March 2018 Newsletter from Elizabeth Minchilli in Rome
march 2018 newsletter
I can’t believe I missed the snow in Rome! I live for Roman snow days. In all the long years I’ve been living here I can count the number of snow days I’ve experienced on less than one hand. Wah!!! The gorgeous photo above was taken by Sophie, who was not only in Rome while the flakes were falling, but actually got up at 7am to get on the tram and make her way to the Colosseum to see it with its dusty coating.
I can’t complain too much though, since I was off having a grand time in New York where I was actually happy to have avoided any kind of disruptive weather. I was there for the annual conference of the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP). This association has been going strong for 40 years and it offers a great chance to see old friends and rub shoulders with culinary icons. I was there to do both, as well as give a talk on how to create food tours. The talk went really well and I had a lot of fun answering questions about the ins and outs of crafting these type of food filled tours. In fact, there was so much interest in this topic that I’m thinking of organizing a kind of boot camp here in Rome for other culinary professionals who are interested in learning how to do this. Anyone out there interested? Let me know, since another friend and I are seriously considering this if there is enough interest.
You would think that since this was a food conference that there would have been great food. There was a lot of great talk about food, but the food itself was mostly of the nibble variety. But since the conference was in New York I certainly didn’t go hungry. I got my fill of the type of food I can’t get in back in Rome and then some. I went to the utterly fantastic Empellon twice for their spin on modern Mexican; Emma and I had a very hot and spicy, post-Black Panther Korean dinner at Han Bat; my burger fix was provided by Edward’s; and I even worked in an eggy lentil kale bowl at Buvette. The best meal I had was a moveable feast lead by my friend Anya, who took me, Alice and Melissa on a tour in and out of some of her favorite places in Jackson Heights. We started at Lhasa Fast Food, a Tibetan restaurant hidden behind the side door of a jewelry store. We then went on to Napali Bhancha where the mist of frying hot peppercorns filled the small flourescent lit space. After a quick stop in a Vietnamese grocery store for Melissa to pick up waterbugs for some weird dish she’s making (I don’t think that will land in the Times) we ended the night with gorgeous Thai desserts at Khao Nom.
what's new
I know it seems like a long way off, but I’ve just posted the Week in Italy tour dates for 2019. And…YES! We finally have dates for Puglia!! I know I’ve been promising this for what seems like forever. The dates are April 7-13 and October 6-12. I haven’t even posted them on the website yet, since I wanted my newsletter readers to hear the news first. Send me an email if you’d like details.
I’ve also posted the dates for our Rome and Umbria 2019 tours here. And there are two spots left for our May Week in Umbria 2018 Tour in case anyone has some free time. Norwegian and Alitalia both have great deals on flights at the moment. Just saying. Email me for more information.
Sophie and I are super excited about our tour in March with Melissa Clark. Although it's completely booked (and has been for a long time) you can follow along. Make sure you’re following both Sophie and me on Instagram (@eminchilli and @sminchilli as well as Melissa at @clarkbar). (I’ll be posting on Facebook too). And stay tuned for more collaborative Weeks in 2019. I met up with a lot of interesting people at IACP and am full of ideas!
If you don’t have time for an entire week with us, no worries, there is still lots of room on our day tours in and out of Rome, as well food workshops.
videos
I’m so happy to have more time to make videos! Last year my time was filled with writing 2 books, so it’s nice to have time to express myself without words for a change. There is something completely liberating about switching media every so often.
I had a great time with Flavio in his restaurant kitchen in Testaccio last month. I came away with not one, but two videos. Here is his secret to achieving what I (and others) think is the best cacio e pepe in Rome. And if fried food is your thing, you’re going to love what Flavio does to artichokes.
On a less happy topic, yet still somehow hysterically funny : an analysis by John Oliver of the current Italian political situation.
I can’t stop watching this snowy drone footage of Rome.
what I'm reading
Sorry to have to break this to you, but bacon is not your friend.
Pizza is usually a male dominated trade. Meet the Italian women who are not only flipping pies, but using pizza to fight inequality and abuse.
Look what happens when you try to dig for a new subway system in Rome.
Coming to Italy in March? Here’s what’s going on in Rome and Florence, reported by my friend Nathalie and Georgette.
I’m not sure why, but lately I’ve been escaping into slightly dystopian novels where women gain special powers. #metoo much?
And speaking of reading, are you following me on Goodreads? If you do, I'll follow you back!
upcoming events
I’m so excited about my upcoming book tour for Eating My Way Through Italy!! I’ve got an events page set up on my website, but here are some specific things that you have to sign up for and that have limited space:
May 23: Eataly, New York: Cooking demo and book signing. Sign up here
May 29: Eataly, Boston: Cooking demo and book signing. Sign up here.
May 31: Smithsonian Institute, Washington DC: In Conversation with Ann Mah, followed by cocktail reception. Sign up here.
June 1: Via Umbria, Washington DC: There are three events here, a cocktail party/ book signing, and then a special dinner with 2 seatings. Spots are vert limited for the dinner.
Cocktail Party: 5-7pm Click here to register and here to reserve a book.
Dinner: first seating: 7:00 to 8:30 click here to buy a ticket.
Dinner: second seating: 8:30 to 11. Click here to buy a ticket.
More coming in June in Los Angeles and San Francisco……I'll have the links for those up on my website shortly.
I’ll probably be planning something to celebrate my book here in Rome in June, so stay turned for that too!
x,Elizabeth
