by Giuseppe Ricotta
In August, I was in the village of Marzamemi, near Siracusa in Sicily. Paradise. For afficionados of Andrea Camilleri's book and TV series Inspector Montalbano, this is one of the locations on the show. I was with my wife Lauren, and our just-married friends, Alessandro and Vesna. They asked Tour de Forks to plan their honeymoon and we joined them for their stay in Marzamemi. Our accommodations were charming mini-apartments in the old renovated tonnara (tuna factory), just 10 meters from the sea. I have never seen a more star-filled sky than the one we enjoyed here!
Nearby, there are interesting restaurants, including the renowned Taverna la Cialoma and La Balata, but I felt I needed to offer Alessandro and Vesna something really special.
So one morning I woke up very early and went onto our terrace to look at the sea and just waited, and waited, and waited.
Finally around 9:30 am, I saw the first fishing boat returning to the harbor. Although the harbor was literally less than 50 meters from my terrace, I ran because
I wanted to be the first one to get to that boat. Using my still pretty good Sicilian dialect (I am from the west side of the island in Palermo where we speak
differently from the easterners), I asked the Captain what he had caught. His first answer was depressing: nothing, only some pesce di brodo, or fish only good to prepare a soup, meaning any type of fish that is full of bones, or fish with not enough meat, or not tasty enough, or all of these things put together. Having had previous experience with Sicilian fishermen, I told them how we came all the way from New York just to stay here and to taste the famous fish from Marzamemi and that my friends were just married.
Finally, one of the other men said to the Captain, "C'mon, give it to him..." I was excited because I knew what that meant. The captain uncovered a secret section of the boat, where there were, in order: the freshest triglie (mullet) I have ever seen (and later ate) in my life; a wonderful swordfish; and 2 boxes of gamberoni (shrimp) - enough to make a Sicilian faint with joy, I filled up two bags and ran back to the apartment shouting about my "catch"! My friends woke up thinking I had gone crazy. I explained that I had just gotten the "special" fish that fisherman will usually just sell to the best restaurants that pay a lot of money for it, or keep it to eat themselves.
That night, we grilled the "special" fish on a barbecue over wood, adding only salmoriglio (a mixture of olive oil, fresh lemon, oregano, and salt). We drank an excellent local wine called Inzolia, chilled to perfection. We were in heaven. Grazie, Capitano!
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Alice Waters Connecting Children with Food
by Kathy Morton
Alice Waters. She is the Forks' hero. The celebrated author, chef and owner of Berkley's Chez Panisse restaurant is also the American pioneer of a culinary philosophy that maintains that cooking should be based on the finest and freshest seasonal ingredients. All produced sustainably and locally. I was thrilled to meet her last month when she visited my home town of Greensboro, NC.
Her mission was to launch "her" Edible Schoolyard program at the Greensboro Children's Museum. The museum will be the first of its kind to implement the model program that encourages children to learn about organic gardening through planting, growing, harvesting and preparing the produce from the garden themselves. We all hold the belief that this project will influence nutritional habits for generations to come. "What better place than a children's museum to plant the seeds of sustainability, community and stewardship of the land?" says Ms. Waters.
A grand merci to the Chez Panisse Foundation and Alice Waters for "linking culture to agriculture while feeding children's mind and bodies" through education.
Have you seen Julie & Julia yet? We give it 4 forks! Our resident Julia-philes Kathy Morton and Debra Fioritto (recipients of the 2006 Culinary Trust's Julia Child Endowment Fund Scholarship) were so inspired, they rushed home to put on their thinking toques, and created a package to channel Julia's early days in France.
A Taste of Julia Child's Paris & Provence is a self-guided 7 night/8 day package that begins in Paris with at the left bank's legendary Hotel Pont Royal - where Julia and her husband Paul spent their first night in Paris. The Paris stay is designed as a walking tour (Julia did so love to explore the city by foot) and the package provides detailed directions to all her favorite haunts. And the piece de résistance? A culinary experience at Julia's alma mater the famed Le Cordon Blu.
Travel to Provence via TGV's comfy trains and your rental car will be waiting in Avignon. The first night in the region will be at the boutique hotel L'Oustau de Baumaniere; then on to the heart of the Cote d'Azur and the stunning Chateau de la Begude. Explore the hilltop towns and meander the colorful markets. A visit to the charming farmhouse La Pitchoune, where Julia wrote Mastering the Art of French Cooking is a must.
As a bespoke travel company, we will be delighted to customize your package, make restaurant reservations, arrange additional activities, and provide you with a private guide and/or driver for any portion of your adventure.
If you are lucky enough to have a foodie as your significant other, this would make for a romantic rendezvous - think Julia and Paul. For a group of foodie friends, well, wow! We envision this at the ultimate girlfriend's getaway.
The 7 night package starts at $2,150 per person based on double occupancy and the 5 & 4-Star hotels listed. Charming 3-Star properties can be substituted for frugal foodies. Extensions to Marseille and Normandy are available; details and pricing upon request. The Julia theme and can also be incorporated into a customized escorted tour. Just ask. Bon Appetit! More info here
Led by Chef Anita Lo
Come September, Michelin starred chef Anita Lo will lead a tour to South Africa and just twelve lucky guests will join her in an inspired - and uncommon - epicurean adventure. The itinerary? Cape Town, its Winelands and then on to Prince Albert, the gateway to the Great Karoo.
We have been researching, discovering, and traveling to South Africa to "meet and eat"; and this past spring, we accompanied Anita to finalize all the elements. We think its, well, our tour de force - and Anita has this to say about the cuisine:
"South Africa's history is rich and diverse, and their food and wine culture is a microcosm reflecting centuries of intermingling ethnicities and flavors. There is seamless and fantastical blending of spices, techniques, and cuisines, resulting in a distinct palate that truly exemplifies fusion cooking. The food is an end product of a complex history full of strife, but on the palate all you taste is harmony..."
Our dining experiences will include exquisite cuisine in world-class restaurants and wineries, and tasting Bunny Chow - South Africa's fast food. We'll savor traditional dishes served in private homes and enjoy a fabulous fresh seafood beach picnic under the stars. And we'll eat what we cook.
The accommodations are magnificent and we will be privileged to meet and learn from some of the country's best known food personalities like renowned chef and restaurateur Bruce Robertson and local foodie celebrity Cass Abrahams - the recognized authority on Cape Malay cuisine. And we will meet the Jackass Penguins in residence at Boulder's Beach.
Click here for the detailed itinerary
