Tag: #casualchef

AFV2022: Italy so far…

So I am WAY behind where I wanted to be on posts, but it has been a WHIRLWIND so far in Italy. Milan, Venice, Florence, San Gimignano, Bologna and now on the train to Rome (and then to Sorrento).

I figure most of the detailed posts will have to wait until I am home and then will gather thoughts and notes and pictures over the next few weeks.

So far the trip has been amazing, Food, food and more food, wine flowing pretty free also. Prices in Italy for many things are significantly cheaper than I remembered, the EUR and USD are about even, which helps a lot as well. Dinner is usually about $15-$25 a person, for two, if not three courses and wine. And this is not Olive Garden italian food… this is real food.
Your average pizza, about the size of a medium from Domino’s, $10-$12.
Bottle of wine $8-$20 ($20 is extreme, usually $12-$16), a glass $4-$6, maybe $8 if you go top end.

Quick thoughts on cities we have stayed in:
Milan – not a lot to see, food is so-so, likely a good party city, as it is the most modern city in Italy.
Venice – I am not a fan. Have been twice now. The history of Venice is amazing but the actual place leaves something to be desired.
Florence – amazing sites, great food. A lot of our group did not like it, but I do. I especially like the surrounding countryside
San Gimignano – Tuscan Hill Town, but very touristy. It is the visual representation of Tuscany, but is not the intimate, individualistic, Hill Town experience. Worth the visit, but not a long stay.
Bologna – Still confused by this place, just leaving the city right now.

The trip on the whole is amazing. Even if parts of it have not hit the spot for me, something in every place is has been someone else’s favourite. Just being here in Italy is fantastic.

We had quite a few side trips, wineries, restaurants, cheese prosciutto and basalmic makers. Details on those things and more coming.


AFV2022: Milano, Italy – The Food

Milano, or Milan, is located in the Lombardy region in northern Italy. It is the financial hub for Italy. It is also a fashion and design capital, arguably for the World and is Italy’s most “modern” city. Home to about 1.4 million people, and about 4.4million in the greater Milan area.

Personally, I found food in Milan to be so-so. But they do have some very notable dishes.

Costoletta alla Milanese
A veal cutlet, dredged in bread crumbs and pan fried to golden perfection. My father had this at the restaurant we went to in Milan, it was very good.

Risotto alla Milanese
This was the dish I was most excited for, as I love Risotto and make it often. Given its golden yellow colour from the saffron, it should be velvety and refined. Now maybe it was the restaurant we were at, but it was slightly undercooked and not velvety at all.
Flavour was spot on, texture was not.

Ossobuc
Maybe the best known dish from Milan, though I do not know if anyone knows it is from MIlan, the Risotto alla Milanese is the most recognized from Milan is my guess. Ossobuco means “marrowbone”, and is usually served with Risotto alla Milanese. This is made with a slice of shin on the bone, veal, pan fried and then stewed for a bit in broth, and topped with “gremolada” (a paste of garlic, lemon peal and parsely). Done right and this savory dish will blow your mind.
Very good and well prepared. This bailed the Risotto out and saved dinner for me, I had it with potatoes (dry and chewy), as I had just eaten a while plate of the Risotto.

RS had the Caprese Salad (tomato, buffalo mozzarella and fresh basil), and a very good filet with roasted tomato and eggplant. Maybe the best meal of every one on the trip. Amazing flavour.

While not what I hoped for in Milan, it was still good and Milan has some great things to see, which we will get into in the next post.

COVID-19 and Wine Tasting…

What an insane few weeks and likely another month or two. So Wine Tasting rooms are closed, that is putting a dent in my “Hit Them All” quest in Woodinville.

Hit Them All was going great. I had completed Artisan Hill, and was moving to the top of the Warehouse District. I will try and post my Artisan Hill highlights in a bit.

My day job is deemed an essential service, but the weekend trips to the Wine country obviously on hold. LUCKILY I was pretty stocked up. So the tasting at some level has continued.
Pulling out some older bottles that I had not got too yet, like the 2013 Roza Hills Cab’s, a six bottle collection. Five bottles are each from a different block in the same vineyard, and the sixth is a blend of those five. So far GREAT wines.
I also have a Kevin White vert I will get into in a week or so.
Had some Van Camp older bottled that Jim and I did some trades on, I drank though, maybe have one bottle left. Just had the 2015 Cab, was very solid.
I have a lot of older Efeste Big Papa and Tough Guy… Cannot wait for those.

Will be trying all of those as this lock down goes on, so I will def be on the hunt for new wines when we are able to get back out!

Check my Instagram for daily wine posts. Hit me up with questions and comments on there. There is a link and side bar to the right of this post!

What are you trying right now?
What has been tasting good?
Any good food to go with it?

Stay safe! Drink Wine!