During our trip to Tuscany, we visited Pastificio Fabbri, a four-generation artisan dry pasta producer in Chianti. The company opened in 1893 and is one of eight remaining artisan dry pasta businesses in Italy in this, the era of Barilla. Visiting their small factory and speaking with the dedicated Giovanni Fabbri was a treat. What makes artisan pasta special is how it is cut with bronze dies, leaving the surface of the pasta with a rougher texture (all the better for binding with a delish ragu).
2010.11.21
2010.10.19
sights from the Alba Truffle Festival
Pretty much every day these days I feel like Julia Roberts in the Thanksgiving scene from Eat Pray Love* when she says "I'm the luckiest girl in the world."
*(For the record, I love this scene but for me it's darling Julia saying "I'm the luckiest girl in the world" that I love, not Elizabeth Gilbert, because Elizabeth Gilbert is annoying).
I've crossed off some serious life bucket list items this year, including
see the pyramids | go on a trip in Italy with Helen and Caroline (my 2 high school best friends) | live in Italy | work at a vineyard
and go to the Alba Truffle festival
This past weekend I journeyed up to Piedmonte for the truffle festival, proving once again that I am the luckiest girl in the world.
we ate (and ate) a dinner for the books here
I loved their tablescaping.
We ordered the parmesean cream, poached egg and white truffle to share. The server arrived at the table with a cake plate (complete with glass top) housing the foraged gems, lifted one out of the assortment, shoved it under our noses for approval and gracefully shaved it over the plump egg.
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The next morning we arrived at the truffle market.
There was so much beautiful cheese.
And so many people selling their treasured truffles.
Including this adorable man who had truffles on his hat.
And there was lots of fresh 'plin', the regional pasta of Piedmonte. Plin means pinch!
a new take on the food pyramid
The Barilla Center for Food and Nutrition is a new food and nutrition think tank founded by the Italian pasta giant. Their double interpretation of the food pyramid includes not only suggested daily portions, but a look at the environmental impact of what we eat.
2010.10.17
zucchini bread recipe
Y'all, this summer at the farm+vineyard there were so many zucchinis in the garden. I estimate that the garden produced roughly a gillion zucchinis per week. I made Smitten Kitchen's Zucchini Bread recipe about half a gillion times. It's really yummy, so you should make it too! XO
Smitten Kitchen's Zucchini Bread
2 loaves or approximately 24 muffins
3 eggs
1 cup olive or vegetable oil
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 cups grated zucchini
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
1 cup dried cranberries, raisins or chocolate chips or a combination thereof (optional)
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Grease and flour two 8×4 inch loaf pans, liberally. Or line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk. Mix in oil and sugar, then zucchini and vanilla.
Combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder and salt, as well as nuts, chocolate chips and/or dried fruit, if using.
Stir this into the egg mixture. Divide the batter into prepared pans.
Bake loaves for 60 minutes, plus or minus ten, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Muffins will bake far more quickly, approximately 20 to 25 minutes.
