Fresh eats, New Prosecco DOC, Italy travels this year,
Gina's Pop up Dinners this summer!
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Happy Spring! We hope that everyone is returning to some semblance of normalcy, and we know that means planning to travel again. The travel bug is biting us all over and we are more than ready to head back to Italy!
The latest news is that Italy will open its borders this summer to EU nationals and non-EU nationals, U.K. and USA, specifically. Our partners in Italy are hopeful that we will return this fall and as of today, we tell them we plan on seeing them soon. Read below for availability this year and a link to dates for 2022. And now’s the time to renew that passport!
This month we're all about something light, delicious and healthy on our table. Salsa verde is a great addition to any springtime menu. Gina shares her recipe below and insights on it this month.
Something else that's light for spring and summer - the new Prosecco rosé DOC! You might have wondered if Prosecco could get any better. Well, it just did. Read below for details.
Gina is partnering with 211 Clover Restaurant for pop up dinners in Louisville and she just added two dates for this summer: July 18 and August 15. Price is $75/person and includes a welcome glass of rose Prosecco with small bites plus three courses: pasta, meat with vegetables and dessert. Call 211 Clover to reserve your space 502-896-9570.
Buon appetito e cin-cin!
Gina and Mary
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Springtime Eating - the Versatility and Beauty of a simple Salsa Verde
Green sauce. That is what salsa verde means. Doesn’t seem like such a big deal. Maybe not complicated enough for someone wanting to impress with their culinary skills. But that really is what makes Italian cuisine so amazing: a few great ingredients express themselves in a totally complex and fresh taste, hidden behind a simple name.
What a terrific accompaniment salsa verde is! Spread it on toasted crostini and topped with a slice of hard-boiled egg, it makes a lovely antipasto. Serve it with boiled chicken, beef or potatoes for a fresh, bright main course. Or use it as a salad dressing on greens and chunked tuna for a light lunch.
Originally, salsa verde was made the same way as pesto. Taken from the verb “pestare” which means to grind, pestos were made by hand with a mortar and pestle. Now we just throw it all in a food processor until we have a smooth puree. Parsley, olive oil, anchovy, garlic and salt. Pretty simple. Hard-boiled egg is optional, and I leave it out if I’m serving it with egg slices on top. I also like to add arugula.
I think boiled chicken is under-rated. Softly poached is a better term, really. Even chicken breast is juicy and tender. Just simmer chicken (bone in, skin on) with celery, carrots, onion, parsley, and sea salt. Serve the chicken warm with the salsa verde, maybe a few little potatoes cooked in the broth. It’s perfect for spring: light and full of promise! Added bonus: a delicious chicken broth!
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Salsa Verde
1 bunch parsley, stems removed
1 bunch arugula
2 anchovy fillets or 1 teas anchovy paste
1 hard-boiled egg
1 garlic cloves
salt
½ cup good extra virgin olive oil
Combine all in a food processor and puree until smooth, adding more olive oil if the mixture is too thick. As the anchovies are salty, check for salt before adding any.
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Prosecco Rosé Wine!
Hey we’ve got a new rosé to drink this summer!! Prosecco rosé is a real thing! Some producers say they’ve been making Prosecco rosé for many years now, but it only just got DOC status this past fall with introduction in January 2021. So, now they can label it Prosecco rosé and not just sparkling rosé . Of course there are rules and quality standards for the DOC status.
Normally, Prosecco DOCG and DOC is made with 100% glera grape. Prosecco rosé must be made with 85% glera grapes and 15% of pinot nero and made in the Charmat method (like regular Prosecco, but aged longer in the tank). And it must be vintage-dated. These Prosecco rosé wines have a lovely pale pink color and are typically not sweet. They are pleasantly fruity with a floral aroma and pair well with foods. This rosé is perfect for your spring and summer aperativo, so look for it, chill it and enjoy the newest rosé!
Remember, always look for Prosecco that is DOC or DOCG. It’s your guarantee of an authentic product from the traditional area in the Veneto region.
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This Month's Italian saying... |
"Il Padrone di casa sono io,
ma quel che dice mia moglie è legge"
Translated to: I am the Master of the House,
but, what my Wife says is the Law
Need we say more?
This is the other tile our Grandmother had hanging in her kitchen for years! I still hear her explaining it to me. This was very true in Italian families - the woman rules the roost. It sure was in our grandparents house!
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We are planning (and hopeful) to return to Italy this fall! Everything we're reading and hearing give us hope. Here are two articles we've found lately: Forbes and NY Times. EU officials have a proposal to grant entry to all those fully vaccinated against COVID-19 with EU-authorized shots. (Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca). There is also rumor about introducing COVID-19 certificates, sometimes called coronavirus passports or green certificates, that would provide proof of vaccination, a negative coronavirus test, or prove you have recovered from Covid-19 recently. Each of the member nations has their own border policy and it seems Italy is ready to open them in mid-May.
Don’t forget to check out your passport’s expiration date! If you are planning international travel either this year or next, now is the time to check the expiration date on your passport. Your passport must be valid for six months when you return to the U.S. from international travel. The U.S. passport office advises travelers to renew their passports nine months in advance of expiration. Renew USA passport link here.
Also, check your Global Entry expiration dates if you have that. It is easier to renew it than to apply again. You can renew your Global Entry membership up to a year before it expires, and there’s no penalty for renewing early. Once your renewal is approved, a five-year period is added onto your current membership period.
TOURS to Italy
Dreaming of being in Tuscany this fall - foraging for the prized porcini and chanterelles mushrooms on the estate of Montestigliano, hiking through the San Giovani d'Asso forest in search of the famed white truffles and watching the sangiovese grapes harvested and readied for their pressing. Fall has to be one of our favorite times times in Tuscany! (Can you tell we're a bit homesick right now?) We have 2 tours this fall and 3 planned next year, one in the spring time (June) and the other two during October 2022.
We have a few openings for this October's Tuscany weeks. The dates: October 16-23, 2021 (6 openings) and October 23-31, 2021 (8 openings). For next year's tour dates, please check out our website here. We have good availability right now in most of the weeks we're planning! Piedmont, Puglia, Tuscany!
We are ready to go and "non vediamo l'ora!!" (we can't wait - looking for the hour!) Join us this fall or next year!
Contact Mary with questions and to reserve your spot!
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Plus learn a thing or two! |
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Gina Stipo and Mary Stipo Potter | Ecco La Cucina | 1-972-342-8308| Email | Website
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