April 2025: News from Elizabeth
Asparagus, Snacking in Palermo, and Almond Lemon pasta
It’s begun again—wild asparagus season is upon us. Or, as Sophie puts it, “Your obsession has started again.” Actually, I can’t remember if she said obsession or addiction. Does it really matter?
In the last week here in Umbria, I’ve spent at least four hours a day roaming the woods with my trusty asparagus picker, foraging for those elusive, thin spears.
As happens every year, my enthusiasm knows no bounds. I’ve told Domenico at least five times a day, “There are more asparagus than any other year!” To which he, without fail, replies, “You say that every year.”
So, what’s the deal with my asparagus picking? I had a realization yesterday: it has very little to do with the asparagus itself. Sure, I love them, but they’re hardly my favorite vegetable. In fact, they rank pretty low on the list of things I’d take to a desert island.
What I’m truly addicted to is the act of foraging.
Something happens when I’m in the woods alone, my entire focus locked onto spotting those hidden stalks. My brain switches off, and with each spear I find, I get an endorphin rush—a tiny, joyful reward. Then comes the deep satisfaction of knowing my freezer is stocked with food I gathered and processed myself. No store, no money exchanged. Just me and nature. And I can’t get enough of that.
Do you have an activity that brings you this kind of zen-like bliss? Also, does anyone need some wild asparagus?
WHAT’S NEW
As you know from yesterday’s newsletter, we just launched our newest itinerary—Via Rosa is now leading weeklong food explorations in Sardinia!
We’ve been working on this tour for the last two years. And when I say we, I really mean Sophie. She’s been traveling to Sardinia for years, dreaming of crafting a tour that brings together everything she loves about the island. It took time to narrow down exactly what she wanted to share, but as always, our tours are about the people we meet and the food they share. You can read all about it here. And if you can’t join us this fall, not to worry—we’ll be announcing more Sardinia dates for next year very soon! (make sure you are subscribed to the Premium version of this newsletter to be the first to hear about it).
Speaking of new tours, we’ve been chatting with some of our guest hosts about creating itineraries inspired by their own heritage and passions. For instance, our recent tour with Meryl Feinstein focused on pasta in Puglia, while our upcoming tour with Zoë François is all about desserts in Sicily. One of our new hosts has family roots in Basilicata, and another’s mother is from Campania—so those regions are definitely calling our name. Stay tuned!
Right now, I’m writing this from our dining room table in Umbria. And if you’d like to join me at this table next November, you can! Our Umbria tour is the only one Sophie and I host together, and the only one where I can actually welcome you into my home. The welcome dinner happens right here, and for the rest of the week, Sophie and I will show you everything we love about this region. As a final nudge—November is peak season for freshly pressed olive oil and truffles. Just saying.
WHAT I’M READING
I’m always glad to hear that coffee is good for me.
I’m still waiting for an invitation to ride one of those fancy Orient Express trains. But in the meantime, here are 5 extremely affordable rides that have spectacular views.
Via Rosa guest host Justine Doiron was profiled in the New York Times!!! Brava!!
On the book front, I am finally on the very last (for now) book by Sarah J. Maas. It’s been a long journey. The 5-volume A Court of Thorns and Roses, the 8-volume Throne of Glass, and now, finally, I am on the final volume of the Crescent City trilogy (I did NOT see that twist coming!). It will be weird not having this fairy-filled world to dive into, but I’m prepared. Here follows the books I already have pre-loaded into my Kindle to help me with withdrawal:
Liz Moore: The God of the Woods
Martin Griffin: The Last Visitor
Gillian McAlister: Famous Last Words
Daniel Mason: The Piano Tuner
WHERE I’VE BEEN
I was in Palermo last week with our group and was reminded—yet again—what an incredible city it is for snacking. You’d think that leading a food tour would leave no extra room for snacks, but where there’s a will, there’s a way. Anytime I had a free moment and even the slightest hint of hunger, I made a beeline for one of my favorite bites.
In case you ever find yourself wandering Palermo with a craving, here are a few of my go-to spots. These places are scattered throughout the city, all recommended by locals. While they each serve a variety of things, every Palermitano knows that each spot has one thing it’s best known for.
(Note: This list doesn’t include the famous spots serving pane ca meusa—a hearty sandwich that, in my opinion, is a full meal, not a snack. That deserves a post of its own. But for now, happy snacking!)
I Cuochini (Via Ruggiero Settimo 68) – My go-to for calzoni stuffed with anchovy and tomato.
Bar Rosanero (Piazzetta Porta Reale 6) – Fantastic arancine.
Antica Friggitoria dal 1946 (Via Palmieri 4) – Best for panelle (chickpea fritters) and crocchette (fried potato balls).
Panificio Graziano (Via Granatiere 11/13) – The place for sfincione, Sicily’s take on pizza by the slice.
WHAT I’M EATING
Since I was missing Sicily, I decided to make myself a big bowl of pasta—one I first had there 10 years ago. I was at a flour mill, learning how to make bussiate, those little curly-cue pasta shapes that are perfect for this dish. The sauce—if you can even call it that—is barely a sauce at all. Instead, it clings to the pasta’s nooks and crannies, coating each bite with toasted almonds.
If you can’t find bussiate, fusilli or corkscrews work just as well. Luckily, my friend Tania (who owns the cutest shop across the street from me in Rome) gifted me a huge bag of lemons from her garden, and I had some almonds I’d brought back from Sicily.
If this dish seems too simple, that’s exactly the point. Don’t be tempted to add extra ingredients to "spice it up"—you’ll lose the subtlety of the delicate flavors that make it so unmistakably Sicilian.
Pasta with Almonds & Lemon
Serves 4-5
Ingredients:
1/3 cup olive oil
3/4 cup raw, peeled almonds, roughly chopped
Zest of 2 lemons
1/2 kilo (1 pound) bussiate (or fusilli/corkscrew pasta)*
Squeeze of lemon juice
1/2 cup grated pecorino
Instructions:
In a large sauté pan (big enough to hold the pasta later), heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the almonds and toast until just golden. Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon zest.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente.
Turn the heat back on under the sauté pan and add a ladleful of pasta water. Add the drained pasta and stir, letting the flavors meld.
Turn off the heat, add a squeeze of lemon juice and the grated pecorino, then toss to combine.
Plate, drizzle with a swirl of olive oil, and serve.
*I love this brand of bussiate, and it’s produced by the flour mill in Sicily where I first learned how to make this pasta.
AND FINALLY…
In case you missed it:
Sophie had a great time chatting with The New Roman Times about tours and living in Rome.
AFAR magazine turned toSophie for advice about how to experience Rome like a local.
I hope you all have a good month. Hopefully spring it springing where ever you are. And let me know if you find any wild asparagus. I’ll be right over.
x,Elizabeth
I echo you sentiment around the feeling that foraging gives you...solace and peace in nature and the abundance I feel when I cook and eat what I have foraged! I am addicted as well!! It is one of my FAVORITE things! Every season I have different things I forage and I have been watching for the wild asparagus to pop...could be any day now here in the foothills of Nor Cal.
I just finished "The Leopard" on Netflix and am ready to pack my bags for Sicily! I think I would love foraging but the only thing in my suburban neighborhood I see a lot of is purslane and I worry it's a frequent target of the many dogs being walked around here. The woods would be "cleaner"!