Remember last year when I was judging at the Gelato Festival for the World’s Best? Well, kinda like the world cup, rounds are now running leading up to the next world competition in 2021.
This mid-September, I was on the panel to judge for the European Finals “All Stars” for title of Best in Europe, and those present at the All Stars competition were winners from previous rounds held around the world. The winners here will go on to the next rounds on the road to World’s Best.
So how was it?
Better ask a who??? A sommelier! What’s a sommelier and why you better ask him?!
Let me first explain a bit this category. Since I maintain a food blog in Florence, I’d like to interject expert voices from time to time on this complex yet highly sought out matter. Experts to me are those who work blood, sweat and tears in what they do like chefs, sommeliers, bakers, farmers, artisans, culinary instructors (not the touristy type) and OG food critics like Ruth Reichl (an expert in expressing both soul and poignancy). Because I muse about these topics and lead wine tours in Tuscany, I wanted to provide a platform to ask experts their opinions. Also to have an excuse to drink more…you know for “research.” Continue Reading →
Find me one person who doesn’t like Italian food. Then find me someone who completely understands it. THEN bring me some Italian food- because it doesn’t really exist. Continue Reading →
My little hiatus from Florence is coming to an end, and without surprise, I have new observations from being in the states to share. Someone recently asked me “do you feel a little Italian or just like an American in Italy?” Continue Reading →
When traveling, I have a couple rules. One is that I don’t want to plan anything. I need to wonder. To get lost. Another criteria is that I need to eat really great food. I mean, what good is traveling if you don’t get to know the local food?
Earlier this year I went to Istanbul and I went again because a. it’s a tremendous city that I barely scratched the surface of. b. I have a friend there. Not only that, this is someone who has a similar lens that I do for analyzing society. Thanks to this incredible friend, I was able to observe a little bit better how the social fabric of Istanbul was woven and to see nuances of juxtapositions evident in daily life. Continue Reading →