In This Issue
Blood Oranges in Winter
Crespelle recipe
New classes in US
2015 Tuscany Tours
At the Italian Table Supper Club
 Rosemary in February Bloom

Fennel & Blood Orange salad  
Quick Links
 

 

Trip Advisor reviews

 

 

2015 Food & Wine Tours


Tuscany:  

May 29 - June 5, 2015 

June 5 - June 12 - 2 spots left 

Sept 26 -Oct 3 - 4 spots left!   

 

Bologna & Tuscany

October 4 - 11

Napoli/Campania
Sept 16 - 22, 2015
  

Join us next year for a full immersion to the regions of Tuscany and Emilia Romagna - great food, wine, history and culture!   

 

Vacation Villas
& Farmhouses

Casa Marta
Great accommodations for either a night or a week. When planning your stay in Italy, begin your 'country living' on a Saturday and depart the area the following Saturday for the best selection of villas and houses! 
Call for more information.
Contact Mary: 972.342.8308 
  
Find us on Facebook
Join Our Mailing List
Ecco La Cucina Cookbook

gina's cookbook  

 

Gina's revised and updated cookbook is available. It has more than 20 new recipes! This collection of traditional Tuscan cooking, features dishes of the Siena area and some of her favorites. 

CLICK HERE TO ORDER 

Ciao a tutti,
Will winter ever leave us?! We know that most of North America has been experiencing one of the coldest, snowiest winters in years. Don't despair - spring will arrive! In Tuscany the winter has been mild and many of the flowers are poking out early, even the rosemary. Here it is in full bloom...in late February! (to the left)

We are looking forward to being in Italy this spring - we have 2 spots for our June tour, if you're interested call Mary. More info below!

Here's something to keep your minds off the cold - blood oranges. Read on about them and a favorite winter recipe.

Buon Appetito!
Gina and Mary

Blood Oranges in Winter      


I tasted my first blood orange the first winter we were in Verona when I was six.  They were newly arrived at our local market from Sicily, and we thought what a wonderful place Sicily must be to have such beautiful ruby red oranges when everyone else had snow.  We looked forward to their arrival every year and greatly missed them when we moved back to the United States, where all the oranges were, well, orange.   

 

Blood oranges, or tarocco in Italy, are a late crop and come to the market after all the tiny mandarins and clementines are finished.  In Tuscany I see them as late as May, picked in the winter and held till the spring.  While the skin can be orange or pale red, the inside is a beautiful dark maroon.click hereto finish reading and get the recipe   

Crespelle with Nutella

Crepes:  makes about 25
2 � cup flour
4 eggs, beaten
2 tbsp melted butter
2 cups milk, more if needed
dash nutmeg
� teas salt

 

Mix liquid ingredients together, make a well in the flour and add the liquid ingredients to the flour.  Whisk together, add salt and nutmeg. Strain the crepes batter through a fine sieve to remove any lumps.   

 

Using a non-stick skillet or crepes pan, heat a small amount of butter or oil, add a small scoop of the batter to the heated pan, tilting and turning the pan quickly to evenly distribute the batter before it sets. The crespelle should be thin and even. Turn the crespelle as soon as it is cooked through, before the bottom browns. Stack them on top of each other as they are done. They won't stick together, cover with plastic  wrap and keep in the fridge.

 

For the sauce: Slice 2-3 oranges, enough for each person to have 2-3 slices.  Melt 2 tbsp butter with 1 tbsp sugar the juice of one orange in a saut� pan, add the orange slices and tbsp Grand Marnier or Cointreau and allow to cook for 2 minutes.  To serve, place two crepes on each plate, arrange 2-3 orange slices on top and pour a small amount of sauce over all. The orange slices should be eaten peel and all.
 

To warm the crepes: Place a teaspoon of Nutella on a crepe, fold in half, then half again so the crepe forms a triangle.   Place the triangles on a baking sheet like shingles, one overlapping the other, and put in a 350� oven for 5 minutes.

Winter Touring - Kansas City

Gina has added a few more dates this spring in the U.S. If you'd like a private dinner class or know a good venue, please contact Mary and we'll try to schedule something for you!

 

Kansas City (Lee's Summit): A Thyme for Everything cooking school: April  10.
(Class sign up)

 

Jasper's Restaurant, April 9 (Tuscan dinner)

Call for reservations: (816) 941-6600 

2015 Tuscany Tours
We're dreaming of escaping back to Tuscany this
June and September/October and hope you'll join us on our highly rated food and wine tours! Whether you're looking to celebrate a life event or Italy is on your bucket list, our small intimate food and wine tours are a excellent way to experience the real Italy. It is a wonderful balance of wine, food, culture and history.
Join us this year. Click here to see a sample itinerary. 

There is also a special request to repeat our tour to Naples and Campania and we're looking forward to the pizza, seafood and mozzarella of that region. More information on our website.
Tuscan countryside
At the Italian Table dinner series  
Gina's private dinner series - "At the Italian Table" has kicked off to rave reviews in Louisville.
Click here to read learn more about the supper club on our website and how to be a part of it.
Each month Gina hosts a small, intimate dinner party. Call it a "pop-up", a supper club or underground dinner club, but whatever the name Gina is delivering excellent food and a unique experience. Contact: Gina - [email protected]