Blog

We serving palate cleansers after all of our olive oil tastings. They freshen and delight your mouth.  It is like an adult shooter.  Paired with our Balsamic Vinegar Reductions, the palate cleanser is usually served with fresh squeezed grape juice at harvest time, or cranberry juice at Christmas or Apple juice during the Fall. It […]

The 2019 Central Coast Vinegar Competition Announces Winners   The Central Coast Vinegar Competition (CCVC) is proud to announce the award-winning vinegars from its 6th-annual blind-tasting event, held June 20 at the California Mid-State Fair. Best in Show went to IL Fiorello’s Winter Fruit – Orange and Pomegranate Vinegar. The honor came after judges awarded it a Double […]

…AND WHAT TO EAT WITH THAT FABULOUS DRINK BEER SONOMA SPRINGS KOLSCH A German-style beer with grains and hops imported from Germany. It drinks like a pilsner, super crisp easy to drink. A really great summer beer. Pairs well with hamburgers and hot dogs on the back porch, or in the front yard, or on […]

Many things guide our way at IL Fiorello. The friendship and counsel of good people. The Suisun wind. The Seasons of the olives. When we began this journey, Mark and I always talked about a compass rose that would guide our way.  We have always wanted a compass rose for IL Fiorello.  To chart our […]

Following our growers meeting a few Saturdays ago, I had a discussion with friends about climate change and how it is affects our olive trees. As I am writing this blog, we are facing a fantastic olive bloom, and very heavy rain. As I cannot hold an umbrella over all of our 3000 trees, I […]

A Professor of Food Marketing in Philadelphia, John Stanton PhD, says Food is Love Not Medicine. Why do packages promote cures and not deliciousness and emotion? We are all about deliciousness at IL Fiorello. “Taste is another leading reason to buy food. Another reason is that it makes me feel good about eating and serving […]

April showers bring May flowers, and weeds, and more weeds. Organic gardening is our goal, but oh dear, the weeds. It is a continuing battle. There are good weeds, and then there are bad weeds. It is a long story about land and weeds. Organic farming is expensive. Expensive is labor costs, and achieving our […]

Warm, delicious, versatile, easy to make, plays well with most foods.  Comfort food on a rainy afternoon, or for breakfast, as you see fit.  Stop buying prepackaged bread, try this yourself.  It is fun, and happy, and delicious.  I love the aroma of the yeast rising.  When I was making this focaccia, my entire staff […]

REAL GOOD FISH three cooks three ways to serve fish. Real Good Fish’s motto is Here Fishy, Fishy. Today we were lucky to get Sand Dabs, Pacific Sand Dabs are a variety of flatfish. Small in size and are a sustainable fish in our Northern California waters.  How to prepare this fish? We present three […]

In like a lion and out like a lamb, or this year in like a lamb and out like a lion. Either way, Lake Berryessa is full and we will have water for irrigation beginning in April. That is impressive given the last few years of drought.  Each year is different, and a lesson in […]