Simple Italy

Celebrating Your Inner Italian

Dining with the Duchess

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Monday lunch might be a ho-um affair in most places but not in Palermo, Sicily, when you’re dining with Nicoletta Polo, Duchess of Palma, in the formal dining room of her 18th Century Palazzo by the sea.

Palazzo Lanza Tomasi Luncheon Menu

  Aubergine Rolls
Casarecce with Zucchini, Basil and Toasted Pine Nuts
Chicken in Caper and Anchovy Sauce, Pantelleria Style
Roasted Potatoes with Fresh Garden Herbs
Strawberry and Orange Pudding

Regaleali Biano 2018
Regaleali Nero d’Avola 2017
Vecchio Florio Marsala Secco Superiore 2013

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Grillo White Wine From Sicily

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P1090982Browsing in my local wine shop, a bottle of white caught my eye.

It came from Tenuta Regaleali, a name I recognized as the much lauded estate and cooking school in Sicily. It was founded by the late Anna Tasca Lanza, who did so much to bring Sicilian country cooking to wide acclaim. Tasca Lanza’s daughter Fabrizia has taken over the school. (This is off topic, but David Lebovitz published this gorgeous post about the estate.)

I also had never encountered the varietal Grillo, which means cricket in Italian, so I was doubly intrigued.

Golden in color, this vino is aromatic with hints of citrus. It’s a sumptuous dry Italian white for summer times.

I learned the back story of this indigenous Sicilian grape on The Wine Hub blog. Once the primary varietal used to produce fortified Marsala wine, it has largely been replaced by the higher yielding Catarratto. Happily, it’s being revived by modern vintners.

Cin Cin!

Tenuta Regaleali
Grillo
Cavallo Delle Fate
Sicilia DOC 2013

$13.99 for 750 ml. bottle in Pennsylvania Wine & Spirits Store

Do you know of an Italian white that veers from the standard pours list? Share it here!

Tuscany Tours 2015

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Is 2015 the year for your Tuscan dream to come true?

Escape with SimpleItaly to the private Villa Pipistrelli!

Few experiences are as memorable as sharing time and a spectacular destination with an intimate group of friends, colleagues, or grown-up family.

This intimate curated adventure is all about cultural immersion, relaxation, and good times. You’ll feel as if Villa Pipistrelli is your home because you’ll unpack once and “move in” for a week of wonders . . .

• Pecorino cheese-making demonstration and tasting.

• Olive oil comparison blind tasting.

• Watercolor painting class.

• Pasta making session and tasting.

• Wine estate tour with tasting.

• Magnificent medieval Siena—home of the Palio—and a private tour of the Brucco contrada with author Dario Castagno.

• Outing to the stunning hill town of Montepulciano.

• Presentation on the restoration of Villa Pipistrelli conducted by antiques expert Susan Pennington.

• Lavish buffet breakfasts and gourmet evening meals prepared by a private chef at Villa Pipistrelli.

• Free time to explore Montestigliano, the 2,500-acre Tuscan estate on which Villa Pipistrelli is tucked away.

• Social time with author Jennifer Criswell and other English-speaking experts on the culture, cuisine, and lifestyle.

Click here for the full itinerary to make 2015 the year for your Tuscan dream to come true!

Four week-long itineraries are reserved for you to choose from:
April 11–18, 2015
April 18–25, 2015
October 3–10, 2015
October 10–17, 2015

SimpleItaly on WFMZ-TV

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Sharon Sanders (L-R), Chef Mike Pichetto of Vintage Restaurant, Eve Tannery, Ron Martin, and Walter Sanders.

Sharon Sanders (L-R), Chef Mike Pichetto of Vintage Restaurant and 3rd & Ferry, Eve Tannery, Ron Martin, and Walter Sanders in the WFMZ-TV Sunrise Kitchen.

This morning, Chef Mike Pichetto of Vintage Restaurant and Wine Bar,  and SimpleItaly’s Sharon Sanders cooked up a sneak preview of the sumptuous dinner that will be served at the RMG Insurance Golf & Gourmet event to benefit the State Theatre Freddy Awards on Thurs., Sept. 18 at the Club at Morgan Hill, Easton, Pa. Chef Mike prepared Gorgonzola Chicken Thighs with Braised Red Cabbage and Sharon made Panna Cotta with Caramel Sauce and Raspberries. Both recipes are from Cooking Up an Italian Life. We were in the WFMZ-TV kitchen with News at Sunrise host Eve Tannery and Ron Martin, the maestro of the annual charity event, from RMG Insurance. Click here to watch the segment–Sharon’s demo follows Chef Mike’s–and get the recipes!

Creamy Panna Cotta is the dessert equivalent of a white silk blouse. Here, it's accessorized with caramel drizzle and fresh raspberries.

Creamy Panna Cotta is the dessert equivalent of a white silk blouse. Here, it’s accessorized with caramel drizzle and fresh raspberries.

 

Pop-up Cooking Class: Pasta

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Lehigh Valley Style

photo by Colin Coleman, Lehigh Valley Style magazine

Escape from the snow, cold, and ice with a fun, interactive pop-up pasta cooking class with Sharon Sanders, Certified Culinary Professional, and Walter Sanders of simpleitaly.com.

The small classes (maximum of 10)  in a welcoming home kitchen (Center Valley, PA) are an intimate experience.

You’ll learn to make, roll, and cut fresh egg pasta dough by hand-cranked machine, as well as prepare, and pair, three sauces for both fresh and packaged pasta.

You’ll also receive an inscribed copy of Cooking Up an Italian Life and a SimpleItaly.com chef’s apron.

And, of course, you’ll sample all the pastas you’ve prepared!

Check out what Lehigh Valley Style
says about our Learn-and-Dine cooking classes

Choose from two sessions:

Sunday, March 9, 2 p.m.

Thursday, March 13, 4 p.m.

Fee is $60 (per student). To request a spot, fill out the “Contact Us” form click here