Tomato Passata sauce, part 1
Tomato Passata sauce, part 2
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 Black pasta made with coffee served with a walnut cream and a dash of Whisky Yesterday, in Italy, the Christmas holidays were officially over. On January the 6, Epiphany day ,it is tradition for a witch with cape and broom to bring lots of sweets to the children (if they were good during the past year) or charcoal, made of sugar (if they were bad). These delicacies are left by the mystery witch in a large sock and children normally devour everything in one day. The next day most are left with a bad belly and many cavities … … but that’s another story! When I was small my brothers and I received a good mixture of sweets and charcoal, plus in the great sock there were always lots and lots (too many) of Clementine’s !!!!!! The message behind the Clementines is still not clear to me ,but maybe the witch that came to our house was obsessed with healthy fruit ? Who knows, but we were not too impressed about it!
Anyway, back to 2012. This weekend, although we could have happily carried on with the idle festive life, Nick and I decided to be productive, there are 10 kilos of olives to put in jars with garlic and chili, we need to build a safe area for the new chickens that are arriving next week (new friends for Hilda the lonely goat) …yes, in short, a lot of country stuff waiting to be done! We also have some new ideas and projects for this coming year, so it is time to roll up our sleeves and start working … … ..BUT the problem is ….who has the energy or inclination to do all this after spending nearly two weeks celebrating???
So to get the ball rolling I decided to make this ,my new recipe, on Friday for dinner : Black pasta made with coffee served with a walnut cream and a dash of Whisky! I have called this creation “Pasta al caffè corretto” . It was really very good but as yet we have not noticed any great desire to continue with this active creativity over the weekend.
However, although a bit delayed we do hope your new year has had a good start and will continue to be good to you. Ciao. Continue reading The parties over!! »
 A Pearl of Fish fillet with radicchio , semi mature goat cheese and raisins.
They say time flies when you’re having fun . So , I must of been having a whale of a time because this year has gone by extremely fast . Thinking about it , it has been pretty enjoyable . First of all there were the cooking courses at my home , which gave me the chance to meet and share the joys of cooking with such a lot of different people. Then there was the start of our monthly supper club , which couldn’t have gone any better. It really was met with such kindness and enthusiasm by so many fantastic new friends.
Slowly , my confidence has grown and I hope to keep on improving with my cooking, so that 2012 will be an even more enjoyable year and I’ll get the chance to meet even more wonderful people.
I just want to take this moment to thank you all for being a part of Sagra in Casa and to wish you a really happy Christmas and a wonderful New Year. BUON NATALE !!! Continue reading Buon Natale!!! »
 Tagliatelle and wild mushrooms
The other morning as I was making the coffee ,Nick who had been outside letting our goat Hilda into the field, came running in ,grabbed a basket , a knife and hurried back out . Five minutes later he returned with a mountain of wild mushrooms. Fantastico ! Especially as there was little rain this autumn and mushrooms were few and far between. Over the last couple of weeks though , the weather has changed dramatically and every morning is wet and misty.
Now ,getting back to our basket full of wild funghi .The only problem was how to determine if they were edible or not ! The high risk past time of mushroom foraging has never been one of our pastimes . I say high risk , because apparently the main recipient of a Viper bite is the humble mushroom picker. Little do people know about the dangers involved in mushroom gathering. Not only is there the risk of Vipers ,but combine that with the very real chance that your choice of mushroom is highly poisonous , makes wild Boar hunting seem like child’s play. Death stalks these friendly folk with every step!
Ok , I’m exaggerating . But , picking the right kind is obviously very important. Luckily for us there is a type of edible mushroom that used to grow by a tree in our garden. The tree is no longer there ,but the mushrooms have reappeared. So , were these the same type ?
There was only two ways to find out . One of us should volunteer to try one , but we were both slow at putting a hand up or… take the basket and drive down to where our friend and avid mushroom hunter, Ansano was working.
Off I went ….. Ansano was thrilled. “ yes ,yes these are perfetti with pasta or risotto “ he said. “ Plus , these are the least venomous of all the mushrooms in the area”. Great ,I couldn’t of wished for a better response . That evening we enjoyed a great big plate of Tagliatelle ai Funghi . It was delicious !! And the best part was , we didn’t even have to take any risks !! Continue reading Perfetti with pasta or risotto !! »
 Crispy prawn swards with poppy seeds.
Ladies and Gentlemen , I did it !! No, I’m not confessing to a crime . I’m just letting you know that last Sunday, I managed to pass my Sommelier exam . After a lot of worrying and of course ,last minute studying , everything went ok.
The test was in the morning and the results were going to be delivered in the evening , by phone . That left a lot of time on my hands to fret about the outcome . To take my mind off of things , I decided to practice the dishes for our next supper club . A four course fish menu.
What a lovely way to spend an afternoon . Slowly preparing and cooking a Sunday meal by an open fireplace. Before I knew it , time was flying by and my thoughts were no longer on the exam . Instead , I was happily enjoying myself mixing , frying and roasting . As the hours passed, Nick and I , cooked ,photographed and then ate every course.
Eventually , the phone rang . “CONGRATULAZIONI !!! , Tu sei passata ! “ Well , I must say I was a little shocked. I had been thinking ,that I would probably have to continue the course next year. Fortunately , I already had a glass of wine in hand . So , all that was needed to be said was “CHEERS !!!”.
 Chestnut mousse Officially winter begins in December . Not that I have to look at a calendar to realize that . I can pretty much guess by the amount of clothing Nick and I are wearing around the house . Over the last couple of months , the layers we’ve been rapping ourselves in have gradually increased. At this point in time we look like a couple of over sized , giant onions. The type you see at super markets , when an unfortunate employee has been forced to wear a monster vegetable outfit and staggers around scarring the children.
We do have two fire places down stairs which help to stop us from freezing to death, but upstairs we have no heating. Ok , that’s not exactly true. We also have the radiator’s, but to be honest with you , the cost of gas, stops us from putting them on. That privilege is reserved for when we have guests. On those days the heating is turned on a couple of hours before they arrive. Then we have the pleasure of climbing out, from beneath a mounting of clothing and emerge to greet our guest ,looking almost normal. The house gives off the impression of being from some sort of TV commercial, advertising the joys of a life spent warm and comfortable.
Unfortunately , these moments are short lived , as no sooner have our guests put on their coats to leave , Nick has disappeared to turn the heating off. He likes to tell me about , how growing up in London the winters were long and cold . He and his sisters would huddle around the little gas fire trying to keep warm. Only, to be beaten back by the family cat ,who was not about to give up her prime position without a fight. Actually , he admits that our house is even colder than the one he grew up in. As he likes to say “ bloody Nora , it’s brass monkey’s in here “. I think that roughly translates as “ it’s freezing “.
In fact, it’s not only us in this situation . Just about everybody we know, living in these old country houses has the same experience. Often the conversation will involve , whether or not , you have enough wood to last the winter.
Getting back to December , I just want to point out that the last Supper Club event for 2011 , will be on the 18th. It isn’t booked yet. So please , somebody hurry up and book . It’s the only way I can get Nick to turn the heating on.
 Mediterranean Chicken Hi Simona what is boiling in the pot? This is the message I received yesterday from a reader of the blog! And so here I am to write a few lines about what has been happening. To explain things in order I will say: Cooking, drinking and studying, but let’s go step by step.
Cooking: At the Supper Club last Sunday, for the first time, the guests included some Italians, which not only made me very happy but also a bit nervous. Italians are very critical about food, eating a bad meal is, for us , a bit like having a little catastrophe in life, we will talk and criticise it for months. So the tension was very high for me but I am happy to be able to say the lunch went really well and the guests loved every single dish. Great, test passed ,my life is saved!
The week had only just begun and I had no idea that I would face more severe food critics later in the week. After spending a day in Rome to follow my ongoing professional chef course, I was called on Tuesday night and asked to cook a dinner for a fantastic couple and their guests who I met during one of my Supper Clubs. Great, I thought, the menu was decided and I was ready for it. The guests began to arrive and on this occasion there were mostly Italians and among them was the Mayor of Orvieto. Mamma mia , I thought, let’s hope everything goes ok. The owners had a wonderful kitchen and it was a pleasure to cook there. Although, I do not know how or when, I did manage to shut the owner’s cat in a drawer ….I kept hearing a loud ` miaou `and finally there he was, in the bottom drawer! Anyway apart from that everything went wonderfully well, so well that the Mayor has invited me to cook for his wife because, `she is a great food lover and she will enjoy your food `he said. So … a great result….you know, for me, it was a little bit like receiving the keys to the city!
Drinking: During my Sommelier course I had the opportunity, in the last few weeks, to test some amazing wines. Our teacher decided we should meet once a week and taste some wines that economically we could never manage to buy. His idea was that each participant could pay a few euro and be part of a different world wine experience. So lucky me I was able to sample some beautiful wines that, because of this great idea ,became accessible to us mere mortals ! Fantastic, don’t you think?
With regards to the study: the subject is painful because I have not had much time to do any and unfortunately my final Sommelier exam is now very very close. I have only a few days and three books to study. So in the end I decided to follow Nick’s advice: focus on the practice of drinking good wine and eating something good with it. Plus, he said, he would be glad to help me on that. Nice, he isn’t it?
So yesterday I made this Mediterranean chicken and with a good glass of red wine and knives and forks at the ready, Nick and I got stuck into the studying!
 Small knots of green paste made with parsley, filled with chestnut and ricotta cheese and served with Pioppini mushrooms . A few weeks ago, on a beautiful Autumn afternoon ,we went to meet our good friend Fumo . He had kindly offered to introduce us to some other local people who kept goats. Our mission was to check out some possible homes for Hilda ( regular readers will know the background to this story ).
We agreed to meet at the local cemetery ( in hindsight , I should have taken this to be a bad Oman ). Once there , Fumo hopped into our car and we started the bumpy journey into the surrounding hills. The Autumn colors were spectacular , orange , yellow and red. Really breath taking . Almost enough to take my mind of the fact that my head was being bashed against the car roof.
 Autumn vines around Allerona 
After a while, amongst a group of olive pickers we spotted one of the friends we had come to find .Fumo introduced us and we explained our mission. The Signora looked at Nick and began to gravely shack her head. Unfortunately she no longer had any goats . They had all been killed by a mixture of hunting dogs and wolves. “ Un Massacro !! “. Because of this they had decided not to keep any more . She was very sorry not to be able to help ,but suggested another couple further up the hill.
Off we went again , following an ever more bumpy track. Eventually in the distance we saw three rather large goats with impressive looking horns. . This must be the place. Once there we stopped the car and rang the bell.
We were welcomed in by a very friendly couple and began to retell our story. Again another sad shacking of the head. They were very sorry ,but all their female goats had been killed by wolves and they only had three males left. The ones we had seen on the hill.
O Mamma Mia ! Now I’m pretty sure those three old Billie’s would be very happy to have Hilda as a roommate. But , to be honest with you , she’s getting a bit old for all that . Plus, if the wolves didn’t kill her the three horny old Billie’s probably would !!
We thanked them and headed back . On the way , I couldn’t help thinking how very beautiful these hills are ,but at the same time how tough they can be. Especially if you’re a goat !
 A view of Ficulle village, from our window.
 driving back to Allerona  Allerona at dusk In the end we decided to keep Hilda at home with us. Perhaps , the answer will be to find some chickens. That way she wouldn’t be alone and we’d have a fresh supply of eggs and the occasional meal.
Later in the evening , whilst sitting by the fire ,I decided to balance out all this carnivorous activity with a nice vegetarian dish . Pasta d’Autunno . Full of Autumn flavor , but not for your average wolf ! Continue reading Not for your average Wolf !!! »
 Etruscan soup
Thursday afternoon I was in total panic, but let me start from the beginning . Some time ago I had been contacted to do a cooking class for a group of American students. The idea was to cook some local old recipes linked to the region . Great I thought and thanks.
Unfortunately the day before the lesson, I discovered that the group in question were not just students, but twenty eight professional chefs !! Don’t panic !!!
Orvieto , the location where the course was to take place is a beautiful medieval town. Set on a volcanic outcrop of rock, it’s impressive profile dominates the miles of vines that lie beneath it. Obviously , Orvieto is famous for its Classico wine. I’d probably need a glass just to calm my nerves.
The course leaders had asked me to prepare something quick that the chef’s would find interesting. Plus , to talk about some local history and products , in particular the growing of lentils and beans that have been connected to the area since Etruscan times.
O Mamma Mia ! Know not only was I terrified about what to cook ,but I’d have to start brushing up on my local history and more importantly , make sure I had plenty of time to practice my professional lecturers face in the mirror.
So , when Nick arrived home on Thursday evening he found me sitting at the kitchen table, head in hands, surround by historical pamphlets and recipes ( plus mirror).
One of the recipes I thought I could prepare has its roots in ancient Etruscan cooking . Even now local people still cook this tasty dish ( if it works don’t change it) . One of the main ingredients of the recipe is chestnuts. 500 grams , roasted on an open fire and then cleaned . A big job , but I knew just the man to do it…. Luckily , Nick was already sitting by the fire place with a glass of red wine. I mentioned that perhaps a few roasted chestnuts would go well with his wine and when he agreed , dropped the sack in his lap. Done !!
The day after , my lesson was a success, the soup was fantastic, the students loved our freshly crushed Extra virgin olive oil I took for them to taste. Plus , I didn’t forget to mention a bit of my own local history , Lui the dog , Hilda the goat , the vegetable garden and of course my hard working husband .
In short I was very happy about it all , especially the fact that I even had enough roasted chestnuts left over to make a little pasta dish. I’ll show you that next time ,but for now I’ll leave you with the Etruscan soup recipe.
So ,light the fire and set the table . You don’t have to be livening in the dark ages to enjoy eating this dish. Continue reading If it works don’t change it ! »
 Jackie's pumpking soup
This week has been once again full of activate . First off, we had the olives to pick . Two days of intensive labor . Thanks to our friends and family we managed to pick a bumper crop ( 450 kg ), which we hope when crushed will give us about 55 liters of Extra virgin olive oil . Thanks to the good weather and most of all the hard work put in by everyone ,we should be dripping in oil for a year.
Then on Monday morning , with two cars sagging under the weight of olives ,I left home first to drop the olives off to be crushed and then from there headed to Rome for the second lesson in my cooking course. Fantastic , I like to be busy .
When I arrived home today , I wanted to cook something quick and easy ,but also very tasty and seasonal. Seeing how Monday was Halloween , I thought let’s do a pumpkin soup !
When Nick’s mum Jackie was over last month she made a beautiful soup which we made with the first pumpkins of the season. Plus , because Halloween was Jackie’s birthday it felt like the right moment to try it again.
At this point I would just like to say a big , big thank you to Jackie for all the help she has put into my blog and a very happy birthday !
So , try the soup I think you’ll enjoy it even if Halloween is over ! Continue reading Happy birthday Jackie ! »
 Ravioli filled with pumpkin, ricotta cheese amaretti biscuits and nutmeg, served in butter and sage I am very sorry if you have been worrying about what has happened to me but the last week has been very hectic ( no we haven’t left the hand brake off the car again and no there hasn’t been another wolf attack ). Fortunately, everything has been very positive . Firstly I met Marcia Vanderlip, an American journalist from the Columbia Tribune, Missouri. She had decided to write a piece about me whilst Travelling around Italy writing about food. A friend had mentioned my blog ( bloody Nora somebody , actually reads it ) and she contacted me.
I was very excited , if not a little nervous ,but Marcia was very kind and I felt at home with her strait away. Together we made the Raviolli you can see above.( READ THE ARTICLE HERE).
Then on Sunday we hosted our fourth Supper Club , the first inside . After preparing the food and laying the table , all that was left was to get the fire blazing. Once all this was done ,Nick reasoned that with less sitting space ( meaning fewer guests) he wasn’t really needed , then grabbed Lui and disappeared for the afternoon. So ,if you’re wondering where all the pictures are ,blame the photographer !
 Table set up and ready for my guests  In my kitchen Fortunately , I had everything under control and the day past without a hitch.
Then on the Monday I was off to Rome for the first of a series of cooking courses that will be one night a week for two months. Unbelievable , not only will I get the chance to improve my cooking skills ,but I’ll also get the chance to do some serious shopping !!!
Continue reading From Allerona to Missouri. »
 Strozzapredi pasta with chestnut cream and black truffle
On Sunday morning it was my turn to open the barn door for Hilda and make coffee for us. The sky was a deep blue and the air fresh and clean. It seemed the beginning of a fantastic day. Then all of a sudden I realized that something was not right, our Jeep was missing!!
The first thing I thought was that someone had stolen her. But, then I remembered that the keys were on the kitchen table . Why would somebody go through the hassle of hot wiring a car when right next to where the jeep had been was our little green Fiat, unlocked and with the key’s in the ignition. ( I know that this must sound strange to you….but we are in the country side…and here no one locks their cars ).
I couldn’t work it out, but the car was gone. Immediately I called Nick and together we stood outside wondering what could have happened.
There was no other option. The jeep had been stolen . We’d have to phone the Carabinieri and inform them… Then just as we turned to go back in the house and finish our coffee ,we had a small breakthrough in the case . Nick noticed that there were very faint tire marks in the grass … … .. going down the hill across our field and disappearing amongst the bushes and trees about a 100 meters away !!! Off we went following the trail . Suddenly there she was, stuck half way up a bank and wedged against a tree, leaning dangerously on her side looking ready to roll over at any moment.
At that point and much to our embarrassment , our neighbors began to gather ( some still in their pajamas ). Everybody stood there trying to work out exactly how Nick had managed to park the car like that !
Mamma mia, it was just 8.30 am on a Sunday morning and we hadn’t even managed to have our coffee ,yet. .. It was time for a confession.” Ok , it’s my fault ,said Nick .I must have forgotten to put the hand brake on yesterday and there was an extremely strong wind last night”.
Everybody agreed that must have been what happened and much to our delight offered to help us get the jeep out.
Fortunately, Gianni and Simona had a small tractor to do the towing, plus our other neighbors Alessandra e Sante had a chainsaw we could use to start cutting her free . We were all ready. Once , Gianni had taken his tractor down the hill and attached a rope we started cutting the branches wedged under the car. Everybody got involved and with a lot of good hummer we started to drag the jeep back up the hill.
With the car returned to its proper parking space ,we thanked all our neighbors and everybody returned home ( if not a little upset that the show was over ) to their morning coffee.
We were very happy that although the car had been through a lot there didn’t seem to be any real damage .
I can’t help thinking how relaxed Nick was throughout the whole episode and wonder if he would have been the same if it had been my fault ! You know how men can be about their cars. Anyway , now I can have the fun of reminding him of this little incident whenever necessary!!
That evening we celebrated our good fortune for having such friendly and helpful neighbors with a very tasty pasta and a good glass of wine. Continue reading Car trouble »
 Calamarata pasta with sundried tomatoes and burrata cheese
I understand the English say “I`m in two minds ” this certainly applies to me because (1) I am really sad our wonderful summer is over, but (2) very excited and pleased autumn is here because a few weeks ago I started my third and final level to become a Sommelier, and now things start to become serious! What I mean is that from yesterday afternoon, the lessons will take place directly in a restaurant. Great news for me, because one of the reasons that prompted me to start this long adventure was to learn the right harmony and combination between food and wine. So from now on I will not just be tasting different types of wine but also eating different foods prepared by local chefs!! Isn`t that great?
So just for those of you who have no idea where my sublime experience is happening …. here it is a photo of Orvieto.
 Orvieto Anyway, last night after having tasted three wines and a little bit of food, I went home STARVING .
Yes because my point it’s learning and not just stuffing my faces with food! So back home I was ready to start things seriously, enjoy a good meal, a glass of good wine and relax with my husband. The good news was ,Nick luckily, had prepared the dinner, but the bad news was we had to wait an hour and a half before it was ready to come out of the oven ! Mamma mia it was already 9pm!!!
Of course, I couldn`t wait ,so while I was chatting to Nick about my new discoveries of the wine and culinary world, it took me 10 minutes to prepare this quick and fresh finger food…. just a little something to put in our stomach while we were waiting. Luckily for us we also had a nice white wine in the fridge that went reasonably well with the finger food…. so the evening began and the time flew by .
My conclusion for the evening is that while there are many things that I have to learn about food and wine, one thing is very clear to me : when the atmosphere is right, things rarely seem to go wrong with a meal !! Continue reading Back to school »
 Ricotta cheese and chocolate cake
This weekend we celebrated Nick’s birthday. Even though the actual day was Thursday ,he has decided one day is not enough . So , every year he expects birthday privileges for at least 3 day’s ( he has suggested that maybe this should be increased to a week ).
So , on Sunday , the last day of celebration, I made a Birthday cake . Not a traditional Birthday cake ,but a type that in Italy we would eat in the morning.
As I have said I’m not very strong on cakes , but this one seemed to come out the oven looking perfect. The smell was intoxicating. We decided to cut a slice and photograph it right away .
After the photo session ,obviously we decided to try it …. Delicious ! the birthday boy was happy!
Throughout the day a little slice of cake was tested again and again and again . By the end of the evening only one slice remained. Nick thought that perhaps this slice should be put aside for the morning. With the celebrations over he would need something to cheer him up !!!!!!!!
Continue reading A slice of life. »
 chicken breast with a pesto pocket wrap in ham
The weather here in Umbria is still very beautiful , the sun is still hot and we haven`t had any rain for days and days , it’s amazing when I think that this time last year we had started to light the fire in the house.
Because of this weather my vegetable garden is still going strong, the aubergines and chilies are still flourishing, and as for the tomatoes I have fifteen plants with lovely ripe fruits which are continuing to ripen. In fact I should be able to make another 8 or 9 jars of passata for the winter months, the only problem being is where to put them. The cupboards are full and even under the bed has been used.
I also made the most of these sunny days to plant some broccoli, cabbage, fennel and salad … …. Later, after so much hard work ,it didn`t help my aching back when a couple of old farmers ( 78 years old) shook their heads at my late planting. Because the rumor in the village is that very cold weather is coming soon. So my two old friends were very worried that all my little seedlings will suffer a trauma with the climate! MAMMA MIA I never do the right thing for these old farmers, with a smile on their faces and a pat on my shoulder, they proudly show me their winter plants : fennel cabbage, broccoli and everything is already MASSIVE … … … Ok ok I know “the land is low,” as my two friends always tell me and ” working the land is hard work and effort”. “Yes I know” I say to them ” this is why I have an incredible pain in my back” and my adorable little old men have a good laugh and tell me that MAYBE this year my winter vegetable garden will be ok ,” so well done, Brava Simona “they say…..but then they laugh again as they go on their way !!! I must admit that in the past I have always had bad luck with my winter vegetables, because the frost ruins the whole crop, this year I hope I will do better.
So please keep your fingers crossed for me and at the same time, try this fantastic recipe. I created it this summer and it has been a big success, so I’m very happy to share it with you. Ciao for now from me and both my old friends from Allerona village. Continue reading Older and wiser. »
 A few of the children squashing the grapes into the container. So many people came to help us with the harvest this year we just couldn`t believe it, again we are so grateful and send a big thank you to everybody for all your hard work.
But let’s start from the beginning : On Saturday afternoon at 2.30pm buckets , gloves and scissors were out ready for action. Slowly people started to arrive and the vineyard was filled with workers . 6 children and 16 grown-ups all ready to do their job. I could hear people chatting in each row, there were those who were here for the first time introducing themselves and those who were meeting up again for the first time since last year ,and of course the children laughing and joking , it was great! By 6pm more than half of the grapes in the vineyard had been collected .
So then it was time for everyone to have a quick refreshing wash ready for the party to start with cocktails and dinner. From the kitchen straight to the big wooden table under the porch we served a few starters, followed by Risotto with red grapes, Parmigiana and Lasagna … ..a few bottles of Prosecco to wash the dinner down and some good local wine ….. the evening was fantastic. There were people from the UK, Switzerland, America, Rome and local friends, and of course my family all happy and enjoying the evening in these beautiful green Umbrian hills.
The next day I was up relatively early and after a DOUBLE espresso went to pick up the rest of the people who had offered to come and help us collect the last of grapes. Amazingly on Sunday with adults and children we had 30 people helping. After a breakfast with bread and homemade jam at 10am they were all outside the house ready to start the second day of the harvest. What can I say.. almost one bunch of grapes per person, in fact there were more people then grapes ! So at 12am the harvest was over. My poor brother Riccardo and Nick looked exhausted after two days of carrying buckets full of grapes , but finally the container behind the tractor was full and all the pickers came back to the house ready for lunch.
In the meantime on Sunday morning I had been busy in the kitchen cooking making sure that we had enough food for everyone . My friend Estelle helped by peeling a mountain of potatoes and my brother Pierpaolo offered to take care of the BBQ.
Lunch was served: 5 appetizers, rigatoni pasta cooked with tomatoes and aubergine sauce , sausages gently cooked for 3 hours in grape juice , a big leg of pork slowly cooked for 5 hours in the oven with herbs ( Nick’s recipe), roast potatoes, bruschette with Evo oil salt and garlic and lovely chicken thighs cooked on the BBQ (by Pierpaolo) … … … … … a real treat!
 sausage in grape juice Of course we had a few moments of panic, especially when we realized that we didn`t have enough forks, plates and glasses for everyone (30 guests)! But luckily in the end , in a corner of the kitchen I found a stack of plates and paper cups, what a relief!. Unfortunately a few people still had to use a spoon to eat their meal but they didn`t seem to mind.
At the end of the evening, after everyone had gone home , Nick and I collapsed completely exhausted but very happy. We no longer had the strength to speak or raise a glass, so the next day after a good night’s sleep we decided to give ourselves a nice treat, a day of relaxation at the Thermal baths!
So once again we would just like to say a big big thank you to everyone for all your hard work and how we are looking forward to seeing you and anyone else wants to join us for the next event: the olive harvest in a month. Ciao
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