September 2023 News from Elizabeth
Spello, Porchetta & Goats
Hello from the last days of summer. Even though I’ve had a really long and restful summer, I’m still not quite ready to let it go. I was just chatting with Sophie about the fact that we both get that back-to-school feeling that mingles excitement and anxiety. I’m thrilled to get back to work, but at the same time do I really have to start wearing real clothes? Does anyone else feel the same way?
WHAT’S NEW
Sophie and I are busy getting ready to start up tours in this month. I’m currently in Sicily, based in Ortigia which feels like a second (third?) home at this point. The great advantage of coming back again and again to the same place is that I really do feel like I live here. I feel the same way about Parma, where I head to next.
Sophie still has one big trip left and is headed to New York this week and is really excited. Then it’s off to Puglia where she’ll be leading three weeks in the next couple of months.
We’ve slowly been announcing our new tours for 2024 through the premium newsletter. Our week in Puglia with Melissa Clark in March 2024 sold out immediately (if you’d like a chance for the next one make sure you are signed up for the Premium Newsletter). We do still have a few spots left for Puglia in the spring with Sophie and if you click below we can send you the brochure.
And you can check this page for any last minute openings and new tours as we post them.
WHERE I’VE BEEN
I was very happily in Umbria for almost 2 months , not going anywhere (except to Rome for the day to get my hair done!). For me this is actually a treat, since I travel so much during the rest of the year. But that’s not to say we haven’t taken day trips. Last week my sister and brother in law were visiting so we did a few more outings that usual. One of our favorites, which I 100% think you should do if you are in Umbria, is spend the day in Spello.
A DAY IN SPELLO
Spello is officially one of the most beautiful towns in Italy, and with good reason. The town is very well known for it’s yearly Infioriata which takes place every May. Locals pave the streets with fresh flower petals, forming amazing decorations.But this perfectly preserved town also has a yearly floral competition which means locals compete for keeping their windows, balconies, terraces and staircases adorned with pots full of flowering plants almost all year long. As you can imagine it’s incredibly charming.
You can definitely see Spello in a day, but it also seems a darling place to base yourself. Many of those flower be-decked buildings house holiday homes that are for rent. From Spello you can explore the rest of Umbria if you have a car.
Here is our itinerary for spending the day there:
Arrive in Spello. Park at the Public lot here. It is right next to the Villa degli Mosaici, which is a unique Roman villa that has been turned into a small museum. An incredible series of Roman mosaic floors are well worth taking the time to visit.
Santa Maria Maggiore - This is the major site in town and includes one of the most famous fresco cycles in the region. The Baglioni Chapel was painted by Pinturicchio in the 16th century and the three lunettes are extraordinary. Don’t miss the majolica floor from Deruta as well as the two paintings flanking the altar, which are masterpieces by Perugino. (Note: it closes at 12:15 so make sure you get there in time. Otherwise it reopens at 3:30)
Coffee: Bar Giardino Bonci: This lovely bar has an extraordinary terrace in the back looking over the entire valley. Great for a mid morning or after lunch coffee.
Explore: Depending on when you arrive and how you plan your day you can either take a walk through town before or after lunch. Head up the main street of Via Camillo Beno Conte di Cavour This then turns into Via Garibaldi, then into Via Torre Belvedere. Take a left on Via S. Severino and walk all the way to the top to see the Roman arch and great view. Then take a right back onto Via Torre Belvedere to come back down to the center of town. Along the way you’ll see many of the cute flower covered buildings.
Lunch: This past week we had lunch at Il Pinturicchio which was perfect. Classic home made pasta tossed with traditional sauces like truffles, ragu and wild boar. Another option that I love is La Cantina (closed Mondays) and for a very simple lunch Osteria de Dada’ is always great.
Shopping: Most of the shops are located along Via Camillo Beno Conte di Cavour/Via Garibaldi. Here are a few of my favorites:
Hispellium: A great place to pick up local cheeses, cured meats and especially beans and grains.
La Bottega degli Intreci: A clothing store that carries locally made linen items in the summer and cashmere in the winter. I got 2 fabulous scarves.
La Vetrina di Oro di Spello: This area of Umbria is famous for it’s snail recipes. But Oro di Spello is a local company that has transformed the power of snail slime into a wonderful line of skin products. Sounds strange but it’s definitely a thing.
Tessitura Pardi: One of my favorite Umbrian linen producers. Where I get all my tablecloths.
WHAT I’M READING
I’m so happy that two of my friends have new books out this month. Leah Koenig’s Portico looks at Roman Jewish Cooking so for those of you who have asked for a recipes like deep fried artichokes and zucchini blossoms, this one is for you. Skyler Mape’s The Olive Oil Enthusiast will answer all of your olive oil related questions, from tree to table, and also has some fantastic recipes.
My funnest summer read was The Housemaid. Pure suspense and it was perfect for poolside reading.
Very much looking forward to Stephen King’s Holly, out in October. If you know, you know.
Also on my to read list: Land of Milk and Honey, a kind of dystopian food world novel.
Lately American tourists have been complaining that Europeans don’t drink water. This is such a ridiculous issue that it’s hard to know where to begin. If you want to go down this damp rabbit hole here is a podcast to listen to.
Italy’s tourism ministry is under investigation for its botched ad campaign using Botticelli’s Venus as an influencer.
WHAT I’M EATING
Lately every time I go to the market in Umbria on Saturdays I seem to come home with porchetta. I’m not quite sure how that happens, but I’m not sad about it. I know many of you would like to be able to stop by a porchetta stand for a panino, but are far from any Italian markets. So I thought I’d share this version that is way too easy to make at home.
Porchetta at Home
The following recipe is my home version. A true porchetta contains the loin as well as the belly, but this recipe is pure belly. This not only ensures a tender, tasty outcome, but it also means that the entire roast will be cooked through, without any part drying out or remaining under-cooked.
The pork belly needs to marinate for a day before cooking and then it takes about seven hours to complete the process, so be sure to leave yourself plenty of time. And don’t worry too much about timing: in most parts of Italy porchetta is served at room temperature. So if you can let it cool off completely, or cool it and serve it it the next day even better!
Ingredients
7 pounds of pork belly with skin attached
1 cup of sage leaves
1 cup of rosemary leaves
6 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tablespoon of fennel seeds
zest from 1 lemon
3 teaspoons of salt
1 teaspoons of freshly ground black pepper (or more to taste)
5 tablespoons of olive oil
Instructions
Wash and pat dry your pork belly. Lay on a flat surface, with the skin side up. If the butcher has not scored the skin you can try to do it yourself (it is rather hard) or else use a very sharp knife to poke a lot of holes in the skin.
Place the remaining ingredients in a food processor and process until finely chopped.
Rub about half of the ingredients over the inside of the belly. Roll the roast up as tightly as you can, and using twine, secure it evenly along the entire length of the roast. If you've never done this before, you may need someone else to help hold it together.
When you have tied your roast, rub the rest of the seasoning all over the outside and both ends, as well as getting some into the slits on the skin.
Place the roast in a glass pan and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let sit in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
Take the roast out of the refrigerator 3 hours before you are ready to cook it.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Place the porchetta on a V-shaped rack in a pan and place in the oven. Let cook, undisturbed for three and a half hours.
Take the porchetta out of the oven and let cool at least 2 hours before cutting and serving. In most parts of Italy (Abruzzo excepted) porchetta is served cool or at room temperature. So if you can let it cool off even more, or cool it and serve it the next day, even better.
To cut the porchetta use a slightly serrated knife, which will help you cut through the skin. I've actually used an electric knife, which works quite well or a bread knife. Cut into half inch slices.
AND FINALLY A FEW MORE TIPS:
We are always getting questions about where to stay in Puglia. Sophie just came back from a fantastic week in Puglia and stayed at 2 properties managed by her friend Valentina. She stayed part of the time in an apartment in Gallipoli and part of the time in a masseria in the countryside. She loved both and you can find all of the properties here.
Looking for an agriturismo in Umbria? Last week we spent the morning with our friends at Fattoria Ma’Falda near Todi learning all about goat cheese (and eating some too). They have four lovely apartments for rent that are perfect for anyone looking for a true farm experience. The bonus? Fresh goat cheese , lots of cute goats and plenty of darling dogs.
x,Elizabeth
Putting Spello on my list! My summer was unbelievably quick, too, but I just landed in Italy and I am on the hunt for fresh figs.
Grazie mille Elizabeth. Great newsletter.