Last thoughts started at the airport in Rome and finished in Bed-Stuy!

We are at the airport and it looks like we will be able to leave.

Will we survive the black cloud?

Obviously we did... I am now in our loft in Bed-Stuy and I am trying to tie the loose ends of this travel blog.

Here are my parting thoughts.

First I should say it has been an amazing trip. Full of colors, flavors

and great people.

I had the great surprise of spending time with my aunt who had to reinvent herself at fourty-something in a new country with a new language and in a very rural male-dominated area.

She had to start all over and prove herself over and over. Today, she is extremely respected and loved and is still working. We left her house as she was on her tractor ready to cut the grass...

Next I feel lucky to have shared our time with two amazing women who are fun, loving, beautiful and talented. Thank you Maja and Janice.

Sardegna was a raw beautiful place but I must admit, my heart beats faster when I approach the hills and mountains of Abruzzo.

Sardegna may lack the charm of small villages and gorgeous architecture, it does however more than compensates with pristine emerald clear waters, raw nature and warm amazing people. It also has incredible produce, fish, honey, sweets and many wonderful specialities.

Italy is a rich and diverse country. One should be so lucky to have the time to slowly and leisurely get to know every region and every town within. If you travel to Italy, do not try to visit all at once. Pick a Region, choose a town and explore within. Get to know the people, shop at the markets walk around and take it all in. After lunch, have a siesta. Drink lots of vino and just be. If you cook, keep it simple. Let the ingredients shine and add as little as you can.

While the sky is blue, a black cloud might ground us at Fiumicino

We are on our way to Cagliari to fly to Rome. So far the flight is on time and operating.

The cloud has not reached Rome yet thought it lingers over Tuscany.

Tomorrow we are scheduled to fly home to New York and that is a little more uncertain...

I thought I would leave you with this funny looking fish with very "human teeth" He was however grilled to perfection and delicious! His grill companion (we had 2 of them) had normal fish looking teeth pointy and thin but this guy...

See you all on Tuesday if cloud permits.

If our airport hotel has wi-fi or Vodaphone, I will try to upload the pictures and a few more recipes.

Ciao, C.

A slow connection blows my way in Pula...

Hello out there!

Not sure how much I'll be able to do today. Pictures? don't think my slow 3G will do it.

We have now been in Italy for a week. I am sad that it is nearing a close.

Life has a different pace here.

My updates have been shy of information and photos but I have not yet mastered the art of sitting in a cafe (with fast wi-fi) writing on my ibook.

I loose patience and feel pressure to hurry up.

Internet at home has been just fast enough to eventually read emails...

The upside of all this is I have not

updated or navigated Facebook and have kept my internet time strictly for these short updates and a few important messages that won't wait.

This has allowed us to really take it all in and discover the raw beauty of Southern Sardenia.

The apartment we are renting is SPECTACULAR! We are ON the beach of Nora and in a secluded private gated area that guarantees peace. We are loving it.

We used the agents that rents my Aunt's places in Costa Rei and the description of the properties they have was not only true, you can actually expect to be pleasantly surprised. Ursula and her staff are great and Anna the "handler" in Pula was friendly and efficient.

So if going to Sardegna, go to http://www.discover-sardinia.com/

(it took me 15 min. to upload this image so the rest will have to wait)...

Today we went to Cagliari to the market of San Benedetto. It was amazing but I do need to add pictures to prove my point so I must retire now and hope I will get a better connection tomorrow. I will however leave you with a recipe...

TRENET IN PADELLA

from Sergio the butcher

2 lbs of sliced beef (top sirloin or similar) You can also use lamb, veal, chicken or pork

(change to your favorite herbs depending on meat used)

4 cloves of garlic

1 bunch parsley

1 sprig of fresh oregano (or pinch of dry)

1/2 lbs of your favorite mushroom

lots of extra virgin olive oil

A few hours ahead or day before:

From the slices of beef, cut thin strips about 4" long (should be as thin as a "trenette" hence the name which is similar to a "linguini" pasta)

cut the garlic cloves in half

chop the parsley and separate oregano leaves from stems.

mix the meat with all ingredients (except mushrooms), add generous amount of olive oil and mix well.

let the meat rest in refrigerator a few hours or overnight.

Remove from fridge 10-15 minutes before cooking.

In a pan, drizzle olive oil and saute' the mushrooms.

When ready, add meat and quickly saute mixing in the pan for 2-3 minutes.

Ready and serve with you favorite side dishes.

Buon Appetito.

Sagra degli Agrumi - Muravera

Sunday April 11th was the 38th "Sagra degli Agrumi":

The Citrus Festival.

It is a pagan festival where the folklore from the entire island is

on display.

Every town has flatbed pulled by a tractor or bulls and is a representation of a day in the

life of rural Sardinia from about a century ago. Each town is know for a specific craft from weaving to wheat growing to fisherman and so on.

Goat herds are mimicked by men wearing Sheep and goat heads, skins and bells.

After the festival we were invited by a local family (Antonio e Luciana) for a traditional lunch of "culirgionis" and fire roasted suckling pig with "mirto" The meal was amazing and the company so warm and inviting. We felt as if we had known them forever.

La ricetta of the day will come soon. My battery is low....

Sardegna...

We arrived in Sardegna on Saturday night.

The first 2 nights we stayed with my aunt. She is 83 and running! We had a hard time keeping up with her. She speaks fast, walks fast and drives

like a maniac!

I will give you all the details as soon as I find another wi-fi hot spot as it took me forever to upload pictures from the past 2 days...

Last days in Calascio

Ciao,
Day 2 in Calascio we had a great lunch at our friend Peter's house in Santo Stefano di Sessanio
(a definite must when visiting this area of Abruzzo).
We brought over some fantastic local green olives, sweet tomatoes and some of that great spicy arrugula I mentioned yesterday plus a special treat: a dry salami of liver and honey (don't curl your noses, it was absolutely amazing) made by our friend Pipo who owns Sapori della Valle http://www.saporidellavalle.it/

On the Menu at Peter's
- Spaghetti acciughe, olio e peperoncino
Spaghetti made with a simple garlic, anchovy and peperoncino sauce
- Cotechino con Lenticchie e insalata di pomodori misti e Rughetta
Fresh pork sausage with lentils and assorted tomato and arrugula salad

The lunch lasted all day of course and was sprinkled with much vino: a Montepulciano d'Abruzzo from Cataldi Madonna.

Day 3 we went for a long walk up at the Rocca (uptown Calascio and worked up an appetite to visit our friend's Susanna e Paolo at Rocca Calascio http://www.rifugiodellarocca.it/

On the way, we saw a wild ladybug nest with zillions of bugs...

At Rifugio della Rocca we had a traditional Abruzzese meal with wild boar pappardelle and lamb cooked with Trebbiano wine and potatoes.

SPAGHETTI ACCIUGHE E PEPERONCINO

Here is a delicious simple recipe for 4

- 400gm Spaghetti
- 4 filets of salted anchiovies (rince and patt dry)
- fresh peperoncino or flakes to taste
- 2 cloves of garlic
- parsley
- extra virgin olive oil

. Bring water to a boil and salt
. in a skillet add a little olive oil and sautée the garlic on low flame
. when it starts to brown, discard.
. add anchovies and melt into oil, add peperoncino or flakes.

cook pasta for 2 minute less than time indicated
reserve some of the pasta water
add pasta to pan and add chopped parsely
Add reserved water and toss until you reach a nice creaminess.
Serve hot.

Buon Appetito!

3 days in Calascio and no internet...

Ciao Everyone (7 of you right now)...

Ok so calling this blog "daily updates from Italy" was a bit optimistic...

It should really be called "whenever the wind blows an internet connection my way, here in rural Italy".

Don't get me wrong, I would not trade the view from my window (I'm in Sardenia with sea in right window and mountains in left window) for a 3G connection on my "chiavetta" (little internet key). Nor would I have given up our 3 days in the heavens of Calascio.

The Gods were definitely with us there.

All weather channels had promised us 3 cold days, cloudy with DEFINITE rain on our last day. Instead, Calascio was gorgeous, sunny, warmish...

The air was crisp, clean and the views endless.

I am trying to upload pictures to prove my above points but not sure if the "low 3G" I am getting right now will allow it... (day 5 I finally add pictures)

Day one started with all my favorites:

1. Get off the plane in Rome and have a Cappuccino and Cornetto

(better than croissant in my humble opinion).

2. Go to rental car office and get upgraded (free of charge) to the latest Alfa Romeo 159

(and already I am singing Viva L'Italia)...

3. Stop at an Autogrill

(Italians version of a "rest stop" - it is the Ferrari of res stops)

4. Arrive in Abruzzo where the scenery becomes magical.

Get closer to Calascio where I know and love every stone.

5. Go to the local market and find all my favorite vegetables including:

"Agretti" or "Barba di Frate" a stringy like vegetable that could be compared to wild asparagus though not related and no uric acid involved. Look it up, I don't think you can find it in NY.

I also found fresh Fava beans (which you can eat at Locanda Vini e Olii of course) and amazing artichokes + the usual suspects deliciously sweet tomatoes and super spicy rughetta.

The fava beans were prepared in a simple and traditional way:

FAVE E PECORINO

1 large bunch of fresh Fava Beans

1 piece of fresh young Pecorino

(we used a Canestrato di Castel del Monte)

1 small bunch of Arrugula

Extra Virgin Olive oil

Salt and fresh black pepper

Remover Fava bans from pod and blanch in boiling water for 1 minute

(no more than 60 seconds)

Rinse in cold water to prevent cooking.

Peel Fava beans of outer skin.

Cut cheese in cubes about the size of the Fava beans (or just a touch under)

Roughly chop the arrugula

Combine all in a bowl and drizzle generously with Olive oil, salt to taste and toss.

Pour in a nice serving dish and finish with freshly ground black pepper.

Buon Appetito!

Stay tuned...

We are on our way to Rome-Calascio-Cagliari and the entire Southern Coast of Sardegna.
The Blog will have daily updates (if internet allows) with pictures and recipes.
We will arrive in Italy on the 7th
Rocco, Mike and our star chef Michele will be entertaining at Locanda while Luciana will continue to impress with her cooking.
Lots of love,
Catherine and Francois