andiamotrips - campania, italy with karen phillips

I would like to set the scene for you. It was a little cool, a little chilly…A medieval castle…stone walls…stone floors. Indoors, in the grand hall, over 200 red sacks were lined neatly on a long wooden table….six glasses on the table in front of me It was silent..a peaceful silence…except for the sound of soft footsteps as our sommeliers refill our glasses…the occasional whisper…the occasional comment… I began. I began my day in Castello Marchionale in Taurasi. A day, where I and a team of international journalists, sommeliers, and wine critics would try, taste, and rate 28 Taurasis. Paolo De Cristofaro , ( Gambero Rosso, Tipicamente ), our host, explained our mission. Not only would we need to taste the 2007 vintage, but we would have to answer various questions and give our opinions. Questions such as what types of aromas floated out of the glass at us…what did we sense…mature fruits? Dried? Cooked? Were the aromas mineral…vegetable…spices? I would be asked to give my opini...

In Naples they say " Chi festeggia Sant'Antuono, tutto l'anno 'o pass' bbuon ".  Translated that means that whoever celebrates the festival of St Antuono will have a great year.   Well, this year I decided to check out the Falo' di St Antuono at La Sibilla , a winery located in Bacoli (Na).  I thought it would e a good idea to witness some interesting traditions, learn a little history, try some amazing local food and wine...but most importantly, be treated to some real hospitality by my friends and ownes of the winery, the Di Meos. A little research and I learned that January 17th is the day to celebrate the festival of St Anthony the Great, known as St Antuono in Naples.He is known as the patron saint of animals as well as healer of skin diseases.  Also the patron saint of butchers and pigs.  Why a bonfire?  In with the out...old with the new, so to speak.   "sant'Andùon', sant'Andùon', pigli't 'o viecch...

Ready Set Go! Mise En Place has just announced their cooking class schedule for February and March.  Are you ready? February 1 and 2 Tutto la bontà sul Pane: A course to learn dozens of bread based recipes with Sara Papa 08 Sua maestà la carne: Michelin star chef Agostino Iacobucci takes us into the kitchen to learn his nationally recognized meat dishes 15 and 16 Pasticceria di base e macarons: Pastry and baking lessons with chef Maurizio Santin 21 Il mondo dei lievitati: la pizza Gino Sorbillo will let us in of some of his secrets from his pizzeria Sorbillo March 1 Sua maestè il pesce: chef Umberto De Martino from Amalfi’s Marina Grande will turn peasant fish into nobility 7 Dolci fritta della tradizioni: chef Claudio Campanile , Le Arcate , will share traditional fried dessert recipes. All courses start at 1800 and finish around 2200. Each participant will receive a Mise En Place Kit which includes an apron and a recipe booklet. A wine pairing pres...

Friday night wine tasting is back. This time we will be heading to Cantine Astroni in Agnano for a taste of Campi Flegrei. We will tour the vineyards at sunset with a spectacular view of the Astroni Crater. Then it is into the cantina for a tour of the winery. Afterwards, we will sit down and enjoy a wine tasting with 4 wines accompanied by a small buffet. The cost of the event is 12 Euro. We will begin at 5pm ish. Sign up no later than Monday 24, January by email ( andiamotrips@gmail.com ). Spread the word...see you there! Cantine Astroni Via Comunale Sartania, 48 , Localita' Astroni, Naples Notes Please do not bring children.  Bring cash for any purchases you would like to make at the winery.

Lorton ,Virginia is a suburb of Washington DC, about 25 minutes from the White House. A suburb full of numerous red brick shopping plazas and townhouse complexes. So when I stepped inside Pane e Vino ,I  wasn’t really expecting what met me at the other side of the revolving door. A little piece of Southern Italy . A place where I could enjoy Italian dishes prepared by Chef Antonio Di Nicola , and taste wines from Italy and all over. A place where I could feel like I was back in Italy…if only for a little while. Pane e Vino is divided into three areas… three areas to experience good ol' southern Italian hospitality... The first area is the dining room. It immediately brought back memories of southern trattorias. A place where, back in Campania, I would stop for a Sunday lunch. Fried calamari, steamed mussels, pizzas from a wood burning oven were just some of the items that I saw flowing effortlessly from the dining room to ever appreciative customers. Over to the wine room…a...

Chef Francesco Rizzuti ( Antica Osteria Marconi ) shared this recipe with me. An amazing appetizer with country roots; day old bread softened in a minestrone made with onions, turnips, or asparagus (depending on the season), fresh farm eggs, and if available…dried Senise peppers, which are fried for a few seconds in hot oil until they are nice and crunchy like potato chips. Ingredients 400 grams of turnips, 4 fresh eggs(laid that day), 150 grams of white onion, 1 hot pepper, extra virgin olive oil, 200 grams of day old bread, 50 grams of dried Senise peppers (sweet) Procedure Cut the onions into thin slices and sauté them in a small pan with some of the red pepper and the turnip tops. Let cook for about two minutes, then add a little hot water and let it simmer for about five minutes. Poach the eggs, one at a time, in acidulated water (water containing a small about of vinegar, lemon or lime juice ). Cut the bread into cubes and place one on each plate. Slice the Seni...

Caserta like you've never (wine) tasted  before!   On the 22nd of January, journalist  Luciano Pignataro will present his guide, Guida alle Piccole Cantine della Campania at Palazzo Lanza di Capua -Ex-Libris. The evening begins at 1830 hrs.with  Maria Teresa Lanza ,  National Councilor, Fisar, Generoso Marrandino , President Agrisviluppo and Luciano Pignataro.  Beatrice Crisci , journalist, will serve as cordinator . Afterwards, there will be an opportunity to try wines from the wineries listed in the guide from the Caserta area; ALEPA, BIANCHINI ROSSETTI, BRUNIGI GALCO, CAPIZZI, CARLO ZANNINI, CRAPARECCIA, DELLA SELLECCOLA , MASSERIA PICCIRILLO, MASSERIA STARNALI, PAGANO, PAONESSA, PAPA, PODERE SAN DOMENICO, RAO, REGINA VIARUM, TENUTA SAN BIAGIO, TERRE DEI COLAPIETRO, TERRE DEL PRINCIPE, TRABUCCO, VINEA LI PALDI, VITICOLTORI MIGLIOZZI The event is free! For more information contact; Palazzo Lanza di Capua Corso Gran Priorato di...

Back into the kitchen.  Gambero Rosso's Città del Gusto has announced its schedule for January and February 2011. La piccola pasticceria gourmet 12 January  Learn to prepare all types of small pastries. 65 Euro I primi di pesce 13 January Fisrt courses prepared with fish, flavorful, and easy to prepare. 75 Euro Menù creativo di pesce 18 January Learn to prepare health, tasty and creative fish dishes.  80 Euro Torte e crostate 19 January An evening to learn all the secrets of preparing pies and cakes as well as other desserts.  65 Euro Tortelli, ravioli & Co 25 January Here is a class where you will learn all the techniques for creating fresh pasta. 70 Euro Antipasti di pesce 26 January Discover how to prepare a wide variety of fish based appetizers 75 Euro A Tavola con il maiale 27 January New recipes to prepare with pork. 68 Euro I primi in tutte le salse 1 February A must for first course lovers. Lea...

A hot ticket in the heart of Taurasi... The Slow Wine Guide will be presented in Taurasi (Av) the evening of January 15th in the Enoteca Regionale located at Castello Marchionale.  An evening full of events to include guided wine tastings, roundtable discussions, and the famous banco d'assagio where you can try wines from wineries such as Antonio Caggiano, Salvatore Molettieri, Luigi Tecce, I Capitani, Antico Borgo, Cantina Giardino, Boccella, Michele Perillo, Pasqualino Di Prisco, Rocca del Principe, Colli di Lapio, Quintodecimo, Il Cancelliere, Donna Chiara, Mier Vini, La Molara, Tenuta Cavalier Pepe, Antico Castello, Contrade di Taurasi, Feudi di San Gregorio, and Terredora.  Cost for the open wine tasting is 10 Euro (which includes entrance/glass).  20 Euro (entrance/glass/Slow Wine Guide) For more information on the other events going on that evening, click here . Or call Alessandro Barletta at 3385234241.

The Bonfire Night began as a rite in the seventeenth century.  'the Feast of Saint Anthony, patron saint of animals and the farming community. The first bonfires were lit to ward off the plague, which in 1656, Nusco recorded 1200 victims. In the kingdom of Naples, in the late seventeenth century, bread prepared with the purest of the fat of a pig was distributed. It was a sort of ointment to treat herpes zoster infection, known as "shingles." The fires were then lit the places but also to purify the body, citing the miraculous virtues of St. Anthony. Let's fast forward to January 2011... January 14 , at 1600hrs at the Seminary of Nusco with the presentation of the book "The Castle of Nusco - history and archeology." Afterwards, around 1900hrs, the food stands will open up.. On 15 January , beginning at 10 am at the Archdiocesan Seminary, there will be round table discussion on the theme "Towards the construction of a competitive tourism product: ...

  Class is back in session! The 2nd level of my three part journey to becoming a sommelier will begin next Tuesday, the 11th of January. Several months have passed since I completed the 1st level. A three month course that introduced me to the wine world. A course that was quite intensive, and at times, a real struggle to understand my Italian textbooks, all the technical vocabulary, etc, etc. A 15 week class that taught us about topics such as life in the vineyard, the winemaking process, the 3 steps to perform a technical wine tasting, desert wines, beers, and spirits. The 2nd level will focus on the wine regions in Italy and throughout the rest of the world. Each week we will fine tune our wine tasting skills (visual, olfactory, taste) as we get a taste of the world from our seats at the Hotel Ramada. See you in the front row!

Here's a quick and easy first course from Chef Vito Bardaro .  Ingredients for 6: Mezze maniche (pasta) 500 gr, taratufi 1 kg,500 g eggplant, one bunch of basil, 3 dl of extra virgin olive oil,, 300 g cherry tomatoes, 5 dl of sunfloweer seed oil, 200 gr flour, salt and garlic to taste. Procedure: Wash the taratufi, tomatoes and eggplant well. Cook the taratufi with the extra virgin olive oil and a clove of garlic by adding  a little water. Cover and cook until  they open. Once they have opened,  shell them and  keep them in their liquid (which has been previously filtered)  Next, sautè the tomatoes. Cut  the eggplant into matchstick sized slices, flour them and fry.Toss the pasta (which has been previously boiled in salted water until al dente)  with the taratufi,  tomatoes, basil, and eggplant. Buon Appetito

While in the states for Christmas, the idea came to me to visit a Virginia vineyard. One that would give me an idea about the different wines available in the state. A small winery with a big spirit.  I found one, about 25 minutes from DC. In Fairfax county. A winery that would introduce me to Virginia wines. So, on New Year’s Eve, I headed to Clifton, Virginia to meet a winery… with a dream. A dream that Jane Kincheloe shared with her aunt more than 20 years ago. A desire to turn some of their property, located in the heart of Clifton, into a winery. Land that had been passed down through generations since the 1700s. A piece of their family’s heritage. A piece of land that houses a simple log cabin, dating back to the early 1800s. A piece of history surrounded by giant black walnut trees. Northern Virginian history. It was there that I met Kirk Wiles , Jane’s son. Kirk, 28 years old, is a business graduate from the University of Miami. A winery owner who was more than happ...

Here is a new recipe for the new year by Chef Giuseppe Daddio of  Locanda delle Trame in San Leucio (Ce) starring fresh shellfish. Coda di Scampo con polpettine di borragine (lobster tail with borage balls) Ingredients for 6: For the shrimp 6 fresh prawns, extra virgin olive ,salt and pepper For the soup   (for 300 g. of reduced shrimp bisque) 20 gr. Extra virgin olive oil ,500 gr lobster carapace or other shellfish, 100 gr. celery, peeled and diced,100 gr. carrots, peeled and diced ,100 gr. white onion, peeled and diced ,100 gr ripe tomatoes,15 ml brandy, 10 gr tomato paste, 5 gr. carnaroli rice, 10 gr. diced fennel, 1 gr fresh dill,1 garlic clove, 1lt cold water, 300 gr of ice For the borage balls  200 gr borage, 90 gr ricotta cheese, 30 gr grated parmigiano, salt and pepper to taste, 10 gr chopped shallot Procedure: For the prawns Season the prawns with salt, pepper and oil once cleaned of their carapace. Sear in a skillet for a few moments. Make a...