---- THE ARTISAN NEWS
October 1997
We returned from Italy on October 30th. We visited our friends Germana and Italo again, and as usual came away richer in food recipes. Germana has promised us her recipe for garbanzo beans and pasta. we were served that at her house on our last trip and it is INCREDIBLE!!! As soon as she sends it to us, we will post it on The Artisan. unfortunately, for us, Simona has recently given birth to Nicolo, the first grandson, and recipes have taken a position at the end of the line! We are comfortable that we will persevere soon....We will add all of the latest foods and breads that we sampled as soon as possible. We are upgrading the entire site, and we ask for your patience. If you are planning a trip to Italy and need advice or information, please send and e-mail and we will respond ASAP. Grazie!
Our friends in Citta della Pieve were born and reared in Puglia. Upon our return from Umbria, we purchased Nancy Harmon Jenkins latest book, "Flavors of Puglia". It is a good book for those of you who have cooked a bit, can read between the lines, and improvise. Also, Ms. jenkins seems to have become enamoured with the pastas of Puglia, to the exclusion of alternatives or substitutes. We agree that authenticity is of paramount importance when presenting recipes, but we also know that in many areas of the United States, obtaining some of the ingredients described in her book may be somewhat problematic. Frankly, few would either find, or make, the time to make the wonderful Pugliese pastas she describes. Be that as it may however, it is a book well worth purchasing if the foods of Puglia are of interest. The book is a Broadway Book, New York, 1997, ISBN # 0-553-06675-7. We suggest that Amazon books, http://www.amazon.com, may be the least expensive source of this, as well as other, books.
While in Italy, we purchased "La Cucina Umbra, sapori du un tempo", by Rita Boini. It is published by Calzetti-Mariucci, Via della Valteira, 06087 Ponte San Giovanni, Perugia, Italy. It is, quite simply, a great book. The recipes are old and traditional, and the authoress provides regional variations as they occur throughout Umbria. Although it is written in Italian, It is definitely worth tracking down. If anyone out there is interested, sends us an e-mail, and we will see if we can assist.
Citta della Pieve is a city in Umbria. This city of 5000 people is above the Umbrian plain about 45 minutes from Perugia and a half hour from Orvieto. It can be reached by autostrada from Rome's Fiumicino Airport in about two hours.
Citta della Pieve has a web address. It is
http://www.assind.krenet.it/umbria/cpieve/citing.htm.
If you are interested in Umbria, and would like more information, send us a comment or an e-mail. We will try to help. To give you an idea of the charm of Citta della Pieve, we have included a couple of the photos. As you might guess these buildings are on the best baker in town's street.
Last Updated on: 06/03/99 12:50:54 AM