Montalcino may be best known for its splendid Brunello but it has some lesser known gems as well. Amongst its rolling hills fly amazing honeybees, silently working their magic amongst the vines. Each visit to my home there has me shipping cases of the nectar back to America.  And once my treasured package arrives, it is play time!  My most recent shipment contained deep dark chestnut (castagne) honey, gentle sunflower (girasole) honey, herb infused rosemary (rosemarino) honey – each flavor so different and exquisitely reminiscent of the plants and flowers that cover the land.

Continue reading Risotto with Sausage, Green Apple, Pecorino and Honey too! at Our Italian Table.

Wait! Before you hit the back button, this recipe is NOT made with tripe! Yes, I know this unpretentious offal strikes fear in the hearts of many. (It actually can be extremely tasty if prepared correctly but that is a topic for another day.) Luckily, this Tuscan recipe takes its name from its resemblance to the Florentine dish, trippa fiorentina. The dish is actually made with delicate strips of egg bathed in a simple, delicious tomato sauce.

Continue reading Trippa Finta (Fake Tripe): Wait! It’s not what you think! at Our Italian Table.

When I first mentioned to my friend, Isabella Dusi in Montalcino, that I would come across in October to help plan out our fundraising campaign for Quartiere Pianello (more on this when we launch our Indigogo campaign shortly!), I never imagined that the week would evolve into the amazing and fun week that it did! First, my brother, Joey, who recently left his big corporate job to explore new horizons in the food and tech world, decided to tag along for a week of ‘relaxation’. 

Continue reading ‘Celebrity Masterchefs’ for a Day! at Our Italian Table.

My heart is happy as I write from 30,000 feet up.  Joey remains in Rome for another week of exploring. (Look for his posts as he searches out authentic foodie Rome. I am confident that he will leave no (ancient) stone unturned!) I, on the other hand, am homeward bound with a big smile on my heart.

Wow – what a week! I have so many memories from our incredible, wildly fun week in Montalcino:

-Cooking an Italian-American dinner for 50 Montalcinese (complete details in my next post!)

-Wheeling grocery carts through the cobblestone streets of the medieval village

-‘Celebrity master chef’’ sightings

-Spritzes in the piazza.

Continue reading #gratitude: Brunello and Rainbows in the Mist in Montalcino at Our Italian Table.

During our recent visit to Montalcino Italy, we had an opportunity to shop for meats, fish and produce to prepare our big meal. It again reminded me of how differently Americans think about food, and not in a good way. Everywhere we went, all that would be found were local ingredients. And not just local to Italy but local to Tuscany.

A recipe we wanted to prepare used Ricotta Salata, the salted hard version of ricotta.

Continue reading Italian grocery shopping – Where local is not a trend, it just is… at Our Italian Table.

As my sister discussed in our last post, we are here in Montalcino to cook for a fundraising event. My sister Michele and I and two of her friends were honored to find the poster shown here plastered all over town. We thought, “Celebrity Master Chefs”? Who us? “It made us very proud indeed!  But then as we walked around town to scout out ingredients for the event, we continued to encounter people who exclaimed ‘Aaaahhh!

Continue reading Montalcino, Italy – Where word of mouth still spreads faster than a Facebook post at Our Italian Table.

We head out for Montalcino on Tuesday and we are over the moon excited. We will actually be cooking dinner for about 35 people in the village – how cool is this?!?! ‘Why’ you might ask? First I have to take you back a bit. Stick with me here!

In 2006, our family stayed in Tuscany and visited Montalcino on a day trip. I was instantly smitten with this picturesque, magical little village. 

Continue reading We will be cooking in the village! Montalcino – here we come! at Our Italian Table.

While reading the Benvenuto Brunello blog this past weekend, I noticed a post about an ‘ancient recipe that is typical of the city of Brunello’ and more importantly with a video of a woman named Maria Pieri,  one of the best known cooks in the village. The recipe was for ‘sedani rifatti’ or ‘celery redone’.  And the YouTube video of Maria has her making the dish with the addition of chicken. Dinner was born.

Continue reading An Oscar Dinner-Montalcino Style: Pollo con Sedani Rifatti (Chicken with Celery) at Our Italian Table.

Finally, the world gets to taste the Brunello di Montalcino 2008 and the Brunello Riserva 2007. My friends in Montalcino have been keeping me apprised of all the Benvenuto Brunello news from afar. The weather has been rainy, snowy, and damp for the weekend but perhaps perfect weather to taste so many magical bottles of vino?

Firstly, what exactly is Benvenuto Brunello (‘Welcome Brunello’)? This international event takes place every year in February and is hosted by the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino.  

Continue reading Benvenuto Brunello 2013: Drumroll please…. at Our Italian Table.

These ingenious Italians….who else would utilize space under a street for nothing other than a fish market? For a few years, I have known about the little fish market in the wall in Montalcino. It is only open Tuesdays and Fridays. Usually when I pass, the line is long as the villagers catch up while waiting for their catch from the sea. I have always been rather intimidated by the looong line. The fear of having to arrive at the front and order in Italian while the village looks on. 

Continue reading The Little Fish Market in the Wall: Shrimp with Pancetta and Puree of Chickpeas (Gamberi al Pancetta e Crema di Ceci) at Our Italian Table.