princess managed to get within 400 meters of a 14,000 foot mountain peak in Vancouver (my reward was to strap on some heels and a skirt that evening and revel in an eight-course meal). I even pedaled a mountain bike through the hills of Whistler. Ok, I walked it up some of the hills, but we're getting mired in details. Needless to say my body was very thankful for a final few days at the beach on Vancouver Island, doing absolutely nothing.

Naturally the trip had to end with a flourish, so it was off to the Sooke Harbour House at the tip of Vancouver Island. The dining room of this quaint little inn overlooks the water, and I watched the fog cascade over the bay as I sipped my glass of champagne. The menu was a cacophony of flavors, not all of which pleased my palate, but the meal was an exercise in creativity to say the least. I did fall in love with a unique British Columbia wine that tastes like a blend of ice wine and tawny port, but sadly I could not get a bottle in time to bring home. Looks like I have an excuse to go back...

A Feast for the Senses

On my recent trip to Vancouver I hosted a dinner party at Lumiere, a Mobil 5-Star restaurant owned by Chef Rob Feenie. Rob is one of my favorite chefs, and I knew he and his staff would put on a brilliant show for us. Their efforts did not disappoint, as my guests and I were presented with a special eight-course summer menu paired with wines for our feast. We spent the evening in sensory satiation.

As the courses progressed I gazed around the table to view each person's reaction. Some people I knew quite well, others I did not, but I was heartened by their expressions. By the end of the meal, Francisco decided that he actually liked raw oysters, and shook down the garcon for the name of our bottle of tawny port. Michael cooed over each dish, and an expression of pure joy beamed from his baby blues. Marsha actually took more than a sip of wine (much to my delight), and particularly enjoyed the ravioli trio. (What Italian wouldn't?) Her husband John took care of any remaining sips in her glasses, and even came up with a little rhyme to commemorate the evening (this was due to his poetic prowess, not to the wine). Frank and Jeff ruminated philosophically as they savored their courses, and Bill popped up to snap candid photos between bites. Now that's a dedicated photographer.

Midway through the meal I visited the other table to see if everyone was having a good time. The joy on their faces was all I needed to see. Adam and his daughter Emily wore big smiles, and looked as if they were in a culinary wonderland. Jordan and Rita offered to sign up for every future dinner party I hosted. Bob Jr. and Sr. reveled in their dining experience, and had the good fortune of sitting across from Michelle, a delightful, stylish woman with a fine appreciation for cuisine.

There is such a sense of radiant joy to be found in sharing a decadent meal with a group of people whose sense of life and fondness for cuisine mirrors one's own. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to do so, and am eager for the next gastronomic adventure. Cheers to my fellow gourmands!

Here is a recap of our menu:

~~~
Duo of British Columbia Oysters
Chef's Creek with wakame salad & Kuushi with tom yum jelly & wasabi tobiko

Japanese Scallop Ceviche
with watermelon tartare and tomato sorbet

Trio of Ravioli Squash & Truffle Butter, Pea & Lemon Butter, Crab/Prawn & Red Wine Jus

Roasted Magret of Duck with seared foie gras, arugula gnocchi and haricots verts

Roasted Rib Eye of Lamb
with lardons, minted peas a la creme and eggplant caviar

"Le Fromage"
a fine selection of Canadian & imported cheeses, served with fruit and nut bread

Mango Sorbet
with lychee jus

Sticky Toffee Pudding
with pear compote and whipped cinnamon mascarpone

Chocolate and Jelly

~~~

For the Love of Archibald

I wasn't sure what to expect gastronomically from my pilgrimage to Scotland. I had hoped there would be some form of cuisine that was not saturated in starch (this was the land of the deep-fried Mars bar, after all). What I did not expect to find was a talented Italian cook. His name is Archibald Clark, and he is, in his own words, my mad, mental, Celtic cousin.

Archie is the kind of person who will very comfortably speak his mind with little concern for the impact of the truth on others. I took to him immediately. His effusive charm and hospitality were a delight, even while he was grilling me about my knowledge of Scotland's military history. Thank goodness I had seen Braveheart. While showing me his study and some old family photographs he handed me a piece of paper to read -- it was his Mensa membership certificate. When I asked him his IQ, he nonchalantly replied, "Oh, somewhere around 180." After I removed my jaw from the floor I tried to picture him at a Mensa gathering, and couldn't quite get there. Archie is in a league of his own. By the end of the night he had me in tears of joy and laughter with his family stories, a few bawdy jokes and a serenade with his guitar.

But I truly entered a state of reverence when he showed me his herb garden and cook's kitchen. Everything was laid out meticulously, and all ingredients and gadgets were in immediate reach. I beamed with anticipation as I watched the pot simmering on the stove, the casserole bubbling in the oven. What was in store for our palates?

"Tomahto soup." Crafted by hand from fresh tomahtoes and hand-picked herbs. Does this man know how to win a girl over or what? I'm not sure what they do (or don't do) to the vegetables in Europe, but they are always far tastier than the ones I find here in the States. The soup was gorgeous, and I eagerly awaited the second course. It was a savory casserole of chicken tenderly bathed in a red sauce with spices and cheese. Heaven. The dish was a spontaneous creation, and I formed an even deeper bond with him as I discovered his cooking technique mirrored my own: open the fridge, take a look around and get busy with what you find.

So from this side of the ocean, cousin Archibald, I salute your passion for cooking. May your tomahto and potahto plants be plentiful this year, and may you continue to share your cooking secrets with me. I lovingly look forward to our next meal.

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A Trip to the Chippy

I knew it would be a challenge to maintain my low-carb regimen while in Scotland, especially given that most menus comprise battered protein and starch with a side of peas. However, I was not about to blow a 13-lb. weight loss. At least, this was my frame of mind before I discovered the glory of fish and chips.

Since returning from my trip, I have decided that I will never again eat this dish anywhere but in Scotland. Not only will this ensure dedication to my regimen, but it will guarantee that my vision of the perfect fried combination will never be tainted.

A trip to the "Chippy" is a decadent treat, and my experiences fulfilled every promise my mother had made about the delight of fried fish and potatoes wrapped in paper. The fish is so fresh it flakes apart as the batter reverberates with a crisp crackle, and the chips -- oh my. I have always had a weakness for French fries, but these are like no other. It would be an affront for the Chippy to use frozen potatoes, so these are made fresh, and deep-fried to a mesmerizing golden hue.

Thankfully I managed to exercise enormous amounts of self-discipline, and kept to a mere three journeys to the Chippy over a two-week period. I also put a few miles on my running shoes to work off the carb overload, but the joy of eating my new favorite dish was worth every step. And did I mention the malt vinegar?

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Off to the Land of Haggis

Well, there's no turning back now. The tickets have been purchased and the relatives warned. Brother Gargantua will not be traveling with us to Scotland, so the Queen has released the emergency stockpile of food. We received a lovely letter from her.

I can't believe it has taken me 32 years to visit the land of my mother's birth, but I am overjoyed that the time has come. Mary Margaret is eagerly anticipating fish and chips wrapped in newspaper, pastries and real Cadbury chocolate. Her childhood nickname was "Porky," so that should tell you all you need to know. I still don't understand how she ended up being a size 4. But I'm not bitter.

In preparation for our trip (and the research for my book) we have been unsuccessfully trying to recreate our family's version of the Scottish "clootie" dumpling. For those overcome with curiosity, a Scottish clootie is a cloth, in this instance a pillowcase that was used to encase the dumpling while cooking. Odd, I know, but they are a damned ingenious bunch.

I tried comparing our recipe with others on the internet, but it seems that each person in Scotland has his or her own version. I have never seen such a variance in ingredients, particularly for such a complicated creation. Some use stout, others treacle syrup, others molasses, and some even use coffee (?). It seems that our problem may lie in the suet, which needs to be of the purest pearly white and taken from the area just around the pig's kidneys. However, despite shaking down several butchers and crafting some shady deals in the alleyway behind the local supermarket, we have been unable to find just the right stuff. I'm hoping someone from the Forbes clan can help us solve this dilemma. Perhaps we should be using Egyptian cotton.

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