December News from Elizabeth in Rome

Elizabeth Minchilli
EATING MY WAY THROUGH ITALY

December 2020 Newsletter

I’m baaaack!

After spending the last 9 months up in Umbria I finally decided it was time to come back to Rome. If you’ve been following this story, you may remember that we moved up to our country home last February, just as things were starting to shut down. And then, when the real lockdown arrived, we were very glad to be there. When restrictions finally started to lift, I could have come back to Rome, but by then it was Spring and then Summer and Fall and having the possibility to stay in the countryside during those beautiful seasons seemed like the right thing to do. Also, I had my vegetable garden to tend to!

But during the last few weeks, as the days started to shorten and especially when the sun began setting at what seemed the middle of the afternoon (is it time for a cocktail yet?) , I started to reconsider things. Also? Winter has always been my favorite season in Rome. The short dark days are more than offset by Christmas lights. And while much remains closed and gathering with friends is not easy, it’s still great to be back in a real city.

During the last 9 months I began to wonder if indeed I was becoming a country girl, preferring quiet and nature to city life. After 3 days back in Rome I can definitely say I am still a city person. At least the current version of the city. Except for a flock of squawking parrots that have taken up residence on the roof next door, my neighborhood is deadly quiet. I’ve kept to my tradition and am taking long walks in the late afternoons. I barely run into anyone. Yes, it is definitely weird. But it is also wonderful. I’m not sure if it has been time spent away from Rome, or the simple fact that Rome is completely empty, but I am seeing it again as I did when I first moved here when I was 12 years old. It’s as if the city has gone back in time.

I know the city won’t stay this way for long and I’m of course saddened to see so many stores and restaurants closing. But as always, I’m trying to see the bight side and live in the moment. And this moment in time means soaking up as much of this beautiful city as I can, at this particular moment in history.

What's New

Although I’ve always been optimistic about the future of travel in 2021 I’m even more so this morning, as I write this newsletter. The UK has just announced they will begin vaccines next week, and it looks as if the USA won’t be far behind. The new administration ( I LOVE saying those words!!) is already hard at work with an actual plan. And Delta has just announced they are going to start quarantine-free flights again between the States and Rome. For now it’s limited to those with a reason to come (i.e. not tourists yet) but the system they are putting in place (with mandatory testing at both ends) is one that will provide a blueprint for the future.

I also believe the type of tours that Sophie and I do - small groups to out of the way places - is the exact type of travel that was made for our new era. Evidently CNN thinks so too. They recently wrote this article on the hotel where we will be staying in Abruzzo. I’ll be there in June, for our Culinary and Creative Retreat, with cookbook author and radio host Evan Kleiman. I hope you can join us. Let me know if you’d like more details.

There has also been a focus on 'regenerative tourism.' heading to smaller less crowded locations and practicing a type of tourism that leaves a place better than it started rather than taking away from it. We'll be visiting places like Monopoli and Lecce in Puglia during our week in July, immersing ourselves in the local culture. Let me know if this sounds good to you.

And the rest of our tours will continue as well. We’ll be leading tours to Umbria, Parma and Sicily as well as Abruzzo and Puglia in 2021 and 2022. If you’re getting the itch to travel as much as me, then have a look at our upcoming schedule here. Or else send me an email and I’ll send you the brochures.

What I'm Reading

I just finished the new Tana French book The Searcher. If you like dark and wet, then this is for you.

I’ve long been a fan of Priya Krishna’s recipes published online. Her book, Indian-ish, is fantastic. Not just for the recipes, but she is a hilarious writer. I love her style and sense of humor. Also, all of her recipes are super easy and delicious.

Did you know about the whole chicken washing controversy?

If you’re not really into Gingerbread houses, how about a prosciutto cabin? (yes, I'm turning into my mother)

What I'm Hearing

While I love taking long walks, if I have a good podcast to listen to, then I can keep walking for hours. Here are some of my recent finds:

Dr. Death made me gasp out loud while I was listening to it (thank you Gillian for pointing me to this one)

The Crown: The Official Podcast - because we all have so many questions.

That’s Messed Up: An SVU Podcast - If you are as obsessed with Law & Order SVU as we are this is for you.

What I'm Eating

That's our Thanksgiving Dinner above. And yes, there were a few leftovers. But that's ok because this recipe for Stuffing Dumpling Soup may have been even better than the original meal.

Fennel is always on heavy rotation this time of year. I have this Fennel and Orange salad about every other day, and also love it in soups and in pasta.

Have you ever wondered what to do with fresh persimmons (other than just eat them?) Here is a great recipe for Persimmon Tiramisu to make quickly before the season ends.

Who doesn’t love pumpkin risotto?

What I'm Drinking

As the weather turns colder my mind turns to brown spirits. Which basically means bourbon. There is something about the buttery taste of bourbon that just seems festive to me. Here is my recipe for a Manhattan, including my specific choices for spirits and garnish

Manhattan
2 oz. Makers Mark or Woodford Reserve Bourbon
1 tsp cherry syrup (from Amarene Fabbri)
2 Cherries (Amarena Fabbri)
Splash of Sweet vermouth, (Carpano Antica Formula)
A few dashes of either Fee Brothers Cardamom or Black Walnut Bitters.
2 Cherries (Amarena Fabbri)


Pour Bourbon into a shaker. Add cherry syrup and vermouth. Add 2 cubes of ice and stir until well chilled.
Strain into martini glass. Add the cherries and the bitters.

Another favorite holiday drink is this recipe for Bourbon Milk Punch.

And in case you missed it, here is a video of the Blonde Negroni from last month.

And finally.....

Is anyone else using TikTok? As far as I can tell it’s the place where if you are an obsessed cat person it’s seen as normal. Anyway, if you are, and would like to follow me, you can find me there as @elizabeth_minchilli . I’m just warning you: there is definitely kitty content.

And if you’re looking for that perfect gift for your loved ones, here are three ideas.

And finally, I just wanted to let everyone know that the portion size of pasta has gone back to 100 grams instead of the entire pack per person. (Sorry, you will only understand this is you )

I hope you have a good holiday season. This year will be different for sure. And if we can't be with each other in real life, at least we have this virtual friendship which is pretty great too.

x,Elizabeth

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