Notes from a lovestruck traveller…
The lucky Nikita Brocco, winner of our 2012 ‘Good taste of Tuscany’ competition recently returned from Italy, where she and her sister spent three nights in Tuscany, courtesy of the Sanlam Investments FoodWineDesign Fair, learning more about Italian cuisine. Here’s what she had to say about her gastronomical journey:
Bring on the pizza, pasta, parmigiana, grissini, gelato and lambrusco!
After a fun-filled day in Amsterdam with bicycles, boat houses, canals and the traditional pairing of Dutch cheese and mustard sandwiches, my sister and I arrived at Villa Pandolfini in Florence, Tuscany.
The region of Tuscany embodies a flair of old-world charm, surrounded by rolling vineyards and olive gardens, peaceful villages perched on top of symmetrical hills, narrow winding streets and pastel villas with terracotta tiled roofs.
With the perfect setting we were ready to cook, eat, drink and eat!
Day 1 started with an espresso (of course) and was followed by four hours of hands-on cooking that introduced us to the food that has made Tuscany one of the most popular destinations in Italy.
We uncorked the wine and indulged in juicy chopped tomatoes with local olive oil and oregano, Parmesan cheese that melted with each bite, toasted garlic bruschetta, zucchini and saffron risotto, freshly made pasta, Tuscan-style chicken with olives and capers and finished off with vanilla pannacotta with berries and grappa.
Day 2 (after recovering from the red, white and then red wine again) was filled with more eating of the mouth-watering dishes that we prepared... and just when we thought we could never eat as much as the day before, we ate even more!
Deep fried zucchini flowers, panzanella salad, pasta with chickpeas, sea bass with potatoes, tomatoes and olives and chestnut cake with chocolate sauce. Yummy...
Day 3 started off at a local market where we shopped for the ingredients for the last day of cooking, as the locals do. Our farewell meal could only be described as heaven on a table, with fresh out-of-the-oven focaccia bread, spinach and ricotta ravioli, red wine beef stew, tiramisu and lemon sorbet.
As an Italian, with a passion for cooking and eating, I was able to share this unforgettable experience with family in Italy... It has honestly been a dream come true!
Arrivederci (Farewell) Italia and Grazie (Thank you) Sanlam Investments Food Wine Design Fair!
Al contrario (On the contrary), thank you Nikita for being a fan and sharing your amazing journey with us! We're glad you had such a ball and got to spend time with your Italian family, learning about all the good things in life.
For those of you who also have dreams of travel and other exciting adventures, you can rest assured that this year we'll be handing out great prizes once again. Watch this space and follow us on Facebook for a chance to win big!