January 2022 News from Elizabeth
Happy New Year!! I hope you had a good holiday season, and were able to spend time with family and friends. I was lucky enough to have my sister and her family here and after so long it was great to be together. I have to say it was a learning curve once again to plan meals for a big group, but it was worth it.
Now I’m settling down into my January routines, which I always love. Rome is gorgeous this time of year (it’s my favorite month) and I’m so happy to be here all month long. It gives me time to focus on new work projects, but also I have HUGE ambitions for getting several closets cleared out. I know a lot of people do spring cleaning, but January has always been my month to get rid of stuff. Did you know there was actually an old tradition in the south to literally throw stuff out the window on New Year’s Eve? I remember when I first went down to Bari with Domenico and he said we had to stay inside as the clock struck midnight to avoid people throwing old toilets and other appliances out the window. So be careful is you walk by my house or you might be hit in the head with a massive stack of old New Yorkers.
Although I’m not big on resolutions, one thing I’m back to is my daily walks. I got kind of lazy over the holidays. But I realized that if I walked with a purpose or destination, then my walk is much more likely to happen. So every day I walk with one thing in mind: coffee. I’m trying to hit a different bar every day. One that is hopefully a convenient 5000 steps from my desk. There and back. I can do it.
WHAT’S NEW
Even though we don’t have any tours until mid- March, I’m still busy planning and organizing for the rest of the year. This is when I confirm hotels, book restaurants and plan delicious meals. I actually love all this organizational stuff, and am a total spread sheet nerd.
I’m currently making the final plans for our Easter Week in Sicily in April. Since it’s a holiday week I’m able to plan a few things that only take place that time of year. For instance traditionally on Easter Monday (Pasquetta) Italians head out into the countryside for a picnic. So I’ll be taking our group to visit our friend Giuseppe at his gorgeous farm where he has a special day planned for us. I’ve just had 3 spots open for this week, April 17-23, 2022, if you’d like to join us. Just send me an email for details.
I’ve also been working with my friend Evan Kleiman on our Week in Umbria in June. I’m SO excited to be touring again with Evan. Also, it’s the first time I’m doing an Umbrian tour in June, which means great weather. The days are sunny, but not too hot, and the evenings are definitely warm enough to eat outside. Evan cooking dinner at my villa under the pergola is on our list of activities, as is an entire day at my friend Laura and Jim’s estate Podere Calzone. We’ll be touring their vineyard, learning how to cook from an Umbrian Nonna and maybe even go for a dip in their fabulous infinity pool. Let me know if you’d like to join us, since there are only a few spots left. Send me an email for details.
I’m also doing a new Umbria tour with my sister: Spring in Umbria May 22-28. My sister Robin has her own tour company in New York, but is going to join me in Italy as we enjoy Springtime in Umbria. You know all those photos I take of our garden covered in wisteria and roses? This is the time of year that it all springs to life. I’m also super excited to be spending a day at my neighbor Patrizia’s home amid her gorgeous garden. Patrizia is not only my neighbor, but a author and wonderful cook. Her book Rosemary and Bitter Oranges is a wonderful memoir of her life growing up on the Tuscan coast. We’ll be spending the day with her cooking some of her favorite recipes. Let me know if you’d like to hear more. There are a few spots left.
The rest of our Spring 2022 tours are full, but I will be adding one more tour to Puglia in the spring. The details will go out next week, to Premium subscribers first.
You can find the full schedule for the rest of our tours in 2022 and 2023 here.
WHAT I’M READING
I’ve always been a fan (and friend) of David Lebovitz, so I’m very happy to hear he’s moving over to Substack too. Here’s his latest on looking for a new apartment in Paris. (I signed up for the paid subscription since it’s a way to support a fellow food writer. Plus extra recipes.)
Remember when Food52 started out as just another food blog? It just got an investment of $80 million.
I love the fact that Italian prisons train inmates to be in the food industry. Here’s a very sweet Panettone story from Elisabetta Povoledo.
WHAT I’M WATCHING
Now that I’ve figured out we can watch British detective shows through my VPN /Hulu set up, there is an entirely new world open up to us. Our current favorite is DCI Banks. He’s kind of like Harry Bosch, but in the middle of the English countryside and also with incredibly tailored suits. I love the fact that there are strong women characters.
Is everyone else hating the SATC reboot as much as we are? Are you hate watching it? But can’t stop?
WHERE I’VE BEEN
While my sister and her family were here for the holidays we decided to go up to Florence for two nights. We stayed in the completely restored Il Tornabuoni. Some of you may remember the original Tornabuoni Beacci hotel? It’s been completely gutted and redesigned and is now a fabulous 5 star hotel in a great location on Via Tornabuoni. The style is modern and warm, but also with original touches like artworks of birds and monkeys. Or, if you’re lucky to get one of the suites you may have original frescoes or a view to the piazza. One nice touch is that some of the rooms are huge with two queen size beds. I can’t wait to go back in the warm weather when the rooftop Butterfly Terrace opens. Seems like it’s the perfect place for cocktails, but I have to say we loved getting cozy in the bar on the ground floor. I would definitely recommend this hotel if you are looking for a centrally located, luxury, modern hotel in the center of Florence.
Other things we did in Florence:
Had great dinners at Ristorante del Fagioli and Coco Lezzone.
Amazing panini, as always, at Semel
Cocktails both nights at the bar at I Tornabuoni
Lovely afternoon visit to Palazzo Davanzati
Shopping at my favorite ceramic shop Sbigoli
Bought gifts at best candy store ever Migone
WHAT I’M DRINKING
I know you probably don’t want to hear this, but I am definitely doing my version of Dry January. While I love my evening cocktail, I also know that sometimes my body says ‘take a break.’ The main reason I do this is because I know I sleep better. Sad but true. But the deep, continuous sleep I get when I skip the Negroni (or Martini, or Mahattan or…) is heavenly. So there is a pay off.
But I most definitely do NOT give up aperitivi time. Sitting with Domenico in our pink chairs at the end of the day is one of my favorite moments. Sometimes we chat, or sometimes we just look at our phones. But it’s a moment of transition from from work to evening that I look forward to. I’m still making Domenico is cocktail du jour, but mine is more of a mocktail. Actually mocktail-ish, or mocktail-adjacent. Because it does have a smidgen of Campari. Just enough to make me feel it’s a grown up moment. Also the Campari add that gem like color . Here’s the recipe in case you liked to join me.
PS: Carrot sticks and pickles are, for the month of January, playing the role formally preformed by potato chips and taralli.
Bitter Citrus Mocktail
1 Tablespoon of Campari
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 half inch slice of orange
Sparkling water
ice
Angustura Bitters
In your prettiest rocks glass pour the Campari and lemon juice. Add the orange slice, squeezing it slightly as you put it in the glass. Add sparkling water about half way up the glass, then fill with ice. Top with a generous sprinkling of Angostura bitters. Stir slightly so the bitters sink a bit.
You can play around with the citrus slice: I often like to add grapefruit instead, or clementine.
That’s it for now! I hope you have a nice slow January and you are able to dedicate a bit of time to yourself. Remember: take walks. And have a goal. Even if that goal is a macchiato.
x,Elizabeth