Truffles Motovun Istria Croatia

Dear Art lover,

     Motovun is the small town on top of a hill in northwestern Istria in Croatia where Boris took me on our day trip last Friday.  It is a cute little stone town.  There were actually a few people we saw about.  I was surprised at how deserted were all of the towns we visited that day.  Motovun had some construction workers ripping up one of the narrow streets to work on the pipes below ground, but other than that, very few signs of working life.

     On the drive back to Umag, Boris explained to me that Motovun is Istria’s truffle capitol.  And then he explained that they use dogs to sniff out the truffles.  He said that it was a bit horrible because they raise the dogs by giving them only small amounts of truffle from birth to train their noses and appetites.  Then when they are starving, they send them out into the woods to find the delicacy. 

     I had always assumed that truffles were found by [knowledgeable and licensed] people in the woods in Italy, as mushrooms are.  It had never occurred to me that they were hunted with the use of dogs!  But then, I did not really know that truffles were underground and people could not find them without aid.  And, I wondered how a dog could live on slivers of truffle alone and also if it was really worth it to feed animals this relatively expensive stuff.  I mean, did they find more than their body weight’s needs?  Are truffles even nutritious enough to sustain a life?

     I am glad that I asked my friend Judy Witts Francini.  She knows everything about food, certainly Italian food.  And even if I am exaggerating in my praise, she certainly knows how to find out about something if she does not know it. 

   Judy rightly surmised that English is not Boris’s first language.  As such, her theory is that Boris used the word “starving” when he meant “hungry.”  She then explained that, in Italy at least, “When the dogs are born, the owners put truffle oil on the mother's nipples so when the puppies feed they relate eating to truffles.  When they get bigger the people put a little truffle in a small ball and throw it and have the dog find it or put small bits in food to reward the dogs.”

     “So early in the morning, before the dogs have eaten anything ["starving?"], they go hunting.  When they find a truffle they are given snacks.”


     THIS makes more sense.  Plus, I had asked Boris what the dogs ate when truffles were not in season and he replied, “regular food.”  No doubt I was “lost in translation.”  Always good to give the benefit of a doubt (sometimes even with speakers of our own native tongues).

     Here is a post that Judy created on truffles.  She shares images of truffles and a truffle dog!
http://www.divinacucina.com/2005/10/truffles-not-chocolate/

     Judy offers cooking classes, recipes, and shopping experiences.  She knows all the best in the food business in Italy and she knows how to give you a great experience.  I know because I was lucky enough to join one of her market tours in Florence.  And here is a taste (pardon the pun) of her 2015 culinary events:
http://www.divinacucina.com/2014/11/sharing-the-love-plans-for-2015/

     Now, back to me.  Hahahaha… Yesterday I added two new rewards on my first Kickstarter art project.  I want to entice you to help me create some bronze art.  Please participate and share this link:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/borsheimarts/casting-call-im-melting-melting-into-bronze

Receive this curious frog bronze sculpture for the $250 Reward

$650 Reward:  Consult with me to create your own medallion

Thank you so much,

Kelly

~ Kelly Borsheim, sculptor, painter, writer, teacher

http://BorsheimArts.com

Boris did not know the original use of this site; now important for bonfire during local festival

Officina Ristorante Colle Di Val D’Elsa Italy

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

Whether you use it or not, social media, such as Facebook, connects people, and sometimes in wonderful and otherwise unlikely ways. It was through Facebook and our common love of Florence, Italy, that the Diva of Divina Cucina, Judy Witts Francini, and I met. I am not sure if I have met anyone as intensely interested in most everything as Judy is. It is no wonder that people from all over the world come to take her cooking classes and her tours of Tuscany.

While I was still in Italy this past summer, Judy introduced me to the Officina della Cucina Popolare restaurant in a little town called Colle di Val d’Elsa, not far from her home in Certaldo. The drive from Florence was lovely. If you would like to see some of my snapshots along the route, visit my Facebook album about the Italian countryside.




I would have preferred to eat lunch there so that there was time to explore the medieval town, but my schedule would not allow it. Colle di Val d’Elsa is known for its lead-glass products and appears to be one long stretch of a town, running along the spine of a hill. The light on the long days here was starting to fade and I tried to get off a few images before the sun was completely gone. We parked (for free) outside of a very castle-like looking entrance all the “Porta Nova.” Not far inside is L’Officina on the right.

We sat outside to enjoy the evening air. The restaurant is very simple and therefore not overly “Italian” as more touristy places can be sometimes. The place had few visitors when we arrived on a Friday night just as they opened, but Italians eat later and the place was completely full before half-way through our dinner. The food was creatively prepared, beautifully displayed and a wonderful sensation for the taste buds.




The owners prefer a more organic way to live, serving food grown by sustainable local farmers and friends. Their menus are from recycled materials, such as these sides of wine boxes that you see in my photos. Their glasses are cut wine bottles.


I am not difficult to please when it comes to food, generally being happy if anyone but me prepares it. However, in the hands of people with passion for food, I can be completely blown away by the quality of the dining experience! This dinner was superb. I can honestly say that I never felt so … enchanted . . . with a bowl of cheese soup before. Pictured here with the fresh celery for dipping, mmm mmm mmmmmmmm


So, I apologize for not recording exactly what I ate here – sometimes it is difficult to live life and record it at the same time. The meat dish was wonderful and the one image shows Judy demonstrating to me how the traditional Italian cheese gourd-shaped ball is “unraveled” and eaten by locals.



Of the four friends who own and operate the Officina, I met Nicola Zak Bochicchio (isn’t he beautiful?) that evening as he successfully tempted us with the dessert menu. Like me, Judy prefers to order different items and then have all the table guests taste a little of each as they choose. I include three of our choices here. Please note that these are just snapshots with a flash (horrible!) and yet, these desserts still look so yummy (and they WERE)! And to top it all off, the prices were surprisingly affordable.




This last image is one I took that night as we exited through the same Porta Nova. I may not know much about food, but I have a pretty good understanding of the beauty of light. I will be returning to Colle di Val d’Elsa and definitely to the Officina, only for a longer visit next time. I hope you have a chance to experience this kind of traditional Tuscana too.

Useful Links:

• Officina della Cucina Popolare
  
• Facebook page for L’Officina
  
• Divina Cucina’s Review of L’Officina
  
• Judy’s site for Divina Cucina – Everyone should try being Tuscan at least once a day
  

May the Yule Tide Spirit of Christmas be with you always.

Conti – Tasting Tour Tuscany

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

I once heard that “you can either write about life or live life, not both.” Boy, that is a tough one for me. So many interesting things – good and not so good – happen and seem worthy of documentation for a variety of reasons. So, perhaps you will bear with me today as I share more good things about the Conti family food products here in Tuscany. In my last post, I wrote about the balsamico that Stefano and Grazia Conti offer in their colorful shop in mercato centrale here in Florence, Italy. They also carry all things TRUFFLE!

But during the tour given by the brains and passion behind the Divina Cucina, Judy Witts Francini (in violet) shared with us a wide variety of Italian foods, spices, leather goods, jewelry, and more. She knows all of the merchants here, especially the Conti family. Judy’s tours are fun and you move at just the right pace. She keeps all tour groups small so she can offer the most personal of experiences. And she delivers!

So, a quick explanation of some of these images before I get back to my drawing board.
1) Judy, right, gives her tour group a moment to look over the Italian labels.
2) Judy and Grazia Conti share a laugh with the group.
3) Getting a whiff of a special spice mix (I think for putting on meats) – a perfect example of my shooting an image with my right hand while the rest of my body wants to pass up the photo-op for some yummy fragrances.
4) The fresh fruits and vegetables are displayed in a way that you may see all at a glance and reach everything that you desire. I had never before seen horseradish (the tubular shapes to the left of the Conti sign).
5) Loved the mushroom display!
6) Candied fruits – strawberries in the front, kiwi in the back, and my personal favorite: zenzero (ginger). Fun to say, fun to eat!
7) Grappa in test tubes and a box in the style of a cigarette case! I think grappa is stronger than vodka, and not for the faint of heart. I like it in the right circumstances.

Enjoy your day – I cannot wait to be able to show you my new artworks soon.

Useful links:
Tuscany Flavours – the site for the Conti Family’s delicious offerings
Divina Cucina – get to know more about Judy Witts Francini and her cooking knowledge
Judy’s blog about food and Italy

Conti – Tasty Tuscan Food Products

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

Recently I attended “Mondays at the Markets” with the fabulous Judy Witts Francini. Judy not only teaches Italian cooking classes, but she gives tours on how to buy the right ingredients (and wines), blogs and publishes cooking books, and SO much more. Monday, she took her small group (always small, she says, she prefers it that way) on a tour of the Mercato Centrale di San Lorenzo (central market) in Florence, Italy, as well as many of the surrounding merchants that she adores.

Today I want to share some of my experiences that day with the Conti family. I met Stefano and Grazia Conti, as well as their son Manuel, who I understood to have recently received some prestigious award that permitted him to be considered an expert on wines or some other culinary honor. [I really need to work in my Italian language skills, not to mention my memory!]


There was so much tasting and so many scrumptious things that I had to narrow it down for this blog post. I choose today to talk about the Conti’s balsamico. I have tasted balsamic vinegar plenty of times – it is a staple in Italian homes and goes well on salads and even pasta. But what we tasted this day was not this. Sure it had the similar tanginess to it, but was so much more intense and pure of flavor (and I think Judy said – no vinegar)! One drop of this thick concoction, and one was thinking of the nectar of the gods. I am not exaggerating.


These images were taken at the Conti’s tasting table inside of the mercato centrale. The first image is of the handsome Stefano and his charming wife Grazia. In the second image, Grazia is showing us one of the family’s offerings, while their elegant and perhaps modest son Manuel lays out the tastings of the day.


In this third image, the fabulous Judy [wearing Florentine purple, the color of the local soccer (calcio) team], explains to us how balsamico is created over a period of many years, moved from one barrel into the next in line. In the fourth image, the lovely Grazia waits for the balsamico to find its way finally to my spoon. When one knows of the time involved to create such treasures and how long it will last (a tiny amount goes a long way), the price becomes reasonable indeed.

And just look at some of their offerings! The bottles are beautiful, as well as the treasures inside: worth every euro. Life can be a dream when we follow our passions. Thanks so much to the Conti family for sharing theirs.

Useful links:
Tuscany Flavours – the site for the Conti Family’s delicious offerings
Divina Cucina – get to know more about Judy Witts Francini and her cooking knowledge
Judy’s blog about food and Italy

Just wanted to acknowledge this: My friend Keith Hogan left this world on the 14th of April. He was a strong advocate for people with disabilities and had the sweetest soul.