May 2022 News from Elizabeth

Carbonara, Caves and Hikes

Someone recently forwarded me my own Newsletter from May 2020. It’s hard to believe what we all have lived through in the last two years. And also hard to believe it’s been two years. It was very odd to read something I wrote from only 24 months ago because so much in the world has changed.

But this week marks some pretty important steps back towards normalcy for Italy. The state of emergency is now officially over and while there are still some restrictions in place, Italy is no longer divided into different colored zones, nor are masks required in places like restaurants, bars and stores. I have to admit that going into my bar this morning, without digging through my purse to find my mask felt very odd. Walking in and smiling at my barista? I felt naked. But since Italy is about 85% vaccinated, I feel very good about these steps forward. Also? I had kind of forgotten how much pleasure I get smiling at people and being smiled back at in return. This simple act, once taken for granted but never again, gave me a rush of emotions I hadn’t expected.

That’s the good part. The flip side of all this opening up is the trouble I’m having with the seemingly overnight increase in tourists in Rome. I knew it was going to happen. In fact I prayed that it would happen since tourists coming to Italy is what I make my living from. But just as I had somehow blanked out about my feelings in my newsletter from two years ago, I also had forgotten just how fragile a city like Rome is, and how quickly it can feel overwhelmed. I have to admit that I got very used to having the city to myself. The days of taking my daily walks past the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps and the Pantheon are now a full contact sport.

But Rome is big enough, and I have been including other neighborhoods - like Piazza Vittorio and the Aventino - on my routes. And also heading way off the beaten tourist track to places like Umbria, Sicily and Puglia for my tours, which makes more sense now than ever.

WHAT’S NEW

Sophie’s new trip to Puglia was a great success! As I’ve mentioned before, since there is such a huge demand for our tours, Sophie and I have decided to each launch some new tours on our own. As much as we love being with each other, we realize that this is the best way to be able to spend as much time with all of you as possible. The past week’s trip in Puglia was Sophie’s first solo and it was a huge success! It’s not simply a repeat of our Puglia tour that divides our time between Lecce and Monopoli. Instead Sophie’s tour is based in Bari and is only 5 nights, rather than 6. This means that not only do our guests get a chance to really know Bari, it also allows for visits to some of our favorite spots further north, including Matera in Basilicata. Sophie and her guests spent a full day in Matera, exploring this UNESCO Word Heritage Site and then had a candle lit lunch in in one of the most beautiful spaces in Italy: Sextantio. I’ll be posting our new dates for this tour next week, via the Premium Newsletter. So make sure you are signed up, so you don’t miss out.

I’ve also been very busy, and spent two full weeks in Sicily (I know, it’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it). I had back to back tours, which I usually don’t do. But since I’m still playing catch up with 2020/2021 it was the only way to do it. And I had a blast. Not only did I have two great groups, I also had a lovely weekend on my own in Ortigia, exploring places I usually don’t have time for. One of my great discoveries was this totally fabulous hiking trail just outside of town that runs on top of the cliffs along the ocean. I took a four hour hike and basically had the place to myself. I will definitely be recommending this hike to our guests to explore during their downtime.

I’m now getting ready for 3 Week-long tours up in Umbria over the next two months. As you can see above, it’s one of the most beautiful times of the year up there. We still have a few spaces left for our May 22-28 with me and my sister and June 12-18 Week wit me and Evan Kleiman if you feel like hopping on a plane to join us. Send me an email for details.

I’ve just finalized the dates for a bunch of new tours for 2023 which I’ll be posting in the Premium Newsletter next week. We’ve also got a few private tours organized for 2022. If you have a group of 10-12 friends and would like to book your own private week, we can do that too. Just send me an email and I can send you more information.

WHAT I’M READING AND WATCHING

I loved Jennifer Egan’s The Candy House. It’s not really the kind of book I usually enjoy, since it was written in a way that is definitely ‘challenging’. It’s more a collection of short vignettes that are only passingly related to each other. But I found it a compelling read and beautifully crafted

Based on the fact that I’d just finished The Candy House Amazon decided I would enjoy The Verifiers. It’s definitely ‘of the moment’ with a murder mystery set amid the online dating world. It hasn’t grabbed me yet, but I’m going to give it a go. Will let you know.

Loved this article on one of my all time favorite guides to Florence.

My current catch-up watching is Girls. Somehow I missed out on this cultural moment. If nothing else I love watching both Lena Dunham and Adam Driver act.

I wish I liked Julia more. I was all set to devour it, but I keep falling asleep. That’s not good. This is a great article about Judith Jones.

I watched the first episode of Stanley Tucci and loved the fact that he headed outside of central Venice and into the lagoon. I also loved seeing my friend Andrea di Robilant pop up! If you haven’t read his books you should.

Wondering what to bring back as a gift from Italy? Here is a great list of things small enough to pack in your carry on.

WHAT I’M EATING

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve told people my patented ‘know it all’ voice:

• If you are going to make Carbonara, serve it right way.

• No, you can’t make Cabonara ahead and reheat it.

• Leftover Carbonara is not a ‘good thing’

NEWSFLASH: I was wrong. Yesterday Sophie , as part of her virtual book tour, was doing a zoom interview for a TV station in the USA to promote her book. Since the TV segment was only 4 minutes long, this meant we had to prepare various stages of carbonara to make it appear seamless. It all went very well, but at the end we were left with two very large portions of Carbonara that neither of us wanted to eat in the middle of the afternoon. So….I turned them into pasta al forno kind of by accident. And it was amazing!!

Carbonara al Forno

Just follow this carbonara recipe, then toss the finished pasta with a bit of olive oil. Just enough to keep it from getting sticky and drying out. Generously oil an oven dish, and dump the past in. At this point you can either keep it at room temp for an hour, or else place in the fridge for a day. Preheat oven to 350F/180C and bring the pasta to room temp. Sprinkle very generously with grated parmigiano and place in oven until the top is as crusty and browned as you want it to be. I mean really. Look at this photo. If this becomes a trend, remember you heard it here first.

AND FINALLY….

Melissa Clark’s take on Sophie’s Torta Rustica.

Chrissy Teigen took inspiration from Sophie’s new book for hosting a Dolce Far Niente Aperitivo and living a slower life.

Listen to Sophie chat about her book with Cookery by the Book

Listen to Sophie on the Cooking with Bruce and Mark Podcast

Here is Sophie making Amatriciana for WGNTV in Chicago via the miracle of a slightly glitchy internet connection.

And tune in on Friday May 6 at 2pm EST to watch Sophie and I talk about Italian Lifestyle and cooking as part of the Montclair Literary Festival. Follow this link to register (it’s free!)

Good news: Sophie’s book did so well it sold out in about 3 hours on Amazon. More good news: it looks like they have already gotten more copies in.

I hope you are enjoying May where ever you are. I’m here in Rome for the next few days, very much enjoying the view out my office door onto the terrace. I hope you’ve got some spring blossoms going as well.

x,Elizabeth