A Visit to La Champagneria Orvieto

During my tour of Umbria this October with my group of twelve people we visited my friend’s, Velia DeAngelis, Champagneria in Orvieto, located behind the Duomo in Piazza Marconi 2.

This delightful champagne bar serves the most delicious appetizers and has a wonderful selection of champagnes.  We could have stayed here the entire evening!  We came a little on the early side because we had dinner reservations for later that evening but next time I will definitely skip the dinner.  No need for dinner when you can indulge in all the wonderful appetizers at this bar.  We had everything from roasted olives to stuffed foccaccia and more!  Velia DeAngelis is a fantastic chef!  She uses only the freshest of ingredients.  Two hours of pure indulgence!  As  we departed that evening, we all spied the fruit tart on the bar counter.  She happily sliced off a piece for each of us.  We all marveled at the buttery and tender crust and the savory fruit filling.  It was beyond compare!

It was a great way to start our busy week exploring Umbria, it’s food and especially it’s wines.

When I return to Orvieto, which I hope is soon, I am definitely returning to La Champagneria Orvieto.  I encourage you to go to this bar and tell them Gourmet Getaways sent you.  You will not be disappointed.

For Your Dining Pleasure – Visit Resto!

If you haven’t been to Resto in Madison New Jersey you are missing the best meal of your life !

 I took a group of 20 people for dinner and a dessert demo and it was truly outstanding!

The décor at this restaurant resembles a small bistro in Paris with beautiful artwork decorating the walls.  We were presented with a menu consisting of:

Mussels with saffron and white wine sauce as the appetizer, and Pan Seared Scallops with onions and leeks ragout as the main course for the evening.

Robert Ubaus, the owner and chef, explained each of the dishes that were presented to us.  He also spoke to us about ‘healthy eating’ considerations especially when you are dining out.

 After we finished our main course, Robert, gave us a cooking demonstration on making crepes, which was our dessert!  Topped off with whipped cream infused with Calvados.  During the demonstration he educated us on the making of Calvados! 

 It was an evening full of good food and great company.  So all you foodies out there you must give this restaurant a try!  It will be sure to enlighten your taste buds!  Bring your own wine and enjoy!

By the way he is in the process of expanding his facilities this December but you really need to call in advance to make those reservations.   When he opens the adjoining section, he will be serving both lunch and dinner and brunch on Sundays!

Buon Appetito!

Shopping for Fresh Pasta in Rome !

While on tour in Rome, our chef, Daniela, took us shopping for our fresh pasta at Pasta Fresca Mea, across the street from the Testaccio market in Rome.  This store has been in existence since 1947.  While we were there they were busy making fresh lasagna, spinach and cheese stuffed cannelloni, and tortellini stuffed with pumpkin, which is very popular in Rome during the fall.

Their display case was full of fresh ravioli, tagliatelle, gnocchi di patate, Roman rice balls and more!  Daniela ordered fresh fettuccini, which was cut to order.  This was a necessary ingredient for the fettuccini with artichokes and pancetta.

 If you are ever in the Testaccio area of Rome you must stop by, but do it early in the morning when they are busy creating their pastas!  While you are there don’t forget to visit Volpetti, a specialty food store at Via Marmorata 47.

Cooking Roman Dishes in Rome!

While on my tour of Italy this fall I took my group for a cooking lesson in Rome.  Our chef, Daniela, met us for a tour of the Testaccio Markets.  First we went into a pasta store and watched as they made all the pastas by hand.  They were busy filling cannelloni, making lasagna and tortellini.  Then we crossed the street and entered the market area, which was filled with fresh vegetables, fish, meats, fresh breads and fruits. We finished purchasing all our fresh ingredients and then we walked to her apartment in the Aventine hill section of Rome. 

We were quite excited to get started. We gathered around her kitchen and reviewed the recipes while we sipped our cup of espresso. The lesson consisted of:  fettuccini with artichokes (in season of course), veal saltimboca (using only the freshest of sage, which was picked from her herb garden), and a delicious dessert made with ricotta cheese and chocolate.  Some of us participated and others watched!  This is the advantage of a small intimate group.  Now we were ready to taste the fruits of our labor!  We sat at a beautiful table set with fresh flowers and beautiful linens, which only enhanced Daniela’s hospitality. Our meal began with fresh ricotta cheese and bruschetta topped with red ripe tomatoes, which you can only find in Rome.  The fettuccini with the artichokes and pancetta was out of this world. The hand made fettuccini was so light and tender.  The veal Saltimboca was better than any restaurant could have prepared.  The chocolate ricotta dessert was so light and delicious.  It was presented with chocolate gelato topped with candied orange pieces. Let us not forget the after dinner drinks. Is your mouth watering yet? Daniela is the perfect host and chef.   We had a most enjoyable lesson and now we were ready to walk back to the center of Rome. 

If you are at all interested in taking a cooking lesson allow Gourmet Getaways to make the connection for you.  It is quite the experience!  And should not be missed

Great Gelato here in New Jersey!

Attention all you ice cream lovers!  When I go to Italy I must indulge my cravings for gelato and have been known for having it more than once in one day!  Ice cream does not come close to the creaminess and light texture of gelato.  Now I will say that all gelato, in Italy, is not equal.

 The other day I was going to a meeting in Florham Park, NJ and a sign caught my attention:  Angelato’s Heavenly Ice Cream (Florham Park, NJ).  Needless to say after the meeting I had to investigate this new ice cream store.  Ice cream?  It offered every imaginable flavor of gelato !  Upon entering, I thought I was in Italy between the display of gelato to the ambiance of the place.  So of course I tasted a few flavors.  It was heavenly !  The next evening my son, who is equally crazy over gelato, and I took the ride to Angelato’s.  I kept saying, ’It is worth the ride’.

As we entered our taste buds were in over drive.  They kept offering us tastings and then finally we settled upon our favorite flavor, noccello, which is made from hazelnuts. We were in heaven !  This is a well worth the visit.

The Best Pizza in New Jersey!

Recently I had a pizza at AMANO, a pizzeria in Bergen County N.J. I must tell you that it was the best pizza this side of the Atlantic Ocean. Having been to Italy in November 2008 with my family we made an effort to eat pizza at a very old pizzeria in Naples, Da Michele. The pizza at Amano comes very very close to an authentic Neapolitan pizza. The pizzas are cooked in wood burning ovens, which were built by Neapolitan Artisans and will reach temperatures of 1000 degrees. Everything from the flour to the cheese is imported from Naples. It had a think crust and the dough was very tender. They will create your own personal size pizza, which you will not have trouble finishing. Bring a good bottle of wine and buon appetito! Don’t forget to have some gelato to finish off your meal. Again all the ingredients are from Italy. By the way, A Mano means by hand in Italian.

The Best of the Sorrento Hotels!

During my last trip with my family to Italy, I combined business with pleasure and chose to visit the Amalfi Coast, Rome and Orvieto.  I thought it was best to revisit Sorrento, one of my favorite towns, and stay at the Excelsior Victoria Hotel located in the heart of Sorrento. Although I have stayed here before, its excellent accomdationg staff and charm continue to exceed my expectations.  Truly it is deserving of its five star rating and membership in ‘The Leading Small Hotels of the World’.  Each room is beautifully appointed each with its own unique character.  This time we enjoyed a seaview room, which included a breath taking view.  Each morning we were able to sit on the balcony and watch the local fisherman in the Bay of Naples with Mt. Vesuvius in the far background.  It was very relaxing and peaceful.

 

There are spectacular suites at this hotel which are attractively decorated, as well as garden view rooms, and classic and deluxe sea view rooms.  All bathrooms are luxurious with lush towels and robes.

 

Each evening you can sit in the lobby and enjoy the pianist while sipping your evening aperitif.  You may be fortunate enough one evening to enjoy the delicious and mouth-watering chocolates prepared by the chef.  I am a self- professed  chocoholic.  I have tasted many different chocolates prepared by different chocolatiers, and I have never tasted anything that compares to these delectable chocolates!  Ever!

 

The breakfast buffet is amazing.  The selection of breakfast foods will satisfy the most finicky eater.  Don’t leave the hotel without having dinner.  Chef Vincenzo is very talented!

 

The Excelsior Victoria is a luxury hotel with gracious charm.  It is surrounded by lemon and lime trees, beautiful gardens, and is situated on a cliff overlooking the Mediterranean.  There is a holistic spa, where you may feel compelled to indulge yourself, as well as a large swimming pool.  The manager, Nicolino Grigio, vigilantly manages this hotel with utmost care

 

Gourmet Getaways highly recommends this hotel and if you book through its services and stay three nights, you will certainly be taken care of and will be entitled to an exclusive offer, which in today’s economy is a definite bonus.  Spoil yourself and create those  recession proof memories which will only appreciate in value and yield dividends for years to come!

 

 

An Evening with Katie Parla!

The other evening I was fortunate enough to spend time with Katie at a wine tasting and 4-couse dinner at Clydz Restaurant in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

 

The evening began with each of the 12 dinner guests toasting the start of a wonderful experience with Proseco.   As each course was presented to us, Katie introduced each wine specifically chosen to enhance that particular course.  As the wines were introduced, Katie educated us about its history and regional characteristics.  We began the tasting with a white wine from the Campania region of Italy, which was paired with four different cheeses.  The second course, a smoked tagliatelle with wild boar sausage and broccoli rabe, was accompanied by a red wine, which was my favorite,  Apollinio Salice Salentino.  Our main course, we had a choice of beef, lamb, or fish with potatoes and sautéed artichokes.  Each of the choices were perfectly presented and all of us enjoyed another fantastic red wine,  Vigne Irpine Taurasi.  We concluded the evening with a choice of three desserts, all delicious, presented with a marsala wine.

 

It was a wonderful time.  Everyone appreciated Katie’s exceptional knowledge about each of the wines presented. 

 

I am certainly looking forward to future food and wine tastings with Katie Parla.

Religious Pilgrimage in Italy 2009

Montacassino in Italy

April 17-26 2009

 

Day 1:  Depart Newark airport.

 

Day 2:  Upon arrival in Rome you will be met by your tour escort and transferred to Norcia in approximately 2 hours.  Visit the main basilica dedicated to St. Benedict.  Continue to Assisi.  Check into your hotel.  Dinner included.

 

Day 3:  After breakfast you will begin your full day tour of Assisi, visits to the Church of St. Clare, tour the Basilica of St. Francis, visit the Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli .  Dinner and overnight at the hotel.  Mass will be celebrated at the Basilica.

 

Day 4:  Early morning departure from Assisi  with a stop in Loreto to visit the house of the Virgin Mary.  Continue en route with a stop at Lanciano to visit the Eucharistic Miracle.  Mass will be celebrated in Lanciano.  Arrive in Rome and check into your hotel.  Dinner included.

 

Day 5:  After breakfast you will have a full day touring St. Paul’s sites, St. Paul Outside the Walls,  Abbey of the Three Fountains,  Catacombs of St. Sabastian.  Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

 

Day 6:  After breakfast you will be transferred to the Vatican for a Papal Blessing.  In the afternoon you will have a walking tour of Rome visiting the many ancient sites of Rome and concluded at the Coliseum.  Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

 

 

 

Day 7: Today you will have a tour of the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel, the Basilica of St. Peter,  St. John the Lateran and the Holy Stairs and St. Croce in Jerusalem .  Dinner at the hotel and overnight.

 

 

 

Day 8: Depart for San Giovanni in Rotondo for a full day of religious activities in San Giovanni Rotondo.  In the afternoon, visit the convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie where Padre Pio lived.  Mass will be celebrated at the Tomb of Padre Pio.  Afternoon you will visit the village of  Monte Sant’Angeloto visit the Cave of St. Michael.  Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

 

 

Day 9:  After breakfast you will be transferred to Rome stopping in Pietralcina, Padre Pio’s home town.  Celebrate mass at the church of the Piana Romana.  Your next stop will be Montecassino to visit the abbey of St. Benedict.  Upon arrival of Rome you will check into your hotel and have dinner.

 

 

 

Day 10:  Depart for the Rome Airport for your flight back to the USA.

 

Price:  $2999.00 based on Double occupancy

Single Supplement charge of $450.00

Included:  airfare, hotels and religious homes, breakfasts, dinners, tips for the driver and tour guides, motor coach, guides.

Not Included:  Lunches and other personal expenses.

Accommodations are in religious houses and 3 star hotels.

 

Flight Information:  Alitalia Airlines

Depart Newark on April 17 at 5:30pm and arrive in Rome at 7:35am on April 18.

Depart Rome  on April 26 at 10:20am and arrive in Newark at 2:10pm

 

Please call for details:  Marlene Iaciofano at 973 644 0906

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mamma Agata’s Famous Lemon Cake.

Mamma’s famous lemon cake!

This fall I combined business with pleasure and took my family to Italy. Having been to Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast last year I thought I would repeat some of those exceptional days again, however this time we would all take a cooking class with Mamma Agata in Ravello. We arrived in Sorrento on a Sunday and checked into our hotel. (More about that later!) Early Monday morning we left the hotel and arrived at Mamma Agata’s about 10:30AM. Before I begin telling you about the lesson, let me first describe this magical place perched high on the cliffs above Amalfi.

As the door to Mamma’s house opened and we walked down the steps we were greeted with a panoramic view of the Bay of Salerno, Italian music, and Chiara, Mamma Agata’s daughter and translator.
The morning began with a tasting of Mamma Agata’s famous lemon cake. Every mouthful was bursting with the taste of lemons. After we introduced ourselves to the other members of the class we began our demonstration cooking class in a state-of-the-art kitchen overlooking Ravello. As we all watched, with notebooks in hand, we also tasted different cheeses, pickled pumpkin, and olives and sipped local wines.