“The true harvest of my life is intangible–a little stardust caught, a portion of the rainbow that I have clutched.” – Henry David Thoreau
It’s harvest time in wine regions across the Northern hemisphere. From Napa to Burgundy, rows and rows of grapes are paitently ripening and waiting to be turned into wine. It’s a great time of year to think about what you are harvesting from your own life. Will you harvest the little joys? Like Thoreau, will you slow down enough to tune into the seasons, the ’stardust’ and the simple moments that make life special? This fall—make a resolution to put down the smart phone and make some time to open up that bottle of wine that you have been saving, pick apples with your kids or just curl up in front of a crackling fire with someone you love. Life is short. What will you choose to harvest?
Fall is also the perfect time to start a home practice. Click HERE for a ‘Harvest Moon’ playlist that’s perfect for a home practice!
“Optimist; Daydreamer more elegantly spelled”- Mark Twain
This weekend I had the pleasure to attend a 70th wedding anniversary party. Statistically, getting to 70 years of marriage has to be about as likely as getting struck by lightning. In today’s world it is nothing short of a miracle. So when you see two happy, healthy people in their 90s, getting decked out in corsages and boutonnieres, to celebrate a milestone like a 70th wedding anniversary you have to stop and take notice. (more…)
I am seriously obssesed with gelato. To me strolling around a piazza with a gelato in my hand is the quintessential Italian experience. If you aren’t able to hop on a plane, you can still recreate a bit of that experience at home. (more…)
In order to entertain like an Italian, you have to really embrace using only what is fresh, available and in season. Most Italians shop daily and get what looks best for that day instead of stocking up for the week. They will search out the very best bread by making a trip to their favorite bakery instead of buying it at the supermarket. If you had planned on making asparagus, but it’s not available or doesn’t look fresh….use whatever looks best! For example, when I went to the fish market looking for swordfish but the salmon looked good. If you go to the market and the trout looks good make the recipe with trout instead. Fresh thyme not available? Pick another fresh herb that looks good and that you like. That means that the recipe might need to be tweaked a bit. It’s about learning a preparation and using what’s fresh where you live. Think of this recipe (and all recipes) as just a starting point…and don’t be afraid to improvise! (more…)
If you are going to entertain like an Italian….the first step is understanding that Italians take their pasta very seriously. Let me say that again. Very. Seriously. When it comes to pasta there are some unbreakable rules. Here are a few tips for understanding Italian’s collective obsession with perfect pasta.
- Pasta is never, ever, ever overcooked. It’s always cooked ‘al dente’ which means it should have a little bite.
- It’s about the pasta. Not the sauce. Think of the sauce as just a ‘condiment’ for the pasta. This means that the pasta should be delicious on it’s own. Cook the pasta in (plenty of) salted water that has come to a rolling boil. On the same note, buy good quality pasta. I like Barilla for everyday and DeCecco for special occasions.
- The pasta and sauce have to spend a little time in the sauce pan getting to know each other before you marry them together in the serving bowl. Check out this great guide from Bon Appetit on how to properly cook pasta.
Ok. Ready to make your own pasta course? Here is an easy recipe for your perfect pasta course. This can be one course in a meal or an easy summer dinner. (more…)
Picture it. You’re sitting by the sea holding a glass of chilled white wine. Everyone around you is talking loudly and gesturing wildly. The afternoon seems to linger on forever. Everything seems effortless…from the simple, delicious food to the easy laughter at the table. That’s entertaining like an Italian. Effortless, relaxed and always delicious.
With my Yoga & Wine retreat to Italy coming up this fall…I thought I would share a few easy summer recipes over the next few weeks with Italian wine pairings. These are perfect for effortless summer entertaining. None of them should take longer than 30 minutes so that you can enjoy your party and not be left sweating in the kitchen. So put on some good music, pour yourself a glass of something delicious and don’t think too hard about making things perfect. Both you and your guests will have more fun when you entertain (effortlessly) like an Italian instead! So don’t wait for a trip to Italy….make your own ‘la dolce vita’ instead.
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It’s still summer (although marginally so here in Wisconsin) but each time I look at the calendar I get more and more excited for fall and for my upcoming Yoga & Wine retreat to Piemonte, Italy this September. Those of you who follow my blog know that this trip combines everything I love; yoga, food, wine and travel, into one experience! For those of you that are new to the blog, I grew up in a Sicilian restaurant family surrounded by good food and wine. After working in the wine business in San Francisco for a number of years, I am now a certified sommelier. In addition, I own Bliss Flow Yoga in Madison, Wisconsin where I get to share my love of yoga with a wonderful community of yogis.
Life moves so fast that I think we all need a dose of ‘la dolce vita’ every now and then to slow us down. Don’t you? Right now I’m daydreaming about crisp fall days spent looking for truffles and evenings spent lingering over an espresso. I’m imagining starting each morning with a flowing yoga practice followed by time spent exploring vineyards, taking cooking classes, lingering over meals and just experiencing life ‘italian style’!
Want to learn more about my upcoming retreat? Click HERE
This is the final installation in my ‘blog series’ about the rise of organic and biodynamic practices in the world of wine. Want to learn more? Join me for my upcoming Yoga & Wine retreats to Napa & Italy which feature visits to some of the wineries that I discuss here in person.
From Sky to Earth
Many winemakers, both in the US and abroad, are taking organic one step further and embracing biodynamics, the viticulture system based on the teachings of Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner in the early 1920’s. The methods, like burying cow horns filled with dung in the vineyard and planting based on the cycle of the moon, have certainly raised eyebrows. While proponents of biodynamics swear by the results, critics call the heavy reliance on astrology and the odd methods pseudoscience, voodoo or simply a hoax. (more…)
This is part two in a 3 part ‘blog series’ about the rise of organic and biodynamic practices in the world of wine in honor of Earth Day! Check in later in the week for more about this growing trend. Want to check out some of these wineries for yourself? Join me for my upcoming Yoga & Wine retreats to Napa & Italy which feature visits to some of the wineries that I discuss here in person.
Daydream Believer
Farming organically was not a marketing decision for self-described “daydream believer” Robert Sinskey, owner of Robert Sinskey Vineyards in the Napa Valley. More natural techniques just seemed to fit with his dream of making beautiful wines in a place where his children could play in the vineyards without exposure to pesticides. “We began farming organically as a reaction to the phylloxera blight of the 1980s.” says Sinskey. “We looked at our naked, compacted soils and decided conventional farming was flawed on many levels. We felt it was just plain irresponsible to work with toxic materials when homes are so close to vineyards. I live in the vineyards with my family and I did not want to fear for the health of my children.” (more…)
This is part one in a 3 part ‘blog series’ about the rise of organic and biodynamic practices in the world of wine in honor of Earth Day! Check in next week for more about this growing trend. Want to check out some of these wineries for yourself? Join me for my upcoming Yoga & Wine retreats to Napa & Italy which feature visits to some of the wineries that I discuss here in person.
Bottled Poetry
It’s a crisp morning in early spring at the northern end of the Napa Valley. The vineyard floors form a steep amphitheater, blanketed with yellow mustard, and the air is cold enough that I can see my breath. Jerry Seps, the down to earth proprietor of Storybook Mountain Vineyard, is dressed in jeans and a cowboy hat and standing in front of me at the edge of a row of still dormant vines. As he talks about the vines the pride in his land is evident on his face. (more…)
