The Best Balsamic Vinegar

A few weeks ago a dear friend of mine gave me a gourmet gift.  She told me it was 'delicious' and that she just loved her little bottle of balsamic vinegar.  Of cousrse, I thanked her very much for thinking of me. I do love salads and every day, well almost everyday, at lunch I make myself a great salad with fresh fruit, dried fruit, spinach leaves and whatever I find in the refrigerator.  This one day I decided to use some of this balsamic vinegar made with Sicilian lemons.  Needless to say, this vinegar is a product from Modena, Italy which is where all THE BEST balsamic vinegar comes from!

Well am I in love with this vinegar?  Oh indeed!  I could drink it.  As soon as I finish this bottle I am going on line to order more to fulfill my craving for the best balsamic vinegar.

It is imported by Gustare, so if you want to order some for yourself, or some of their other products, I have provided their link.  Go ahead and treat yourslef.  You will not be disappointed!

A Good Pizza in Maplewood NJ

Finding a good pizza in the states is very difficult especially after having pizza in Italy.  My standards are high and I am always comparing what I have had in Italy. One snowy Saturday I decided to drag my husband with me to Arturo's in Maplewood NJ.  I wanted to try this little osteria for myself so off we went!  Upon entering I quickly surveyed the specials but had my heart set on eating pizza.

We sat down at the table and the waiter told us that the owner has spent a lot of time in Italy learning the art of pizza making in Naples and has traveled throughout Italy.  Piedmont is his favorite region.

We studied the menu.  First I ordered a salad topped with gorganzola cheese and dressed with a light vinegar dressing.  I think the salad greens were picked that morning.

  My husband decided that we would select two individual pizzas.  My husband chose the pizza with sausage and mushroom pizza drizzled with truffle oil.  Mine, of course, was a margherita pizza.

We were pleasantly surpised when we took our first bites.  The crust was thin and slightly charred on the bottom.  As it should be!  The toppings were delicious and as he bit into his pie he could smell the truffle oil.  Oh sooo good!

I could just about finish my pie so I took the rest home!

However, as soon a I got in the door, guess what I did?  I finished the two remaining pieces and loved every bite!

I will definitely go back and try another version.  I encourage you to do the same.  Well worth the trip.

A Great B&B in Orvieto - Sant'Angelo 42

Having never stayed in a B&B I decided it was time.  I know you must be very careful  when booking a B&B because they are all not created equal.  Again my friend, Velia DeAngelis, recommended I stay here and so I booked our stay for 2 nights at this wonderful B&B.  The taxi driver picked me and my daughter up at the train station in Orvieto and drove us to the street closest to the B&B.  Because the street was so narrow we had to walk the short distance.  We rang the bell and Giulia greeted us.  We entered the lobby and checked into our room on the third floor, which by the way was huge.  I booked the one and only suite with a bathroom as big as a ballroom!  We were on the top floor and our view at night overlooked the rooftops in Orvieto .

  Breakfast was served in the kitchen and Giulia was happy to make us cappuccino or tea and served us pastries, toast, yogurt and soft boiled eggs in the morning.  The place has just completed a renovation and is decorated with modern art work and the place is spotlessly clean. 

Not to worry about staying here.  If you need to make arrangements please give us a call.  You will be delighted to stay in the heart of Orvieto at a wonderful B&B.  There are only three rooms available here and reservations fill up fast.  They do close for a few weeks in December.

So stay in what was once a medieval home in Orvieto and feel like a native Italian!

Check in is before noon and check out is at 10:30 in the morning.

Tastes of the Amalfi Coast and Rome with Cooking at Mamma Agata's Home

This spring Gourmet Getaways will be hosting an exclusive tour of the Amalfi Coast and Rome in April 2011.  Although this tour is sold out I thought you might be interested in reading about it. Dates:  April 2- 10 2011

Highlights of the trip include:

• Accommodations at the Excelsior Victoria Hotel in Sorrento and Hotel St. George in Rome
• Private transfers
• Pizza demonstration in Sorrento at the Excelsior Victoria hotel by chef Vincenzo Galano
• Free time to explore Capri
• Tour of Naples
• Wine tasting in Rome with a private guide, Katie Parla
• Private tour in Rome
• Visit to a limoncello factory
• Mozzarella demonstration follwed by lunch
• Cooking class with Mamma Agata followed by lunch

Costs: 

$4200.00 per person based on double occupancy

Single Supplement:$1130.00

Not Included:

• Travel Insurance - highly recommended!
• Airfare
• Personal expenses at the hotels: beverages, wine, laundry, room service etc.
• Tips for guides
• Other incidental costs:  entrances into museums, finicular to the top of Capri, ferry ride to Capri

There may be an adjustment to the final cost because of the fluctuating euro.

For more details please call:  973 644 0906

Cooking in Orvieto with Velia DeAngelis

During my most recent trip to Italy with my daughter, we traveled to Orvieto, my favorite medieval town, and took a cooking class with Velia DeAngelis at Compagnia dei  Buongustai, which is a cooking school located in Orvieto.   Her cooking partner, Maurizio di Mario, owns a pastry shop in Orvieto(more about that later) and we cooked sooo much gooood food that we did not need to have dinner that evening.  We started with making stuffed rolls made with sausage and cheese, then on to liver pate, home made pasta, rolled and stuffed eggplant, stuffed boneless chicken thighs and a fruit tart and cookies that were just heaven. Velia taught us how to make fresh pasta the old fashioned way using a rolling pin!  She made it look so easy.  It was so light and tender. 

The rolled eggplant stuffed with arugela, cherry tomatoes and ricotta salata was so tasty and tender.  A vegetarian would be thrilled with this dish!

Last year,when I took my group to her Champagneria we each left with a taste of her fruit tart.  Well this class she taught us how to make it and I will definitely give it a go!  It was so buttery, tender and flaky.     The secret  is using the highest quality of butter!  Thanks to my daughter and her hi tech camera here are a few pictures of the delicious tart.

Taking a cooking class with Velia is a real treat.  She is so funny and a very creative chef that you will come away with a full stomach and desire to recreate these recipes when you return.  Remember the secret is in the ingredients.

If you would like to take  a cooking class with Velia just contact Gourmet Getaways and we would be more than happy to make the arrangements!  You will be sure to have a wonderful time.