Northern Italy

It’s 4:30 am and I’m wide-awake talking to myself again. Having just returned from ten days in Northern Italy, my mind is all over the place. While it was wonderful to return to a place I love, it’s so good to be back home. Like most moms, I’m a total worrywart when I travel without the kids. All is well, but I did learn a lesson that I should have left clearer instructions stipulating that dying of the hair with red Kool-Aid falls firmly on the “no” list.

If you are planning or dreaming of a trip to Italy, November is an amazing time. You forgo the jam-packed tourist summer situations and it’s such a special time for food.  SO-MUCH-FOOD (great way to kick-off the holiday season, Val). When we travel we do seek out some museums, churches and architecture, but truthfully, our biggest cultural quest is always the food and wine.

The explosion of flavors matched the surrounding beauty. In the Veneto, exquisite seafood and unique shellfish like spider crabs and razor clams marry perfectly with the crisp white wines of the region. In Piedmont, white truffles, porcini and cardoons chased by Barbera and Barolo were on the agenda.

Walk with me…this pic was taken by accident but I love it.

It all began in Venice where beautiful seafood dominates. So many restaurants here, but we started at Alle Testiere. It’s a shoebox-sized place with a different menu daily based on the freshest catch at the fish market. Much of the seafood in Venice is served crudo, baked whole in a crust of salt or grilled like this  fish platter below. A feast paired with a luscious, fresh, crisp white wine from Alto Adige — heaven!

Here’s a pasta course from dinner at our favorite  Al Covo.  The clams were the size of the nail on your pinky finger, ultra tender and packed with a wonderfully sweet, yet briny flavor.

We stopped at a few surrounding islands and then went onto Burano for Da Romano’s incredibly delicious and famous fish risotto. It’s worthy of every bit of praise.

About 40 minutes outside of Venice is the destination restaurant Antica Osteria da Cera that is exceptional. It is one of the best, if not the best restaurant I’ve ever had the pleasure of dining at . With a focus on fish from the region matched with fresh garden fare, I continue to be astounded by its delicious offerings. Their cookery garden was inspiring; I can’t wait to share it with you — but first I need to focus on some major shampoo treatments for those beloved rascals.

After a long drive to Alba we had our first taste of white truffle. There’s nothing like going straight to the source for this magnificent treat. Truffles plucked from the soil the day you eat them — that’s worth the experience right there.

On a bed of traditional Piedmontese egg noodles called tajarin, just add butter and shaved white truffles for a plate of perfection.

Piedmont boasts a fall full of flavor with porcini mushrooms, hazelnuts, cardoons, persimmons and of course, those white truffles. November is the height of white truffle season. These flavors are often accompanied with beef and veal, served in a numerous ways from braised to raw.

I think this was the best vitello tonanto of my life.

Have you ever seen such orange yolks?

This happened a lot.

Which made me want to do this…

In La Morra Osteria More e Macine.

In Serravalle Langhe, Trattoria La Coccinella is not to be missed. Look at this whole cooked onion stuffed with liver pate~ it was one of many courses we devoured.

Thanks for taking a walk with me through my recent  gluttony travels. All of these amazing meals have inspired me, I was making mental notes all along the trip. Just check me out sneaking a peek into the kitchen window at Sadler in Milan.

Ciao!

** For you locals, I am partnering up with the Four Seasons Biltmore and Chef Alesandro on December 3 to bring my recent travels to life here in Santa Barbara.  We have planned a five course Piedmontese inspired dinner paired with wine. For reservations, please contact the Bella Vista Restaurant at (805) 565-8232.