Under the Tuscan Sun

Today is my last day in Siena, Tuscany. I know, I'm a little sad about this. Only a little, since there are other places to go and things to see.

So today I decided to have a "day off" from site seeing. No plans.

After a nice, late breakfast and shower at La Locanda di San Martino, I wandered over to Piazza del Campo and sat in the morning sun watching the little kiddies run around chasing pigeons. It really ought to be a national sport. Silly pigeons; so focused on the possibility of food left from tourists, they don't have the sense (or desire) to fly off. Then a Jack Russell terrier and a very excitable dachshund started in on the game. Pre-schoolers, small dogs and birds...what could be more entertaining?

After that I headed over to the Siena Cathedral to sit on the white steps and soak up some more sun. Did I mention today is clear skies and 23 degrees? Slight breeze. Anyhow, sitting against the warm white stones, feeling the sun shine down on my arms and face...in late October. Amazing.

Time to stroll along the winding streets and do a little window shopping. After about two hours of walking, it was time for a late lunch. I found myself back at Piazza del Campo and opted for a little table, some fresh bruschetta pomodoro, some house pasta, a glass of wine, and you guessed it....more sunshine.

Next up was some gelato. It's absolutely true that Italy has the best gelato. I mean, Spain and Portugal come pretty close, but I think Italy has it down to a science. This time, I chose Cherry English Trifle and coconut. English Trifle in a gelato you say? Why yes! The gelato custard base is made and then a layer is spread into the pan. Pieces of sponge cake, amarena cherries and liqueur are then layered on top. Then more gelato custard base is spread on top. Repeat the layers. So good! And where did I eat my gelato? Why, sitting in the sun of course!

Back to wandering the streets. There are so many leather goods and pottery shops here. My mom has asked for a pair of brown leather boots. She and I are the same size shoe, as well as the same through the ankle and calf muscles. Which means if the boots fit me then they should fit her. I think she's going to really like the ones I bought her. And if she doesn't, well..... I really like them, and I know they fit me....so it's really a win-win situation.

Then it was time to head back to the hotel for a quick nap and to catch up with family back home. I also worked on some design sketches for a bit. I'm happy to report the new sketches are coming along nicely.

Dinner was at Osteria La Logge. This Michelin-rated restaurant is warm, inviting, and just a little quirky. I passed by the spot during the day and couldn't help smiling at the display of old trumpets used as candle holders in the window and the old weigh scales by the cash register. Also catching my attention were the large display windows into the kitchen, and that one of the windows was open with a screen in place. This meant that the kitchen is the star of this restaurant (as it should be), and that the restaurant is happy to display their working kitchen in hopes of enticing the people walking by. The open window let prospective guests (the restaurant does not advertise but replies on word of mouth) know that the kitchen is "open for conversation" and therefore approachable. And the wonderful aromas coming through the window definitely had people stopping to take a longer look. An interesting way of advertising, but it seemed to be working. I knew I needed to eat in this restaurant.

The lead server is Mirco. He was amazing at finding me a spot in an already-booked restaurant. If you do visit, be prepared that you might not be seated at your own table. I was seated at an oval table with two other men, but the table gave me a great view of the room. The kind gentlemen promptly offered me some of their Brane- Cantena Margaux 2000 Gran Cru (yes, a French wine in Italy....even Italians get tired of their own wines I guess). Already in the room (and in full swing) was a party of ten gentlemen from various states in the United States. They were visiting the area on business. More on this gang a little later.

The space used to be a pharmacy, and still retains the beautiful cabinetry; now filled with books, glassware, bottles of grappa and scotch, as well as limited edition bottles of wine. A cabinet of additional glassware by the kitchen proudly displays snapshots of famous guests including Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Stiller and Morgan Freeman.

And what a kitchen! High end Italian kitchens tend to be laid out in a square format, rather than the traditional "kitchen line" I'm used to in North America. Essentially, each cook works in their space on their particular item (garde manger, veg, meat, etc), and then bring their item to the center island to plate. This, to me, seems to cause less confusion, less shouting of "BEHIND", and ensures each station has access to the plate, which means in theory it would leave the kitchen sooner. And as a result, all of my dishes arrived within great time.

The food was fantastic. I started with a simple pappardelle with house ragu. Noodles and meat sauce, right? I didn't want this dish to end; I could have ordered another portion it was so good. The meat sauce was somehow both robust in flavour and light in texture at the same time. The noodles were spot on.

As soon as my plate was cleared, it was replaced with my second course, stuffed rabbit. The medallions were crispy on the outside while moist on the inside and stuffed with spinach, rosemary and salvia.

Somewhere (and somehow) between my dinner plate being removed and my dessert arriving I ended up invited to the table of 10 Americans; who as it turns out were with Jackson Family Fine Wines .....Freemark Abbey, Hartford Family Wines, Kendall-Jackson, La Crema, Stonestreet...and Tenuta di Arceno, which produces Chianti Classico and Chianti Classico Reserva under winemaker Lawrence Cronin. Meeting a group of like-minded people also interested in wine and food is fantastic and always evokes great conversations, along with some hilarity. Case in point: I was educated on the word "Schmeg"...as in "Waiter, there is some schmeg in my glass".

For dessert I took Mirco's advice and had a hazelnut cake and chestnut sauce dish. I liked how cheeky this dish was. It resembled mushrooms and a forest floor in the fall. The airy sponge cake was divided into pieces on the plate in a puddle of hazelnut cream. Cylinders of pastry made to resemble pasta or the stems of mushrooms offered a bit of saltiness and were filled with vanilla pastry cream; a nice contrast. Chestnut gelato. Heaven.

The business men headed out to their next party and I found myself with Mirco, his friends (my original dining partners) and their friend; a lovely woman from New Jersey. Some grappa, scotch and more wine resulted in dancing into the wee hours of the morning in a closed restaurant, causing people passing by to (once again) pause and look in the windows.

So a day with no plans turned into my most enjoyable day in this city. Tomorrow I leave for San Gimignano (again) and then on to Montepulciano. But I will take with me these wonderful memories of this beautiful city of Siena, and look forward to returning again soon.

San Gimignano

Today I visited the beautiful medieval town of San Gimignano in Italy. San Gimignamo is located in the province of Siena, Tuscany and is about 30 minutes by car from the town of Siena. It sits on a hill top surrounded by lush, rolling landscape.

The town is surrounded by three walls, with a series of gates between each wall and the ruins of a fortress at its highest point. San Gimingano is famous for its architecture; specifically for its ancient tower houses in Romanesque and Gothic styles.

The reason for the towers has a sort of Montague and Capulet story. There became a long, on-going rivalry between two families (the Guelphs; who supported the Pope, and the Ghibellines; who supported the Holy Roman Emperor) and as a way to out-do each other, for 200 years the generations of these two families built the towers as a way of showcasing their wealth and influence (or perceived wealth and influence). At the height of the feud, there were 72 towers, the tallest being over 70 meters high. Today, there are 13 remaining towers; as towers either crumbled through neglect or were brought down over time to make room for more usable living space.

San Gimignano is also known for the production of many delicacies including wine, extra virgin olive oil, wild boar products such as sausage, and saffron. Vernaccia, the first Italian white wine to receive DOC and then DOCG recognition, is a beautiful, easy drinking white wine that starts out creamy and finishes clean with hints of pear and apple. I enjoyed it so much that I had some shipped to my home (and anyone who knows me knows I am predominantly a red wine drinker)

I got the opportunity to visit the Tenuta Torciano Winery and enjoy a very thorough tasting of a number of their wines. These included:

2013 Torciano Poggioaicieli Vernaccia DOCG
2013 Torciano Crete Rosse Chianti DOCG
2012 Torciano Doge Chianti Classico
2009 Torciano Brunello di Montalcino DOCG
2010 Torciano Baldassarre "Super Tuscan" IGT
2010 Torciano Vin Beato Dessert Wine (not shown)

Served with the wine was bread with both their house olive oil and truffle infused olive oil, wild boar sausage, pecorino cheese and a radicchio and endive salad with their house balsamic reduction.

After all that wine and food tasting, it was time to head back to Siena and have a little nap before heading out for dinner and gelato.

Cascina Barac - Part One

Today is Day One at Cascina Barac. Well technically, day two because I arrived last night at about 8 pm.

First off, I cannot begin to tell you how wonderful it was to check into my room last night. I had been travelling all day. I left Paris at 10:40am and took the train from Gare de Lyon to Turin (Torino - 5 hours), then waited until 7:30 (because it was Sunday and the trains run every two hours on Sundays; silly me) to take the train from Bra to Alba. Also, compound this with my not-so-great-stay in Paris (no hot water, no towels, mosquitos and a bed up a rickety ladder into a loft). All I wanted was a hot shower and a good night's sleep.

Cascina Barac has been so welcoming from the beginning. The hostess has been wonderful. I speak less Italian than she does English, but we laugh and muddle through and somehow it's all okay. Once I had checked in, I had a hot shower like nobody's business, made myself a pot of tea, sat and unwound from the day of travelling,climbed into bed and slept until the morning.

You have to also understand that I had not had a hot cup of tea in six days. Six whole days. This is most likely a record for me. It is amazing that when you finally get to have that hot shower and hot cup of tea, how your very soul rejoices. It doesn't matter what happens after that point. You are restored and ready to take on whatever comes next.

Speaking of next, the next morning I woke and went down for breakfast. Again, not something I had been able to linger over for a few days. While grabbing a pain au chocolat on the way to the Metro had it's charm, enjoying a long luxurious breakfast was indeed a treat. Cascina Barac puts out an outstanding assortment of cheeses, meats, breads, jams, yogurts and cereals each morning, and the ladies are quick to replenish anything that is getting low, or to bring you anything you wish; such as hot water for tea or an espresso.

After a hearty breakfast, I took my camera and decided to wander into the vineyard. There, I met up with Albino (pronounced AL-BEE-NO), who greeted me with a warm "Hello! How are YOU??". He is extremely charming and we had a wonderful stroll and chat about Nebbiolo grapes, the season, the harvest and the differences between wine production in Canada
versus Italy (of which there are many).

Leaving Albino, I wandered down a trail a bit by myself, then returned to the Cascina for a nap. I found my electric outlet converter that worked in Paris did not fit here in Italy. No fear. My hostess once again was very accommodating and had just the thing for me by way of an outlet adapter.

As it had been a busy 24 hours since arriving, I decided to take the afternoon to write, sketch, and catch up with people back home. It will be an early night tonight, because I want to be sure to get a full day in of hiking in the local hills tomorrow.

So for now I will say "buonasera" and "buona salute".

Paris - Day One

Today is Day One of my travels. Well, technically, it's Day Two because I left Vancouver at 10:35am on September 29, but with time zones I arrived in Paris at 8:35am on September 30th, even though my flight was only 9 hours long. Oh, and the 2 hour stop in Seattle. Where I got a manicure at Butter London. Fantastic way to spend you time in an airport waiting for your next flight.

So now I am all checked in to my apartment in Paris. The place is charming, but very rustic. It is an old stone building with a post and beam ceiling. The apartment has two floors. To get into the apartment, there are four flights of stairs. No elevator. I think it used to be an barn or store house for grain and such. Anyhow, yes...it's very rustic. The bathroom does lack all the North American niceties, and the shower will get some getting used to.

I'm staying three stops outside the city, so a little quieter than being directly in the center of the city. Not to mention cheaper. Hopefully it will be a nice stay.

After a short nap to shake off the time change, I decided to take the metro and see some of the monuments at night. This is my second visit to Paris, and I've told myself that this visit would be different. Last visit, I made sure I was back to my B&B by 9pm and I didn't venture much off the predicable trail of tourist attractions. This time is more about seeing the actual city, and not just for the monuments and standard vacation snapshots.

Having said that, I knew that I wanted to stand on the Pont Alexandre III and the watch the Tour Eiffel all lit up and sparkling. It's something I actually didn't see last time. And I wanted to have tarte tartin and wine in Cafe Marly, which is in the courtyard of the Louvre. It's pricey, but it's also the place to be seen in Paris. Well, one of the places anyhow.

It was now 11pm and the cafe was still quite busy. Bottle of champagne (and I mean the good stuff) were being opened left and right. I decided to stick with a little Sancerre and my apple tarte tartin and just take in the scene and the people out having a good time on a Tuesday night.

After wandering around the Louvre courtyard for a little while and sitting by the reflecting pools, it was time for home (well, home for the next few days). The metro at night is a very interesting place. In our train car there was an accordion player, playing French folk songs. He also had a little dog with big liquid eyes that walked around the train with a little basket in its mouth, begging for coins. It was quite cute....except maybe for the accordion playing at near midnight.

Tomorrow will be another day walking around this beautiful city.

Quelle belle vie, non?

A Year of Pretty - February 19, 2014

It's chilly outside. For Today's Pretty Post...these warm and inviting Moroccan wedding blankets.

So pretty with the little silver discs as decoration, and the different textures and fringes to finish the edges. I can certainly appreciate the time and effort it would take to make one of these; which is most likely why they are reserved for special occasions like weddings.

Called Handiras, Moroccan wedding blankets are hand woven in natural, undyed wool and cotton, which is why they would be so warm. They are the equivalent of our North American wedding dress. For months prior to her wedding, a bride-to-be and her family make the blanket together, while she is instructed on her new role as a wife.

The silver discs are thought to serve more than one purpose. They sparkle and flash in the light, so as to ward off evil spirits. The discs are quite costly for a family, so the more discs on a bride's blanket, the more prestige and wealth she is thought to bring to her husband.

The day of her wedding, the bride's family wraps her blanket around her as they sing songs praising her fertility, value and honour. She is then put on a mule or donkey, and with her family makes the trek to her new husband and new home. Often, she has an arranged marriage, and her new home could be the next village or over the next mountain range. So it helps to have a super warm and cozy blanket for the journey.

I have a cream coloured sofa, so one of these would fit right in at my place. Although I would probably have to put it away when my good friend A comes over for wine and cheese. Something tells me Tempranillo and these blankets would not make good company if they came in contact.

So even if you are not about to be a bride, I still invite you to grab one, a hot cup of tea, a good book and snuggle in and get warm!

Another Beautiful Idea - September 25, 2012

Loving the colours and grouping of this series of photographs. The way they are formatted around the corners remind me of drink coasters.

 

Making your own drink coasters is not difficult to do. First, decide on your images. They should be ones that work well as square shapes, since the coaster itself will be square. Then, gather the following:

 

• good quality paper. This doesn't have to be photo paper, but it should be colour fast and sturdier than regular every day printing paper. Opt for a matte finish though instead of a glossy one (unless you want super glossy coasters). 
• paper trimmer. You can use scissors, but I find a paper trimmer works easier and gives a straighter line (mine is laser guided).
• Modge Podge for outdoors. This is specifically made for moisture, which drink coasters tend to attract.
• foam brushes for spreading on the Modge Podge.
• spray adhesive. This is optional, but if you spray the tiles first and press the photos on before applying the Modge Podge, they stay in place better.
• spray sealant. Again, this is optional. Modge Podge for outdoors has a built in sealant, but it doesn’t hurt to give them an extra coat. I use a matte finish, and it helps cut down the sheen that Modge Podge sometimes leaves behind when it dries.
• square tiles from a home improvement store. Home Depot, Rona and Lowe’s are have a good section of square tiles. The best ones I’ve used are a non-glazed, porous stone tile. I find they absorb more of the Modge Podge and sealant.
• fuzzy feet. Okay, they’re not really called fuzzy feet. They’re those little fuzzy felt sticky things you peel and stick on the inside of your cupboard doors so that they close softly, or on the bottom of a jewelry box so that it doesn’t scratch the top of the dresser. They also come in clear acrylic.

 

There are several photo editing tools available. I use Picasa by Google to crop my photos and muck around with border options. Once you have your photos set up, print them out. Be sure the ink has dried thoroughly.

 

Trim down any white edges and bits so that all you’re left with are your photo squares. Lay out your tiles and lightly spray with the adhesive. Carefully place your photos onto the tiles and press down, ensuring there are no bubbles. Following the label instructions, coat the surface of the photos with the Modge Podge. You may need to do more than one coat.

 

After the tiles have dried, spray a thin coat of the sealant to the backs of the tiles and allow to dry. Add the fuzzy feet to the bottoms of the tiles and turn over. Lightly spray the tops of the coasters and allow to dry again.

 

Once dry, smile and admire your handywork. Then pour yourself a glass of wine and test run the coasters. To ensure quality, you may need more than one glass of wine.

Ensemble

Last night, Mr. Dashing and I decided to go out for dinner. In itself, not a big deal, but dinner out together usually means more than one stop. We like to restaurant hop, which allows us to try out a few different restaurants and atmospheres throughout the evening, Sort of like bar hopping, but much swankier.

We decide to take the train downtown, since we agreed there would most likely be bubbles and neither of us wanted to drive. Besides, parking in Vancouver costa a small fortune.

We started at Ensemble, which is the focus of this posting. Ensemble is the brain child of Top Chef Canada winner Dale Mackay. We sat at the bar and swapped stories with the bartender and sipped on muddled cocktails. With these we enjoyed a honey beet salad, as well as buffalo mozzarella with watermelon and balsamic reduction. Oh, and crab cakes. All three plates were very good and nicely executed, but it was the cheese / melon / balsamic that really stood out for us. The sweetness of the watermelon off set with the tang of the balsamic was a little bit of bliss. The buffalo mozzarella helped ensure each bite was something different; some smooth with just a hint of sweetness, others creaminess with the bite of the balsamic.

There is a mixture of lounge-y bar atmosphere alongside sit down dining; giving the room an overall warmth. Or maybe it’s just because it’s a small room on the corner of Thurlow and Haro. Or that Mr. Dashing was rather amorous and flirty. Either way, it was a great way to start off our evening, and we intend to return soon to try more of Chef Mackay’s dishes.

Afterwards, we went to Coast for oysters and bubbles (well, Mr. Dashing had the oysters, we both had the bubbles), then to Gyoza King for ….gyoza, ebi mayo and sake, to Cin Cin for dessert and more bubbles. Finally, a little stop in at Thierry for macarons before heading home.

So $300.00 lighter, the evening was a big success. Until I broke one of the heels on my favourite pair of boots on the way home. First world problems, I know.

 
Looking forward to our next night out.

In my dream kitchen . . . .

How beautiful is this hand crafted bar and extention table by artavironi ?

I have a fair number of bottles of wine. At last count . . .73 bottles of red, 15 of white and six of bubbles. Mmmm . . .bubbles. . . .

So this bar set up would not be ideal for my current collection. Not to mention that I already have a center island between my kitchen, living room and dining area. But a gal can always dream, and when imagining my dream kitchen, an illuminated wine cabinet and bar area would be near the top of the list.

Now this walnut wine cellar which holds up to 260 bottles and has space for wine glasses would be more ideal. I especially like that it is build to work as a corner unit. And the dark wood color would work with my dark crown moldings and base boards. However, finding a corner large enough in my living or dining room would prove to be a challenge, as all the wall lengths are chopped up by either windows or doorways.

Ah, the confines of small apartment living . . . I think I need a glass of wine.

The Darling Darlington

It's worth mentioning that this post is long overdue. Quite. But now that this blog has been revamped and up and running smoothly (more or less) - it's time.

The Darlington House is such a little gem and I am thankful to have stumbled upon it. Twice; once with a friend local to the area (he has since moved to New York) and again with a group. I suppose the second time wouldn't really be considered "stumbling upon", since I would already know it was there. But no matter.

The Darlington House takes its name from philanthropist Joseph Darlington, who built the now historic Row house as his residence in 1890. Located in the heart of Dupont Circle, this multi-level restaurant and bar owned by Fabio and Patricia Beggiato prides itself on serving "rustic yet refined Italian cooking using simple, fresh organic and sustainable ingredients."

The first visit was indeed memorable . . nice lemon drop martini, good Willamette Valley Pinot Noir (Viridian 2006), wonderfully prepared food. It has been my experience that when I've been at the lone table in a restaurant, the service typically falls into one of two extremes: non-existent or over bearing. So though we were the first diners on what was proving to be an extremely quiet Sunday night, we were never over served or intruded upon. Yet our server and host were attentive when the need arose. A nice touch was Chef Alberto Baffoni visiting out table between courses.

The second visit had a different feel since I was part of a business dinner. Our party of ten was seated promptly with warmth and grace. ( I loathe when restaurants won't seat a party until all the guests have arrived) The maitre-d' remembered my previous visit and soon we were presented with Prosecco and Grilled Curry Prawn Canapes. Very much appreciated by our group. Big hits off the menu that night were the Tortelloni Stuffed with Butternut Squash in a Sage Butter Sauce and the Veal Saltimbocca in White Wine Sauce with sauteed zucchini and roast potatoes; both perfect for the cool weather that evening. We let our server select our individual wine pairings, and since each of us was having something different, this kept our server busy with choosing for both appetizers and entrees . . Meh, piece of cake.

The upstairs Dining Room and Circle Bar provide intimate tables in a relaxed atmosphere with soft muted colors, while the Library boasts a wonderful open floor plan suitable for cocktail receptions and wedding gatherings. In a plethora of ultra-chic-ultra-modern dining spaces, the comforting elegance, generous hospitality and sumptuous offerings of The Darlington House are not to be missed if your travels take you to Washington, DC.

The Darlington House is located at 1610 20th Street NW in Washington, DC. 202-332-3711. For more information and to check out their current menu, you can visit their website.