January 2019 Newsletter from Elizabeth Minchilli

Elizabeth Minchilli
EATING MY WAY THOUGH ITALY

January 2019 Newsletter

Like most of you I’ve spent the last few weeks eating and drinking. Here in Italy we still have one more day left of festivities, leading up to the Epiphany tomorrow. I’ve taken full advantage of the holiday time, barely looking at emails and trying to spend more time in front of real people instead of computer or phone screens. (Which also accounts for this newsletter being sent out a bit late!) This meant I hosted countless dinners and cocktails parties and loved every minute of inviting people into our home. I’ve also discovered the pleasures of outsourcing! As you know I’m all about easy entertaining (cook ahead, have plenty of cocktails handy, etc) I know I’m slow to learn some things, but the fact that a really great liquor store in Rome offers home delivery has been life changing. They even have my favorite brands of bourbon!

I also hired a caterer to cook for one of my parties, something I never do. What took me so long? Amanda whipped up a Vietnamese feast while I went out for a long walk and then took my time primping (I even did a facial mask).The entire experience made it feel as if I was being invited out, with the added pleasure I didn’t have to leave the house! Also? Vietnamese food!!

I can’t believe I have to take the tree down tomorrow. I’ll miss the twinkling lights. But I’ve completely embraced the entire Hygge thing of candles candles everywhere, and those will be staying lit throughout the house until things start to warm up. I think I’ve just about cornered the market Ikea candles.

My 'to do' list for the rest of the month is pretty long, and includes lots of new year's clearning up and cleaning out. My big goal is to clear out the storage space which is located in my office, under my desk. It's scary, but I know I can do it. Do you have plans like that for January? To clear out the clutter to make room for new projects?

What's New

Oh lord where to start? It seems like 2019 is off to a fast start with so much new it’s hard to decide where to begin.

I know I’ve been hinting at a special tour that will happen in July. While I usually take time off during the summer, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to offer a one time special tour with my old friend Elizabeth Gilbert. I first met Liz when she was researching Eat, Pray Love way back….oh god, how many years ago was it? 12 years ago? I remember reading an advance copy of the book and thinking “I think this will be popular.” Hah! Zillions of copies later….Is there anyone who hasn’t read or heard of it? Anyway, a lot has happened since then, and Liz has gone on to write many more books, including Big Magic, which details her creative process. During our 5 day retreat you’ll have the chance to work directly with Liz, during a workshop which explores creativity. And then have the chance to be inspired yourself, as we explore one of the most beautiful - and delicious - corners of Italy: Puglia. We will be based in two of my favorite hotels in Italy, one in Puglia and the other in Matera, in Basilicata. I haven’t published the tour on my website yet (so there is no link) since I wanted to offer the tour to my newsletter subscribers first. If you are interested in joining us, send me an email. Spaces are extremely limited, due to the hotels where we will be staying. I will immediately start a list in the order of who wrote first, but it may take me a week to confirm.

There are still 3 spots left in the Nose to Tail cooking in Rome with Melissa Clark (March 3-9). A lot of people have asked why we chose this topic for our week together. Yes, we could have just stuck to artichokes, gelato and pizza (and don’t worry there will be plenty of that too). But we wanted to also explore a side of Roman cooking that is not only fascinating to us, but one that is important to the the culinary and cultural traditions of Rome. And it’s a side of Rome that is in danger of dying out. So this is our way of planning a trip that helps support this delicious chapter of Rome’s history.

Melissa and I will be talking about this tour, and others we do together, in New York at the end of the month, at the New York Times Travel Show. On Sunday January 27, at 1pm we’ll be chatting about creating delicious culinary tours in Italy as a way to encourage sustainable tourism. We’ll both be signing books after the talk. And there will also be snacks! . And if you would like to join us for the Nose to Tail Cooking Week in Rome with Melissa Clark (March 3-9) email me for details.

What I'm Watching

One of the best things I saw last month was Bohemian Rhapsody. It was one of those movies that as soon as I excited the cinema I felt like turning around and going right back in to see it again. Even if you think you were never a Queen fan, believe me, you know every song and it will move you to tears.

I’m totally obsessed with the new Marie Condo reality TV show on Netflix.

OMG, OMG, OMG…we’re going back to Downtown Abbey!!!!

If you’re hungry AND ambitious then you might try your hand at making anolini, a meat stuffed pasta from Emilia Romangna.

What I'm Reading

I think this avocado thing has reached its silly limits.

I got an Instant Pot and while I love it, I also had a LOT of questions. This post answers ALL of them.

Thanks Livia for the list of best pizzerias in Rome!

Last month vandals came to our neighborhood and stole a local monument to holocaust victims. It was sad and horrible, but at least it brought out the best in our community.

What I'm Eating

I have a new favorite restaurant in Rome and it’s called Marigold. My friends Sofie and Domenico, who ran the pop up The Eatery for the last few years finally have a place of their own. It’s been open only 3 weeks, but I’ve managed to eat there 3 times already. I even celebrated my birthday there, with a private dinner. I’ll be writing up a longer review on the blog soon. The food reflects how the couple cooks: Domenico takes traditional , locally sourced and seasonal food and creates new dishes that are all his own. Never heavy, but always intensely satisfying. Sofie is baking - and selling - her fabulous sourdough bread, as well as dark grain bread and her addictive cinnamon rolls and cookies. (PS: Domenico and Sofie, and their recipes, are featured in my next book The Italian Table. )

Holidays were filled with food, of course. We were in Bari for Christmas and the 24th was especially fishy (I even braved making eels!).. On Christmas day we went 100% traditional with tortellini in brodo, but...it was the best brodo I EVER made since I used Melissa Clark's instant pot recipe for broth. I will never make it any other way ever again. New Years was Russian and I embraced it and made Shuba. While I loved this mash up of beets/herring and potatoes as it turned out my Russian guests were less thrilled and preferred the more staid Salat Olivier. I also turned the usually fresh-fruit-filled Pavlova (Russian name but 100% Australian) in a more wintery direction with chestnuts. I'll be writing that up soon too.

Even though brunch is not really a thing in Italy, here are some brunch ideas that are more or less Italian.

Where I am: Travels & Events

As I mentioned above I’ll be in New York at the end of the month for the New York Times Travel Show. If you’re not familiar with it, it’s the biggest travel show of it’s kind. It’s at the Jacob Javits Center and I’m really excited to be attending for the first time. If you are in the Travel industry, I’ll be participating in a panel discussion on Friday January 25 (11:15: Unique Culinary Experiences Around Europe). On Sunday January 27 at 1pm Melissa Clark and I will be on the Taste of the World Stage talking about creating sustainable tours through food. Friday is open to the travel industry only. Saturday and Sunday are open to the public. The price of a day pass is $20 and there will be loads of things to do and see, to research for your next trip. We’ll also be signing books after our talk (and there will be snacks!!)

I’m also gearing up for my tour for my new book The Italian Table. I’ll be on the road from mid April through Mid May and will be coming to New York, Boston, Providence, DC, LA, San Francisco, Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Louis. I’ll even be attending a literary festival in Little Rock! I’ve begun to post the events on this page of my website, and will be updating the page as I get more specific details about times, venues, etc.

And finally.....

Thanks Gustiamo for writing about Eating My Way Through Italy

Thanks NBC for including my recipe for Pistachio Pound Cake in your brunch roundup . Also? This may be the only time ever in my life my name appears in the same article with Snoop Dog.

Hope to see some of you in NYC later this month!!

x,e

Pre-order my next book:


The Italian Table: Creating Festive Meals for Families and Friends

This book will be published March 2019.