Italy and Scotland Part 2.5
PART TWO AND A HALF THE ANIMALS OF THE SERRA LUNGA There was a very special day in the Serra Lunga de Alba. A day of celebration of agriculture, and it poured rain. Elisabeth, Mark and I went to Cerasco for a lovely lunch and Barolo wine and walked to the Castle. We had been […]
Italy and Scotland Part 2
PART TWO THE CITY OF BRA WHERE SLOW FOOD WAS BORN, CHEESE, WINE AND GRADUATION. Tuesday May 14, 2013 We set the GPS to Bra and headed to meet Elisabeth and begin the celebration of her graduation from the University of Gastronomic Sciences. We can still see the mountains and the snow but we […]
Italy and Scotland Part 1
PART ONE MILAN, GENOVA, IMPERIA, ITALIAN MARITIME ALPS, CUNEO Wednesday May 9 San Francisco to Milan was an easy flight. As was our transfer from Paris to Milan. Traveling is so much easier when you make connections and planes are on time. We then hopped on the bus from Malspensa airport to downtown Milan. […]
Pruning
After the very long hours of harvest and milling, we pruned our trees – all 1,400! Fortunately we have a crew to help that is knowledgeable and works very hard. Mark and I just follow behind and pick up the trimmings. We plop them into the trailer and then to the compost pile. The truck […]
Irish Soda Bread for the Irish in All of Us
Il Fiorello took a walk through history on Sunday (which also just happened to be St. Patrick’s Day) when Ann gave cooking demonstrations on Irish soda bread. Guests had a treat as they tasted the different breads Ann made. She made raisin with Irish whiskey, walnut, dried cherry and oat bran. Later in the day, […]
Perils of Food Fraud
Food fraud was recently defined in a report commissioned by the Department of Homeland Security and the National Center for Food Protection and Defense. Intentional or economically motivated adulteration includes the fraudulent addition of non-authentic substances or removal or replacement of authentic substances – without the purchaser’s knowledge – for economic gain of the seller. […]
Old Crushing Stones Part of History
When you drive into the entrance at Il Fiorello, we have two granite crushing stones sent from Italy by the Pieralisi Company. They came with our new mill. Each weighs more than two tons and is 200-300 years old. We are not sure what part of Italy they came from, but we appreciate the work […]
It’s Awards Time?
Today at the Olive Farm we tasted our 2012 harvest oils and selected which oils were to a standard to be sent to competitions. This taste review of our oils allows us to compare new oils, compare how the oils tasted from initial harvest, and now after decanting and resting from milling. Competitions are important […]
Magic with Mushrooms: A Cooking Class
Our cooking classes are so fun to plan. We think of unique foods and approaches that include fun and delicious foods. The result is always a grand time, lead by Chef extraordinaire Marvin Martin. He tells great stories while showing guests how to put together meals that cooks from beginners to experts can tackle. We […]
Cooking with Class at Il Fiorello’s Kitchen in the Grove
The Daily Republic wrote a great story about the Valentine’s cooking class here. Our Chef Marvin Martin is a classy guy. He can cook, laugh, and teach all at the same time. Our Valentine’s class was lovely and everyone ate their fill of his lovingly made salads, soups, and lemon pasta with caviar. Can […]