March 2023 News from Elizabeth

Sicily, Oranges and Travel Books

Mar 6, 2023

Sophie and I started out the month in Sicily. We’ve been eating our way through Eastern Sicily for the last few years and decided it was time to explore the western part of the island. Many other Sicily tours try to take in everything during one jam-packed 10-day trip, making a bit circular trip around the island. Since changing hotels every night or two is not our thing, we craft trips where we stay in once place and really take the time to dig deep into the culture. I mean it’s great to tick things off a list, but you also need some down time to absorb what you’ve seen and put it in context. With this in mind we decided to base ourselves in Palermo.

Since this is the first new trip we have planned since the 2020, Sophie and I had a lot of long talks about what kind of trips we want to craft. We realized that the challenge is not finding great things to do, see and eat. Just the oppisite. The challenge is narrowing things down. We only spent 4 nights in Sicily but we experienced so many things we’d love to share, that now we have an overabundance of riches. How to choose?

At the end of the day what guides us is planning trips full of fun things that we ourselves like to do. We don’t think: What will our guests like? We selfishly think: What do we really want to do? Not surprisingly this naturally revolves around the culture of food. But more than that : what really gets us going and fills our hearts is getting to know the people that preserve traditional ways of doing things. Whether it is a farmer making cheese, an elderly woman making almond cookies, a cannoli bought by the side of the road, or an artisan making a hat - each person has unique a unique story to tell and hearing them in person is one of the greatest privileges we can think of. This is the kind of experiences we love, and the ones we hope to share

WHAT’S NEW

Although we are working on our Palermo-based Sicily tour, you won’t be able to join us until at least next year. Sorry! It takes a long time to make it perfect! In the meantime we still have a few spots left for our Sicily tour in September 2023. This week is a collaboration with our friend Dr. Annie Fenn. Annie, the host of this tour, is a physician and chef who founded the Brain Health Kitchen. Her website, school and book is an evidence-based resource about how and what to eat to resist cognitive decline. Naturally the Mediterranean diet and lifestyle features largely, and our Ortigia based tour offers the perfect way to explore brain health while having fun and tasting your way through this part of Sicily. The trip takes place September 10-16, 2023. We only have five spots left, so send an email if you’d like to receive the brochure.

Most of our tours for 2024 are already sold out, but we do still have a few spots left for Week in Puglia & Basilicata with Sophie March 11-15, 2024. During this 5-day trip you’ll be based in Bari, exploring both the city and its traditional foods (Focaccia, the Pasta Ladies, and more) , as well as taking day trips into the surrounding farmland and down the coast. And you’ll also be spending a full day in the unique UNESCO town of Matera, which is a highlight of this trip. You can read more about it here, or send us an email to receive the brochure.

I’ll be posting new tours for 2024 next week via my Premium Newsletter. Since these tours sell out very quickly, to be able to grab a spot, make sure you are signed up for the paying Premium version.

UPGRADE TO PREMIUM

***Last Minute Opening*** Due to a cancellation we have two spots available for a Week in Puglia with Sophie May 7-13, 2023. During this week you’ll spend 3 nights in Lecce, and 3 nights in Monopoli, allowing you to visit two very different parts of Puglia. You can read more about it here, or else send us an email to receive the brochure

WHAT I’M READING

While planning our trips to Sicily I find myself reading and rereading the following books:

Speaking of reading lists: Would you be interested if I pulled together favorite books about Italy on Good Reads? Based on different regions or cities? If yes, make sure you’re following me.

As someone who drank many a Bullshot in her 20's, and now drinks very dirty martinis, I'm definitely trying this recipe for Chicken Soup Martini. Who's with me?

Everyone is talking about the new ‘olive oil coffee’ from Starbucks. What most of the articles (like this one ) about Oleato, fail to explain is that this is not coffee with olive oil, (which could have been interesting ) but is instead coffee drinks made with an emulsified plant-based milk. Almost all plant based milks have some sort of fat in them. In this case it's oat milk made with olive oil. In other words: a highly processed ingredient that is not really that new. Whether or not it actually tastes like olive oil? I don't know. I'll have to wait until they open the Starbucks in Rome. (Or not?) Also: the name they chose, Oleato, just sounds disgusting in Italian. It’s like going up to the counter and saying “I’d like an Oily please.’ I mean, yuck!

On the other hand, I would definitely buy a candle that smelled like a pot full of boiling pasta.

Next time I’m visiting my sister in Westchester I want play with goats and gather maple syrup.

This article made me want to spend an entire day in Rome’s neighborhood of EUR.

Currently reading, and loving the newest from Barbara Kingsolver, the coming of age story Demon Copperhead. What should I read next? (please leave comments below).

WHAT I’M EATING

While Sophie and I were down in Sicily we ate a LOT of food, all in the name of research. Since Palermo is known for street food, we of course ate our weight in fried pannelle (chickpea flower fritters), arancini (fried rice balls) and pan ca meusa (an offal filled panino). Not the lightest food, but hey, some one has to do it. ;)

The one thing we made sure to order every time we saw it on a menu (which was often) was salad made with oranges. This time of year the oranges were often paired with fennel, but I also love it when paired with red onions, especially when blood oranges are in season (which is now). Simply peel the orange (1 per person) and use a paring knife to remove the white pith. Slice the fruit into half inch disks and arrange on a plate. Top with thinly sliced red onion, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and enjoy! (It also works with pink grapefruit.)

Speaking of the combination of fruit and salt, we had a lovely tasting at the salt flats just north of Marsala. Chunks of pineapple were laid on top of a bed of rock salt for about a half hour. They picked up just enough saltiness to bring out the sweetness of the fruit. We also had the first strawberries of the season topped with orange zest salt, which was brilliant. The variations on this theme seem endless and I’ll certainly be trying them.