Learn how to cook, to drink, to eat…in “green” paradise

Posted on March 29, 2016 by nontouristytourist

Screen Shot 2016-04-29 at 09.02.33 It’s called “Food & Drink Sensorial Cooking Seminar” .
Four (or six, for the luckier ones) days at the Agriturismo Podere Santo Stefano,Tuscany. In the middle of a breathtaking landscape, located in the heart of the Maremma, the italian sommelier Diana Zerilli among other Chefs, will hosts a guided seminar that includes: cooking lessons, tasting of the prepared plates, combination food & drink, Maremma’s extravirgin olive oil tasting, guided tour of the wine cellar and the oil mill in addition to Dinner with special menu combined with oil tasting. dieta-mediterranea.jpg-ok The lessons, who’s topics are Tuscany cuisine
Hand made pasta, Game, and Middle age cuisine, will take place from 10.00 a.m. to 12.30 a.m. – lunch break – than from 2.30 p.m. to 4.30 p.m. Screen Shot 2016-04-29 at 09.03.18 At the end of the course you will receive a participation certificate
and the recipes of the different prepared plates.
This is the perfect place to spend a relaxing holiday,
nearby very interesting and cultural places.
Daily fee: 380 € ( includes accommodation, international breakfast buffet, cooking lessons, wine tasting, welcome dinner, certificate.) vino Daily fee without seminar participation: 150 € ( includes accommodation, international breakfast buffet, wine tasting). Minimum participants : 4 persons. Payment: 50% at registration, 50% on the 1st seminar day. Screen Shot 2016-04-29 at 09.01.01 May 6/8, June 24/26, July 16/18, Aug 12/14, Sept 23/25
.For information, dates and registrations: zerillisommelier@gmail.com.
Ph + 39 345.38.91.151

Chic, Tasty & Sparkling? Berlucchi Lounge at Duomo !

Posted on March 28, 2016 by nontouristytourist

Milan, April 6th Berlucchi from 7.30 pm at Mercato Duomo IMG_9347 copy
Davide Oltolini will host a wine tasting featuring the classic
Brut, Rosee and Saten Franciacorta Berlucchi ’61,
and including the new Nature, with five exquisite dishes large tapas like, IMG_9337 copy spanning from cold cuts, to veggies, to cheeses that representing
the Italian excellence in the world of gastronomy. IMG_9344 copy The event will take place in the beautiful Franciacorta Lounge
right on Piazza Duomo. IMG_9348 copy IMG_9345 copy 35 Euros IMG_9336 copy

THE SWEETEST DOVES COME FROM ITALY!

Posted on March 17, 2016 by nontouristytourist

A delicious colomba (Easter Dove Cake) by Loison

Check my article in Zester Daily
http://zesterdaily.com/cooking/a-new-twist-on-italys-traditional-easter-cake/

Easter Colomba and Italian wines classes by Diana

Posted on March 8, 2016 by nontouristytourist

Colomba is a traditional Italian Easter yeast bread. It is shaped like a dove (colomba in Italian), the symbol of peace and resurrection.Soft and fragrant, colomba is a generous cake with butter and eggs, filled with raisins and candied orange peel. 20160229_145836-1024x576 The colomba could mean not only a peace message but also solidarity. Like in the case of the artisanal Colomba Arcobaleno (Rainbow Dove) created by the Milanese sommelier Diana Zerilli who supports gay rights and gay issues in Italy, such as marriage and child adoption. Her colomba is made with Sicilian Avola almonds, Calabria cedar, kneaded with Vernaccia Mormoraia, a traditional white wine from San Gimignano, d zerilli

Beside food, Diana passion and expertise is (of course) wine. Twice a week, she gives classes and wine tasting at Hotel Rubens in Milan.

Each class will introduce an Italian region, with its local wines and food.

Here the current calendar
March 10th Wines from Valle d’Aosta
March 17th Wines from Veneto and Diana’s Chiantigno drink tasting
March 22th Wines fron Piemonte.
Classes will continue in April, after Easter Holidays.

vino

Each class costs 35 Euros.
If you are interested, you can contact Diana at zerillisommelier@gmail.com

“I am Romagnolo” 30 wines of Romagna

Posted on February 26, 2016 by nontouristytourist

From Friday Feb 26th to Sunday 28th “Wine Festival I am Romagnolo” where quality food and wine enthusiasts will enjoy local Sangiovese, Albana, Pagadebit and more
Try the wines of 30 wineries of Romagna, dozens of winemakers of the territories of Forli, Faenza, Cesena, Ravenna and Rimini

Purchase the cup, and ticket “Euroromagnoli”, enjoy the guided tastings tours.
Entrance to the Festival is free.
Info at Sono Romagnolo

Info at Wine Festival

a “drunky” panettone!

Posted on January 25, 2016 by nontouristytourist

~~Meet~~ Diana Zerilli, promoter, food events creator and wine connoisseur. d zerilli

Among his biggest hits, Eatingfrienship & Wines, tasting of Tuscan wines of Mormoraia Bocale held in Hong Kong in 2014. Specialist in relations between the producers of Italian wine, olive oil and homemade pasta with foreing markets including New York, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Shanghai, London, among others.

As a writer, Diana published “I messaggi della buonanotte”, liro
a book about friendship and maternal love,
entirely made through a text messages collection.

Diana just released a new book out called “21 grammi” a collection of dishes that combine food to selected Tuscany wines.

IMG_8163 copy

For the Holidays, Diana created one of a kind Vernaccia Panettone, the traditional Christmas cake, enriched by a generous quantity of raisins that have been macerated in the S.Giminiano Mormoraia Vernaccia white wine, to enhance the cake fragrance. Panettone vernaccia 2

Available by order at zerillisommelier@Gmail.com
or at the five5Senses Store,
located inside the Barclays Teatro Nazionale in Milan.

THE ITALIAN GOLDEN BREAD FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Posted on January 20, 2016 by nontouristytourist

Pandoro. In Italian means golden bread.
It’s the traditional Italian sweet cake of Veronese origins, most popular during the holidays. A traditional taller leavened cake, that when cut is the shape of star. Pandoro is baked in a special star-shaped mold. pandoro-rhum

When sprinkled with confectioners’ sugar, it has the appearance of fallen snow on a mountain. Pandoro may be served with many types of creams or sauces, such as mascarpone topping, melted chocolate,or flavored whipped cream
or rum or filled with ic cream or custard.
I tried the amazing Fraccaro Pandoro, incredibly soft and hairy, thanks to 72 hours to slow rising and natural, with yeast, make a sweet Pandoro Fraccaro unique and inimitable.The softness of the dough sourdough with fine fresh butter, golden color and the star shape, decorated with a dusting of powdered sugar, pandoro_FraccaroSpumadoro makes this cake the perfect dessert to celebrate the Holidays. Store

You can find this great cake at Fraccaro Store Circonvallazione Ovest, 25/27 -Castelfranco Veneto, Treviso

STOP GMOs

Posted on December 17, 2015 by nontouristytourist

Slow Food says : “It’s a matter of democracy
as well as ensuring food sovereignty”
December 16, the European Parliament supported in great majority the objection proposed by the European Parliament’s environment committee to the decision of the European Commission to authorize the new GM maize variety NK603xT25. This is not a binding decision but it underlines a strong political act. In fact, Slow Food condemns the European Commission not only for the authorization of the two new GMO crops*, but also because it has disregarded the on-going objection process of the European Parliament, the institution which is directly elected by the European citizens and which expresses the points of views of the European people. gm-pic
The fact that the delegates of the Member States in the European Commission have overlooked the worries and concerns of European citizens is something that should not happen in an institution that claims to be the guiding voice of democracy

DREAMING OF A… WILD STRAWBERRY CHRISTMAS

Posted on December 14, 2015 by nontouristytourist

It’s Xmas time ! Here comes Bing Crosby singing the magic
“I am dreaming of a White Christmas”
This year Massimo Grazioli, fanciful pastry Chef from Legnano Lombardy, made a twist to the lyrics of the most popular Xmas song and to the filling of most popular Italian Xmas cake, a delicious sweet bread called panettone.
Grazioli’s panettone is amazingly tender, soft, juicy, fragrant and generously filled up with raspberries and …wild strawberries.

Massimo Grazioli lab and store are located in Via Rossini 15, Legnano.
Check www.panificiograzioli.it
HAVE A WONDERFUL… WILD STRAWBERRY CHRISTMAS!

QUATER PARA, succulent cake inspired to the traditional Italian lace

Posted on December 8, 2015 by nontouristytourist

quater A decadent cake inspired to traditional lace that Italian grandmas are still tambouring in Cantù, Italy. SCREEN S 18

Cake layered with pastry, frangipane pistachio, soft biscuit almond and corn, quater 1 quater 2

orange marmalade, plum paste, cocoa with the imprint of the traditional Cantù lace. quater 6 quater 7 quater 8
Here the recipe:
http://marraweb.it/filmato2.html
It looks wonderful, it tastes delicious…and probably you will never make it.
Too much work!
Much easier to check Marra’s web and order one!
quater chefs

My 10 fav restaurants in Venice (“cicchetti” included)

Posted on November 17, 2015 by nontouristytourist

La Palanca at the Giudecca

RESTAURANTS
40 ladroni Address Fondamenta della Sensa, 3253, ( great food, nice garden) good prices
La palanca ph 041 5287719 see pic! ( open only for lunch) take vaporetto, exit la palanca, go left. located in the great Giudecca area, tables outside, great view, facing S.Marc Square.make a reservation good prices
Mistra‘ Address Calle Michelangelo 53c also in the Giudecca aerea ph 041 522074
Ostaria alla Vedova, famous for the Best venetian meatballs and more, close to the famous Golden House, Cà d’oro Address: Calle del Pistor ph 041-528-5324. good prices
Trattoria Da Bepi adress Cannaregio, 4550 stop ferry Ca’D’oro.
Al Paradiso perduto– Address Sacco della Misericordia – Cannarreggio aerea- (the owner will pick up the fish for you)
Le antiche carampane (where real venetians go) ) ph 041 5240165 Address :: San Polo, 1911, expensive, excellent, closed sunday and monday .

TRADITIONAL VENETIAN CICCHETTI
( tapas + wine) for a drink or aperitivo during the day, evening.
Arco douzen of tapas, close to ponte rialto direction san polo) good prices
Corte del remer ( next to fiaschetteria toscana) self service great happy hour Address: calle del remer, ph 0415228789
Al Mascaron tiny tiny and traditional ( great cicchetti and more) Castello 5525, Calle Lunga Santa Maria Formosa ph 041 522 5995 good prices

Do you enjoy the traditional mountain cuisine?

Posted on November 16, 2015 by nontouristytourist

Here my article for Zester Daily
http://zesterdaily.com/world/peak-cuisine-7-dishes-at-heart-of-european-mountain-food

Milan gets greedy for food. MILANO GOLOSA 2015 will satisfy everyone appetite.

Posted on November 15, 2015 by nontouristytourist

3 days of gourmet food, cooking shows, meetings and…did I say food?That’s the succulent program of the 4th edition of Milano Golosa, a gourmet bonanza
that will invade Milan Oct 3-5 at Palazzo Del Ghiaccio, located in Via PiranesI. This annual event, created by Davide Paolini, the soul of the respected www.gastronauta.it
will take to an extraordinary journey.

Before the show starts, the program includes several “Fuori Milano Golosa“ events where great chefs will create new and traditional dishes.
Amazing locations too, starting from the trendy furniture store Dilmos, where 7 producers will offer the best of their production during an aperitivo, that will combine excellences between design and food.Then to the next door I Salentini Restaurant, located in Via Solferino 44, which is hosting a tasting menu featuring specialties made with local product from the Salento area, including the celebrated pasticciotto, a traditional sweet made of shortcrust pastry filled with cream or chocolate.

If you want to know ( and taste) more of Milano Golosa, check info at
www.milanogolosa.it

VOILA’ MILAN GOURMANDE! Milano Golosa Oct 3th-5th 2015

Posted on November 3, 2015 by nontouristytourist

Milano Golosa opened today and it will indulge your palate till Monday Oct 5th
Yesterday, the annual food bonanza had several delicious preview events.
I picked up the chic APERITIVO at Dilmos, furniture store, that marked an unusual encounter between design and culinary.
Seven producers were offering their 7 treasures.
Here they are:
testa in cassetta from Salumeria Giacobbe,

castelmagno d’alpeggio cheese Terre di Castelmagno, caciocavallo lucano cheese Latteria Salvia Maria,

Cerignola olives by Agricola Fratepietro,

home made bread by Matera Pane&Pace,

To drink prosecco Docg di Valdobbiadene Bisol

and …the best of the best the amazing onion and saffron pre-desserts dolcetti by Opera Waiting,

I ended the evening at the close by I Salentini restaurant.
To my taste, some dishes were excellent, some less appealing.
I started with a very salty capocollo, a nice palette of Salento oil&vinegar marinated vegetables (loooved the artichokes and the sun dried tomatoes) followed by a disappointingly overcooked pasta (the super nice owner Antonio suspected a probable kitchen faux pas ).
The hit of the night? Great paparine, spontaneous green growing in the olive trees territory, stirred the traditional way, with celline, minuscule black olives, chilly, garlic and Salento olive oil.Finally a rich and delicious pasticciotto, a typical cake from Lecce and its surrounding areas, made with a sweet crust and pastry cream and a great white wine Moscato Salento Estella. Now…curious about paparine?
Experiment your italian and check at 0’45”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnQnR8HHkuo and how how to cook them at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPAFQvPx-6Y
For more info and a visit ( this year or maybe in 2016) check
http://www.milanogolosa.it/

MILAN EXPO 2015 Wine Pavillion, a true multi-sensorial experience. Tasting Settesoli.

Posted on October 20, 2015 by nontouristytourist

Great surprise at Expo 2015!
I visited the Wine Pavilion boasts a wide array of communications tools, as it narrates the history of wine-production.The exhibit brings all five senses into play, with taste taking priority. Some of the best-qualified sommeliers are on hand to arrange wine-tasting experiences blending tastes with aromas.

I attended to the Cantine Settesoli tasting hosted by charming PR Roberta Urso.

My favorite wines?
Inzolia, a very reasonable price for a great white wine. Light and fruity, just the way I like it. Roberta suggested fatty fish such as halibut or dory with potatoes and cherry tomatoes to go with.
Grillo, with a distinct aroma of jasmine and citrus.To be served with grilled vegetables, medium seasoned cheese, legumes soups, raw meats.
The legendary Nero D’Avola with its ruby red, and a brightly intense taste, smooth and warm, with a distinctive scent of marasca, local red cherry, excellent with raw meat and grilled white meat.

The Mandrarossa wines are the toprange of Cantine Settesoli.
They come from the careful selection of both the vineyards and the vines, together with the harmonious combination of local culture, traditional farming and winemaking technology.

The tasting ended up with an amazing finale.

The “meditation” chardonnay CALADEITUFI cala Mandrarossa Vendemmia Tardiva, produced in a small vineyard that slopes down toward the coast, between sandy dunes and wild vegetation. the breeze refreshes the grapes that are left to ripen on the plant. Deliciously perfect as a “solo” wine or accompanied by light cheeses, desserts, dry fruits.

Settesoli is the largest wine company in Sicily, Twenty million bottles are made in a year and they are sold in 35 countries. “Settesoli is a stellar constellation, said proudly Cantine the general manager Salvatore Li Petri, each producer is a star”.

Vienna. When culinary tradition is kept alive with panache.

Posted on October 12, 2015 by nontouristytourist

Check my article in Zester Daily
http://zesterdaily.com/world/vienna-culinary-tradition-panache/

Fano, Italy. Come and taste the best “brodetto”of the world!

Posted on September 9, 2015 by nontouristytourist

Brodetto is an elaborate traditional Italian fish soup
Fano is a beautiful seaside town in the Marche region.
A good reason to check the FESTIVAL INTERNAZIONALE DEL BRODETTO, an international bonanza of delicious fish dishes prepared by Italian and International top Chefs. In top of that, you’ll find cooking shows, wines, products, music and the warm welcome of the people from Fano.
Sept 10th-14th
For more info check www.festivalbrodetto.it

Going to Venice? Chef Luca unites yesterday and tomorrow

Posted on August 7, 2015 by nontouristytourist

Here my article in Zester Daily
http://zesterdaily.com/world/in-venice-chef-unites-yesterday-and-tomorrow/

BOLOGNA: STREET FOOD BONANZA… WITH A TOUCH OF USA

Posted on July 27, 2015 by nontouristytourist

Vidiciatico Street Food will bring some the most delicious traditional Italian specialties
in the streets of Bologna.

Il Borgo antico

stuffed olives from Ascoli Piceno

The ancient town will be filled with the aromas and flavors of authentic street food including lamprey sandwich, tripe salad, stuffed olives from Ascoli Piceno, borlenghi pesto, Modena fried dumplings, kebabs Bolognese style and the succulent “porchetta” from Ariccia.

Don’t forget to try the fish skewers from Rimini with american barbecue sauce, which will add an international touch to the event.

“porchetta” from Ariccia

In August:
Saturday 29
Sunday 30

info: facebook.com/vidistreetfood?ref=tn_tnmn

“Happy Hour” on the grass with…Leonardo

Posted on July 6, 2015 by nontouristytourist

Milan i is famous for its “aperitivo-happy hour” a feast of drinks, cocktails and wines, usually escorted by a generous buffet , tapas and pass trough finger food.
One of the best aperitivo is promoted by the flamboyant socialite Maurice Dotta, who has the ability to discover hidden places and amazing locations and transform them into a fashionable happy hour venue. Here people can meet, dance, drink and of course taste delicious food and hoers d’oeuvres from the local Chef. Maurice latest creature is called Apero and it’s located in a green oasis in the heart of Milan: the Orti di Leonardo Da Vinci, the beautiful garden of the 15th century Palazzo delle Stelline.
The party starts at 7.00 pm and goes till late. Guests are invited to relax on the grass, decorated with colorful blankets, comfy pillows and beach umbrellas. The Dj is spinning an interesting mixture of classics, retro and contemporary music, from the disco era to the newest avant-garde.The rich buffet is vegan friendly. I tried a vegetable couscous, spiced with yellow curry and an excellent farro salad with beans, carrots and red peppers. Prices: Drinks are 7 Euros, the buffet 5 Euros. If you prefer a seated dinner, the Orti di Leonardo Restaurant has outdoor and offers a small menu with appetizers, entrees, fish and meat.

There II tried the tentacoli polpo, a tender grilled octopus served with pachino tomatoes and a mozzarella called burrata di Andria with arugula and San Marzano tomatoes over a bruschetta bread.
I also suggest the classic risotto Milanese with saffron pistils or the vegan friendly pasta paccheri di Gragnano with vegetables sauce. If you are into fish, try the tasty grilled branzino and vegetables. Not to mention the cotoletta alla milanese, a must for a venue that even Leonardo would have loved during his staying in Milan!

Photos by Margarita Zurcova