Cooking Light in The Land of Carbs

Later this month I head up to Lugano- a lovely Swiss resort town on Lake Lugano, (near Lake Como) in the Italian speaking part of Switzerland. I am going for the 50th reunion of The American School in Switzerland, which I attended my freshman year of high school. School’s 50th. Not mine!

Let me tell you that was an adventure in and of its self- from Bulgarian roommates to palomino ponies, black bulls and pink flamingos in the Camargue, Carnival in Venice, to performances of Guys and Dolls and Grand Fetes, to having friends and classmates from Turkey, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Uganda, Japan, Sweden etc. It was a culture shock to be sure, but one of the most amazing shocks you could ask for. And certainly a turning point in my life- if you are allowed to have one at 15.

So now, 7 years later comes the school’s 50th reunion. And I am so excited- Daniel is meeting me in Zurich after his own whirlwind of traveling, he is going to the Champion’s League Final in Paris the day before- GO Arsenal ! But I’ve convinced him that TASIS and Lugano are worth mild jetlag and a couple of flight-filled days- and it’s true this reunion should be amazing! Non vedo l’ora.

THE LAND OF CARBS

However, I am currently in Italy-the land of carbs; pastas and pizza, bread, bread salad, bread soup, 4 course meals (at least), plus Stefania’s desserts at Mossolinos and cappuccinos at Aldo’s, not to mention that gelato season is well and truly here! Whew! And while that is all well and good- and one of Italy’s greatest charms- if not the greatest- I am heading to a place where last they saw me I was 15- I just checked in the mirror- and for better or for worse I’m not 15 anymore- and by the way-what is up with that?!

So here I am, in Carb Land with big- bad, delicious, hard-to-resist, hard- to-eat-in-moderation waist-thickeners all around. And Slimfast not to be found on any shelf of any store- and I really cant do Atkins- Agaaaaaaiiiiii . . . So, now what . . .

Well this is also The Land of Fresh Produce, right? Ok I can work with that- tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, zucchini, lettuce, spinach — check! And the supermarket also has some great seafood as we’re on Lago Trasimeno- so I grab some mussels and some shrimp. Couldn’t find any chicken fillets (absolutely anywhere)- so I bought a whole roast chicken. Now they don’t have Slimfast but they do have Wasa crackers- thank god for Wasa crackers- they are my carb outlet at the moment. And lets see forgot the eggplant (or Mellenzane- which is a word that strangely makes me smile every time I say it- so it’s got to be good!). Throw in apples, Probiotic drinks, and lovely dark Perugina chocolate- for those moments when tiramisu wont stop calling and I need chocolate- NOW! And I have to say with my cupboards loaded with bag o’soups and the fireplace filled with sacks of oranges I have been doing all right.

My dinners have actually been exceptional. On the first night of my cooking light experiment I took vegetable soup from a bag (yes I can cook, but man, these soups are so good- and there are so many different kinds- they’ve ruined me) popped in some hot peppers, mussels and shrimp and presto- I had an amazingly delicious meal that lasted till lunch the next day. Top it off with grilled apples natural yoghurt, and local honey for dessert. — Yup, I was pretty pleased with my self, cheating the system and loving it!

The next night, a salad of romaine lettuce, topped with warmed mushrooms, onions, peppers, chicken, garlic balsamic vinegar and mustard. The kitchen smelled gorgeous and I was so full I only had enough room for a Prune yoghurt- yes Prune, bought it by mistake, but I’m telling you I will buy it again. Yay for supermarket surprises- the biggest surprise is it is hard to go wrong- it’s all good even if you don’t quite know what it is.

Then last night I made one of my Mother’s specialties, Eggplant parmigian ( we make it without breadcrumbs) and with homemade tomato sauce, fresh ricotta and mozzarella . . . Mmmm-whaah! Bellisimo. Would Lasagna have been better- NO! c’mon carbs get with the program- it’s Spring veggies are out and you are so last Winter.

Even today, driving in Parrano, there were so many cars parked along the side of a deserted road- ‘Ah,’ said Katia knowingly ‘they’re looking for asparigi’. Vegetables are even dictating weekend activities! Although, I must admit, I do do bad in the mornings- Aldo has a special breakfast for me Kiwi and Strawberries topped with yoghurt gelato- and how can I resist that! Ok . . . and a handful of Cappuccinos with sugar- if no ones looking. And I do keep driving past Pellicanos, dreaming of their pizza-to-go, and how easy it would be to order one and sneak it home and none would be the wiser. BUT, I have two weeks to lose 7 years- and although I doubt that’ll happen I at least want to eat well enough now, so that I can enjoy the Prosecco and pizzas in Lugano.

Now, I don’t have a scale- but my favorite linen trousers are looking pretty good- probably due in large part to the running around for Seeyouinitaly- and the miles of stairs in our house.

OUR OWN WISTERIA LANE ?

And our garden is great for a tan- even late into the evening, catching the sun’s last few rays as it falls pink behind the hills . . y’know now that I think of it- this is actually SPA ITALY- and I think I’m gonna go sit in the sunshine and eat my spinach salad under the Wisteria and Roses and wait for my masseuse to arrive- wait where is my masseuse?!- You mean a facial doesn’t come with this garden! Oh well, I guess I can live with it- if I have to:)!

See you in Italy! And in Italian speaking Switzerland!

Wiley

WILEY’S FIRST LONG TERM VISIT: AND FIRST IMPRESSIONS

The blur began with finishing university in London (Yes, I have the papers to prove it!!). And coming home to Maine for SeeYouInItaly boot camp, and now I have landed in Italy again to ––– well–––to begin!

CENTRAL UMBRIA — Well, let’s see . . . where do I begin? Is today Wednesday? I have to admit the past couple of days– the past week– the past few months have been a blur. But now that blur is slowly starting to become a dream! The blur began with finishing university in London (Yes, I have the papers to prove it!!). And coming home to Maine for SeeYouInItaly boot camp, and now I have landed in Italy again to ––– well–––to begin!

Last week here was a crazy week full of cell phone buying, unpacking and learning how to drive here, there, and anywhere else, my mother and I could think of. But on Monday, lessons finished, and after dropping my mother off at the airport, I officially dropped down the rabbit hole.

First off, driving the three hours back from Rome by myself, with my father’s words firmly in my head ”When you pull out onto a road you are not pulling out onto a road in Maine, you’re pulling out into OMIGOD! ” Well, lucky for me I avoided all ’omigod’ situations on the way back, and only had a little bit of traffic and rainfall! And I have to say, it felt good, pulling into Panicale in my little car, heading to my little house, and knowing I got there on my own. I came in and made myself a big celebration dinner– pasta with pesto (and Italian gods don’t kill me– but I put a little Tabasco sauce in it too– my version of something old, something new,?!) also had some of the great farm fresh ricotta that the Spannocchia girls brought us from their tenuta outside Siena, mmmm was that nice, and yes Mom if you’re reading this, a green bean and tomato salad! Then at about 10:30 crawled into bed and passed out– talk about big girl!!!

GREEN HONEY. AND DATING HABITS OF BLUE HAIRED UMBRIANS

Yesterday I woke up facing blue skies outside my the window and my first day alone– what to do, what to do? Work? Well that would seem like the right thing to do, but luckily I was saved from my own good intentions by our friend Celia, from San Diego. Celia found a house on SeeYouInItaly several years ago, and today was looking for some company– and some BEES!! Sounded like good enough fun to me; so, met Celia in the piazza at noon and promptly got sidetracked!

It’s Orfeo that’ll do it every time. After a brief hello, Celia told him about her quest for a particular hand cream made from bee products – that quickly led to Orfeo running into his house, grabbing his car keys, and leading us down the hill to his friends ”they have the best honey– you don’t need to go to Chiusi! You come to them”!
And so we went and arrived at a large house on a little road off the main hill to Panicale where an older woman was sorting through a basket of freshly picked mushrooms– soon her husband had made his way out, and we had small plastic spoons of honey in our mouths– then slow and heavy steps outside heralded a surprisingly young son (and bee keeper) just as a daughter, grandmother and grandchild came driving in– and in all this mayhem we managed to come away with two jars of lovely dark honey!

After our nice little detour we headed over to Chiusi where Celia’s friend and owner of a fantastic restaurant in the old city, Simoneta, greeted us warmly, handed us wine and quickly saw to preparing us food. No real ordering. Melanzane was the vegetable of the day– so I heard that word being said, other than that– Celia knew what she was doing, so I just sat back and let her. After meat starters, pasta, and a warm bean and tomato salad– all superb– we rounded out the meal with pecorino and honey (surely to keep with theme) . . . Man oh man it was a feast!

Later, as we strolled back to the car, more likely waddled, I noticed a very interesting difference between Chiusi and Panicale– In Chiusi all the benches and door stoops were filled with women, all sitting and chatting, fanning themselves and petting cats, well, as anyone’s who’s visited Panicale knows, in our town this sight is very unusual, it’s the men who take up the benches– but in Chiusi no men were to be seen– am I seeing a dating show? Umbrian Bench Dating, I really think I’m onto something here!

While at Simoneta’s we had discovered the bee shop that Celia had been told was 3 km away was really an hour away– uh oh . . . However! On Sunday I had been to Cetona for the first time with our friends Peter and Shiranee—and at the base of a particularly striking church piazza I had noticed a very strange word–Apinare? I had asked peter–Ah. he said, To do with bees . . . . hmmm well, Cetona was only a touch away and also has a great pottery shop– so, no harm in checking right!

After directing Celia where to go (yeah I remembered! See I can do this Italy Stuff!) We walked into the main piazza in Cetona, a lovely long piazza, very different from a lot of places around this area, and made our way up to the Apinare e Erbologist. It was a small shop with loads of goodies! And a father daughter sales team, who once deciding we were there to buy turned out to be very knowledgeable and very helpful . . . and although they didn’t have exactly what Celia wanted, we both came out ladened with plenty of unneeded stuff! I myself some bee pollen, royal jelly, and some ear candles! Like I said, totally useless, but incredibly fun!

Then we headed back to Panicale, where we caught the last of the sunset– and then onto dishes, and finally unpacking– yes it isn’t all glamour I’m learning!

SOUNDS OF SILENCE. GOOD NIGHT, UMBRIA

And it’s a funny thing, I’ve gone to sleep in empty houses before, but I think there are normally 3 things that can go through someone’s head alone in the dark, the first, being am I safe, well the doors are locked, the windows shut– and oh wait, I’m in Panicale– so check that one off the list. The second, it’s an old house– are there ghosts? Well I distinctly get the feeling that there is no other inhabitant in the house, so that’s alright, but it is strange, not eerie, but strange– there is no noise, none whatsoever, the sound of a buzzing insect can actually make you jump as you read in bed. And if the window is open, there are sometimes voices that find their way in, but it is very serene, but strange– I’m used to wood houses– I’m used to sounds you have no idea what could be making them– I’m used to living in a creaky house in Maine on the side of a noisy highway with four other people—and let’s admit it guys, we’re all pretty loud! Not to mention living in a five person flat in London– talk about loud! And now, suddenly, I’m in bed surrounded by thick stone walls, a sleepy town, and my own thoughts. But somehow it is not a lonely experience– maybe it’s the circular shape of the city or seeing my parents’ touches on every wall or even remembering that on any given day this house has the potential to become Party Central, but it feels like a hug. A great big Italian Nonna hug! And sleep comes very easy.

Today I am Actually Doing Work!! Yeah, it’s all going well, with breaks to do dishes and sweep and weed the garden, and chase the cats! We have two new kittens, one black and one white that have decided that our garden is their home, truth be told I’m assuming they were born here–and yes they are cute– cute as newborn kittens, but, no, our garden is not their home, which is something that not one of the town’s cats understands! And on any given day can be found asleep on our garden posts or in the lavender. Now our cause is really not helped by the fact that our neighbors —we suspect– are throwing food into our garden for them. Now, we could be wrong, but finding a large bone on the stairs doesn’t really help their case! So you can probably find me every few hours running around like a mad woman, chasing a kitten that is too small for you to see from the street– I was always good at first impressions! But apparently I am good at mimicking the action because today at Linda’s market I was able to mime out the whole thing to Linda and the Lillianna and tell them all about the kittens and all the cats, and it was nice to get some sympathy– and know that when all else fails charades work in any language– and in Italy they especially enjoy a little descriptive song and dance!

So that’s where I am now– about to make some nice soup in a bag– they really are great! Watching a Beatles video on German MTV– and trying to figure out what the message my Italian phone just sent me actually means! So we shall see, we shall see, but there is a flamingo sunset on the horizon, and warm stone steps underfoot and although my Italian isn’t anywhere near communicable, a smile will get you far in Umbria, and I have one at the moment that I just can’t seem to wipe off my face.

Foreign correspondent Midge checks in from Umbria!

Today we saw Jurgen who said we “had some work to do on our garden&rdquo . . . ! Wiley and I came back to look, but it looks great to us. Wonder what Stew would do?

PANICALE, UMBRIA — A world away that always feels just like home. How does it happen? Wiley and I arrived in Panicale just as the town prepared for Tuesday evening supper. We ate on the balcony at Masolino’s with friends from Hawaii who may soon be neighbors. They already had a favorite local wine, Boschetto, and enjoyed the mouth watering medallions of pork with the chickpeas that always please.

As daughter Wiley prepares to spend an extended period of time here — more than any of us ever have at one time, there is always something new to consider. Will the supplies we have work well, or will she find a million little things she needs? Well, the first thing we got for her is an Aldo Bar charge card! That way I know she will head to Aldo’s for her daily caffeine and meet all the neighbors! Today we saw Jurgen who said we “had some work to do on our garden&rdquo . . . ! Wiley and I came back to look, but it looks great to us. Wonder what Stew would do?

Allora, ci vediamo. We are off to make some phone calls, as there are several fun house hunters here in Italy now. And we also want to wish our friend Daniel in England a Happy Birthday. Soon, he will be enjoying Panicale in person too!

Ok, see you in Italy,

Midge

—————-

Note from Stew: Midge is just now back. I kept waiting for photos from my own Thelma and Louise team, but as The Wiley Traveler said “We were having too much fun to take photos, babbo!&ldquo Oh, sure. That old excuse! So, this is a photo of Midge from summer vs September. Wiley says she is going to be right there so she is taking action in the garden. We’ll make Jurgen proud!

Umbria in Autumn. What to do, what to do?

PANICALE, Umbria— In the previous blog (below, scroll down) I wrote about my intention of seeing the Folk Traditions Center in Citta della Castello this fall. OK, fine. But what else will there be to do in Umbria during the season? Wait till your see the list I just got in an email from our good friends Francesco and Alison at Umbria Rentals. You will be in shock how much there is to do — just in and around the town of Panicale. This Umbrian Calender of Events, below, is totally typical of the level of cultural activity there in every town all year round. At some level we know that. But to see some of it all written down in one spot, it does seem overwhelming. They have waaaay too much fun there. As my wife’s sweatshirt says “Life is Too Short Not to be Italian”. Of course, like most Vreelands we are not Italians, but just forever wannabes.

Francesco’s web site, from the very dawn of the web era, was the reason we first “discovered” Panicale and shortly thereafter discovered we could not live with out it. As the Eagles said in Hotel California: We could check out any time we wanted, but we could never really leave. And sure enough, the next thing we knePANICw we were buying a house. So, beware. Umbria may be habit-forming! Here is their autumn 2005 calendar:

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September 10, 14, 20, 24
Moliere’s The Miser (L’avaro, Panicale’s theatre)
Ever wondered what it is like to be transported back in time a few hundred years, take your place in the box of a 18th century theatre, restored to its former glory, and enjoy a few hours of comedy by Moliere with Panicale’s theatre group. This is not to be missed!

September 11
Renaissance Music, San Sebastiano Church (Panicale)
Come and listen to renaissance and baroque music enjoying in the San Sebastiano church, where typical background curtains have been replaced by a fresco by Perugino, himself.

September 15 – 18
La Festa Dell’Uva (The Wine Festival, Panicale)
This is another event not to miss, as the various quarters of the town (neighborhoods) compete to make the best float as they give thanks for the years grape harvest. Parades are on Friday night and Sunday evening. As you may imagine the wine flows and the evening feasts are plentiful, so book your tickets early.

September 18
Paciano e Sapori (Tastes of Paciano, Paciano).
At a five minute drive from Panicale, Paciano has its own food festival, specialising on tastes of the palate –Food and wine, that is.

September 20
Classical Guitar Concert, (Panicale)
A locally organized String Guitar concert will be held on the theatre.

September 24 –25
Festa Dell’Agricoltura (The Agricultural Festival, Panicale)
If Umbrian farming interests you, you can find out all about it here as the latest technology is proudly on display and stalls are set up with local produce.

September 25
Concerto Iberiano, (Iberian music concert, Panicale)
At 9pm, in conjunction with the agricultural festival, do nor miss an Iberian music concert with music and instruments from the 900s. It will be held in the charming St. Agostino church.

September 28
Concert of Organ Music, (San Michele Church, Panicale)
At 9pm, come listen to Francesco Cera, one of the best organists in Europe take over the San Michele church with his music.

October 1
Voci e Strumenti (Contemporary music, Panicale)
A concert of contemporary music for voices and instruments will be held in Panicale’s theatre at 9pm, blending in modern sounds in ancient settings.

October 1 –8
The Festa Della Castagna (The Chestnut festival 1, Piegaro)
If you can’t make Panicale’s Chestnut Fest then you can eat chestnuts and drink Mosto a few days earlier in nearby Piegaro. Two festas no waiting.

October 23
The Festa Della Castagna (The Chestnut festival 2, Panicale)
This one speaks for itself. The fires are lit and the chestnuts shared around amongst friends with the Mosto, the fermented grape juice which is used to make wine.

* Special Offer for Last Minute Bookings

Between now and April 2006, we are offering everyone who books less than 4 weeks prior to arrival a 10% discount on our rates, with prices as little as 388 Euro for the first week. The condition is that the whole balance is paid in full when booking. The offer is not valid for the Rocca, which has an excellent last minute discount, or the Masolino Hotel, which already has ridiculously low prices. To see our last minute availability, check out our calendar at :
Umbria Rentals

Combine your stay with one of the winter events described in this news letter taking place where Umbria, Tuscany and the Lake Trasimeno meet.

* Special Offers for 2006

We have now started accepting bookings for 2006 with some apartments filling up fast! We will be raising the prices on some of the properties for 2006, but for all bookings made prior to November 1st 2005, we are accepting this year‚s prices. Low season discounts of 20% up to April 9th 2006, and starting again October 15th 2006 are as always in place. On top of that, for all seasons, there are incremental discounts ranging from 10% – 50% for stays longer than a week. Visit all our short term properties at
Short Term Umbrian Rentals

Celebrating Spring in Siena

The first of May, primo di Maggio, embraced the crowd gathered at Spannochhia, an organic farm outside Siena. Yellow roses and purple wisteria climbing the villa’s walls, new black and white belted Sienese piglets in their chestnut log huts with their moms, wooly white sheep and lambs frolicking in the meadows. It just made us want to dance. So we did.

The latest foreign correspondent is Midge Vreeland. Why, yes the last name IS similar. When I left Italy she was just arriving for a board of directors meeting at the Castello di Spannocchia outside Siena. Here’s her report from high on that Tuscan hilltop.

SIENA,Tuscany—The first of May, primo di Maggio, embraced the crowd gathered at Spannochhia, an organic farm outside Siena. Yellow roses and purple wisteria climbing the villa’s walls, new black and white belted Sienese piglets in their chestnut log huts with their moms, wooly white sheep and lambs frolicking in the meadows. It just made us want to dance. So we did. The Farm Manager and a young American intern working on the farm charmed us, performing with a traditional folk music group. Our luncheon buffet served outside in the courtyard displayed the wonderful Tuscan dishes that are provided by Spannocchia’s fields and animals. Talk about Slow Food. At Spannocchia, they first raise the food and only then do they get to prepare it. From Maine, Colorado, Wisconsin, Arizona we lucky Americans joined local Italians to applaud May, Spring, Italy.

When you are in the Siena area we hope you will plan to visit and enjoy Spannocchia’s environs and its bounty. By helping keep this medieval castello with its chestnut groves, olive trees and vineyards moving into the 21st century, we feel like we are paying back the country that through centuries has nurtured travelers from abroad. Here ancient grains are resurrected, almost extinct breeds of farm animals being brought back from the edge of oblivion. At Spannocchia it is all about sustainable agriculture in an increasingly plastic, rushrush, throw away world. The farm is a non-profit educational center staffed by a loyal mix of native Italians and enthusiastic interns from all over America.

On Spannocchia’s 1,200 hilltop acres you’ll find residential art, history, and cultural programs, hiking trails, a bed and breakfast and houses to rent for your family. You’ll also find a way to support, in even a small way, the cultural landscape of Italy that has filled a portion of our hearts — with beauty, romance, history, and peace. You can belong to this special place in Italy as a member of the Spannocchia Foundation. One of the great benefits of the nominal membership here, is that you can then rent and stay at this lovely retreat high in the Sienese hills. And, of course, be able to drop broad hints that during your vacation you will be off visiting friends in their castle. Oh, the Trip Envy your friends back home will have!

There are presently two Web sites about the estate:

Spannocchia.org — to become a member, learn about the farm and the foundation that supports it. And at Spannocchia.com — you can view the traditional Tuscan accommodations that you will find there.