andiamotrips - campania, italy with karen phillips

2009?  Un'annata capricciosa," Luigi (Tecce) began.  A year which was  t emperamental , capricious,... fickle. Wine maker Tecce was in Serino (Av) to talk about a harvest year that was a little helter skelter . Fourteen hours before the big tasting, I took notes while Tecce reminisced about his harvest year in Paternopoli.  One with much more rain when compared to the previous two harvests.  A March with sunshine, then 20 cm of snow.  A May with high temperatures, then toward the end of June a period of violent storms.  A July in which  peronospora attacked some of his grapes on the vines.   He remembered a normal September, a late October harvest.  He remembered being very selective in the vineyards, picking rich, concentrated grapes... Nadia (Romano) shared her experiences of her family's winery in Montemarano.  A lot of rain with peronospora which attacked her grapes' leaves instead of the fruit as in Tecce's case.   A year which was faticosa , busy,

I must admit I was tempted.  I was drawn in.   Seduced by photos on Facebook published by Ristorante Le Colonne and Chef Rosanna Marziale.  Delicious photos of delicious desserts, just in time for the Easter season.   So the decision was easy.  The weather was spectacular.   The perfect day for a passeggiata.  Autostrade A1...exit Caserta Nord.   I was greeted by the sempre smiling face of Marziale.  And after a caffe' and a chat,we got down to business...a crash course on what happens in Caserta during the Easter season. First up.. .Casatiello .  A hearty Easter bread made with cheese, eggs, chopped salami and pancetta (bacon).  A delicious bomba of a bread which could be considered a complete meal thanks to all the goodies packed inside.  I particularly love how the egg is cooked right into the bread...shell and all. Perfect for those Easter Monday picnics. Marziale then showed me a dish that I was not familiar with...one that is a sweet variation on the Casati

 So I was looking over the website for Le Strade della Mozzarella to be held in Paestum (Sa) May 6-8,  and my eyes couldn't help but notice that Pastificio Leonessa decided to host a contest open to food bloggers. Create a recipe for a pasta dish using mozzarella di bufala Dop.   Mozzarella di Bufala Dop.   Buffalo milk  mozzarella.  Here in Campania we have the good fortune of having this stringy paste cheese whenever we want it. I'll be honest.   I usually eat it plain..  Sometimes  with tomatoes.  Sometimes with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.  Sometimes fried.  But 'touring' some of Campania's top restaurants I've noticed that this  latticini  has made its way into all types of dishes.  From appetizers, to first and second courses, and even desserts. Am I a food blogger ?  Well, I do blog about food .  So here's my simple colorful recipe...just in time for spring. Calamarata 4 Stagione with Baby Squid, Clams and Mozzarella di Bufala Dop

Taurasi Vendemmia Edizione 2013 was held 8-9 March in Serino (Av) as part of Miriade & Partners Campania Stories. This is part 2 of my weekend 'tasting taurasi'.... Saturday morning.  9 March.   A ccording to the program, we 'journalist/bloggers etc etc' would be able to taste wines at our leisure  between 10 am and 4 pm.  It sounds like plenty of time, but there were 64 wines on the agenda.  Sixty four aglianico wines in various versions.  From Campania Aglianico to Irpinia Aglianico.  From Irpinia Campi Taurasini to Taurasi and Taurasi Riserva .   Sixty four aglianico wines in various vintages from 2011 back to 2006.  Determined to taste them all, I developed a piccolo plan of attack over breakfast. I'd hit the non Taurasis first .  I also decided I'd taste them blind.  That way I wouldn't be swayed by labels I was familiar with and maybe 'discover' a few new wines.   Sixteen wines, thent.  After tasting them  I found a few that I w

Taurasi Vendemmia Edizione 2013 was held 8-9 March in Serino (Av) as part of Miriade & Partners Campania Stories. This is part 1 of my weekend 'tasting taurasi'.... According to the program, we 'journalist/bloggers etc etc' were supposed to arrive at Grand Hotel Serino between 10 am and 4 pm.  I arrived at 3:45.   Enough time to check in, throw my luggage into my room, and race to the 'registration desk' for my   Vendemmia Taurasi Kit (name tag, pen, book with crucial background information). When I, finally made it to the tasting room, I looked around to find the perfect place to sit...to absorb...to taste Taurasi. I found it.  A spot next to Roberto, Massimo, and Antonio ...top Campania wine makers who would be there for me in case I had questions, comments.  We were about to taste 14 Taurasis from vintage year 2003.  Pratically a tradition...beginning the weekend by taking a look/taste at Taurasi 10 years after its harvest year.   Fourteen wines, pou

Wikipedia :   Serendipity  means   a "happy accident" or "pleasant surprise"; specifically, the accident of finding something good or useful without looking for it. I must admit that I was pleasantly surprised when I received a message from Angelo Di Costanzo .   Short, simple, to the point.  An invite to hang out at Abraxas to taste and talk about wine.   How could I turn that down?  It would be totally casual, there would be other sommeliers, restauranteers, wine writers and friends.  And  wine maker Vincenzo Mercurio and some of the wines from wineries that he works with. No, no wasn't an option.   Twenty or so wines; 10 whites, 10 reds, divided casually, cozily into 4 rounds.  The second glass of round three caught my attention.  An aglianico from I Favati .  The white label was familiar, similar to their Pietramara Fiano Di Avellino DOCG.   But this was an aglianico...vintage 2007, and as Angelo poured it into my glass, I sat up and took notice.