March Newsletter from Elizabeth

march 2017 newsletter

It’s done! We’ve been doing some work on our home in Rome and as of today, the project is finished. What was supposed to take 1 month took, of course, 2 (this is Italy!). It hasn’t been that bad though, since we made the smart decision (the only decision actually) to move across the street while the work was going on. I’m not sure how we decided to do all this work, but one thing led to another and after deciding to knock down 2 walls to regain the space which once was our dining room and had since become a daughter’s room, it sort of just steam rolled. We painted the entire apartment and refinished all the floors. We also ripped out a tub and installed a new shower. Also? We got a bed. Somehow, after 26 years of marriage we were still sleeping on a mattress on a piece of plywood. Now? A velvet covered headboard, a new mattress and everything. About time, right?

So now that the big work is done, I’m looking to the smaller stuff. And by smaller stuff, I mean less of smaller stuff. Is anyone else as fed up with all the stuff in our lives as I am?! I guess packing away things during the construction made me realize I really don’t want to be dealing with so many things. Also, living in our little apartment across the street, with extremely minimal belongings (2 pairs of jeans, 5 sweaters) made me realize that life with less things means life with less decisions (You wear the jeans that are clean).

So as we head into Spring cleaning season I’m going to make that my theme for the rest of the year. To get rid of stuff. Clothes of course. But also household stuff. I’ve been discovering a bunch of up-cycle sites where you can give stuff away if the people will come and pick it up. And it works! I managed to get rid of an old Ikea dresser within 24 hours. And it also felt good knowing that it wasn’t going into a land fill and that someone who really needed it was making good use of it.

what's new

Is everyone in the world coming to Rome? It sure seems like it from the amount of emails Sophie and I are receiving from people wanting to do one of our day tours. I am already filling up for my Insider's Private Food Tours tours around Monti, Testaccio and Campo de’ Fiori. Since Sophie’s tours are small groups, she still has lots of room on her tours around Trastevere, Campo and her new tour around Testaccio. She's also started doing Coffee and Sweets tour!

Because the request for cooking classes was so big, and because Sophie and I have only four hands between the two of us, we’ve decided to expand our classes to include some taught by our friends and colleagues. We just added a private pasta making class taught by our friend Domenico Cortese. Domenico used to cook at the Rome Sustainable Food Project at the American Academy. He’s a terrific teacher, warm and generous and magical with pasta. We are super excited to be collaborating with him!

Most people don’t realize how close the countryside is to the center of Rome. Within an hour you are in the middle of the countryside. If you’d like to join us for a day in the country, just let me know. We can go truffle hunting, porchetta eating, goat whispering, or ceramic shopping. I’ve even roped Domenico into the family business, and he is leading guests into Umbria to discover rustic architecture and artisans.

Also, THIS JUST IN: I just had 2 spots open up for the Week in Umbria Tour. And if countryside is not your thing, I also have 2 spaces left on my Week in Rome Tour in November.

And if you're curious about the Week in Rome Tours, and want to get a first hand look, I suggest you follow us along this month on Instagram and Facebook. Sophie and I have three Week in Rome tours going on this month, so there will be lots of fun stuff happening. Promise.

what i'm watching

Remember when I went to Sicily in September and I promised a video of the process behind the incredible tomato paste I learned how to make? Here it is.

I also managed to work my way into the kitchen of Ristorante Il Vero Alfredo in Rome to discover the true origins -and original recipe - for Fettuccine Alfredo.

The latest season of Chef’s Table includes a truly lovely episode on Nancy Silverton. I was lucky enough to visit her a few summers ago, when she made me a panini feast in her home.

I love that this video from Canada. It reminds me of the time my neighbor set a table up on our street. I’m going to have to try this once the weather get’s warmer.

It's official. I'm embracing the new Instagram Stories. And sadly, I'm posting less and less on Snapchat. I'll still be there, don't worry, but a girl can only do so much. So most of my day to day documenting will be going on over at Instagram Stories.

FACEBOOK LIVE: I'll be hosting my first Facebook Live event on March 9. We'll be streaming the Conversation between Evan Kleiman and Fabrizia Lanza (see below for details of the event). Make sure you've 'Liked' and are 'Following' my official Facebook page: Elizabeth Minchilli in Rome so that you'll be notified about it. (this is different from my personal page which you may already be following)

what I'm reading

Rosie Schaap, who writes the Drinks column for the New York Times came to Rome and of course did some drinking. Here’s what she came away with (including a recipe from me).

This is why I want to get rid of my stuff.

A love letter to vermouth.

A love letter to meatloaf.

A love letter to cannoli.

Will Starbucks finally launch in Italy? According to just about everyone, the answer is yes.

where i'm going

I've invited two of the women I admire most in the world of Italian food , Evan Kleiman and Fabrizia Lanza, to Rome and they are going to have a public conversation about oh-so-many things. I'd love it if you could join us.

You know my obsession with artichokes? I’ve convinced my friends at The Eatery in Rome to organize a carciofi themed dinner at their pop up restaurant. Want to come? Send Sofie an email, and she’ll get back to you with the details.

what i'm eating

Sophie spent the last month up at a Goat Farm in Umbria and so has been coming to visit us with weekly deliveries of fresh goat cheese. In case you too find yourself in the same situation, here are some of my favorite ways I’ve been consuming my weight in cheese:

Pasta with Artichokes and Goat Cheese
Sausage, Onion and Goat Cheese Pasta
Borage and Goat Cheese Ravioli
Green Peppers and Goat Cheese
Goat Cheese Salad

x,Elizabeth