Daniela was intrigued by an onion yesterday. We had all the ingredients to make a favorite salad mix, a recipe gifted to us by our very special British friends Bill and Tina more than a decade ago. Although they have simplified their lives by letting someone else care for Villa Donata in Ossaia (five miles from Montanare), what they left behind for us is a beautiful set of memories. Many …
Looking back, our very best memories in Montanare always include at least one table under the giant olive tree. Rosy, Amy, Luisa, Piero, Francesca, and many more have created some of the best food we’ve ever put to our lips at this table. Rarely is it a single table. It usually begins with two rectangular wood tops and at least two round metal tables on either end. Piero would never …
We could easily create a popular cookbook from all the recipes Ame and Rosy have taught us in Montanare. Be it Crostini, penne al fumo, or tiramisu alla Rosy, each one allows us an immediate return to the rectangular, dark wood trestle table at Ca’ di Maestro. Stateside friends, the beneficiaries of this cooking, ask us for the recipes nearly every time we share them. So far, I’ve been able to dodge these requests …
Over the past decade, in addition to the spiritual enrichment experienced on December 25th, I also hold special anticipation for a particular Christmas phone call. I remember when I was in the 6th Grade and a futuristic thought included being able to see the people you’d be talking to on the phone. Today, this face to face across the internet is how our global friendships stay intact. I’m still a little giddy when experiencing a …
