Mandranova, Sicilian Olive Oil From the Gods

Located only 90 miles from the coast of North Africa, Sicily's summer sun is relentless which gives Sicilian produce an intensity of flavor that is not found in the north of Italy.

Olive oil is almost synonymous with Italian cooking, and nearly every region in Italy has its own homemade variation. Sicilian olive oil, however, may boast the oldest lineage, dating back to the 5th century B.C. when colonists from Greece were probably the first to plant olive trees in Sicily, starting around 500BC.

Sicily currently has four certified DOP (designation of origin) olive growing regions and is waiting on certification for two other areas. Sicily commits thousands of acres of land to growing olives and the high quality olives produced are a result of fertile, volcanic (in parts) soil. While Carolea, Nocellara, and Biancolilla are the most widely cultivated olive varieties in Sicily, one can also find Crasto, Ogliarola Messinese, Cerasuola, La Minua, La Cavaleri, Tonda Iblea, Moresca, and Castiglione.

The Mandranova Olive Oils come from Southern Sicily, near Agrigento. They focus on preserving the particular quality of each type of olive. Their extra-virgin olive oils are "monocultivar", sort of like single varietal, and their methods of pressing the oil vary according to each variety of olive. An accurate control process of each stage of the productions makes it possible to obtain products of highest quality, which has been recognized by several prizes awarded at both national and international level.

The oils are incredibly fresh, just pressed in October and are absolutely delicious! We are sharing samples of them with a few of our wholesalers to see if they would be interested in bringing them in to the United States for us. Keep your fingers crossed because if you are nuts for great olive oils like we are, trust me, you want these in your pantry!

This is a great video filmed by the Culinary Media Network demonstrating the proper way to smell and taste olive oil from Sylvia di Vincenzo of the Mandranova Estate in Sicily.

Mandranova is also an Agriturismo Resort and is a must visit for any trip to Sicily. Check out their site at http://www.mandranova.it.

Ciao!

The Gavi in the Bottle

As with everyone who has experienced it, it's the bottle that grabs you first. Shapely, seductive, it calls out to you and says "come on, taste me". But once you look past the packaging, you get to what really matters, the Gavi in the bottle. Gavi has a long history in Piedmont and celebrated most of its success in the 1960s. The white wine is named for the town of Gavi, located in the southeast province of Alessandria. Gavi is produced from the Cortese grape, a varietal which has been grown throughout the province since the late 1600s. The Villa Sparina is what Gavi should be; rich almond and honey notes coat the palate, leaving you with a crisp mineral acid finish, ahh the best of both...It is available at Swirl and is our white wine pick of the month for "club swirl", our discount wine purchasing club.

I cooked a shrimp dish using fresh Louisiana Gulf shrimp we bought at the Crescent City Farmer's Market today. The God Mother of Italian cooking, Lidia Bastianich has a recipe from her native Istria called Shrimp Buzara style...it is simple and fabulous with a light tomato and white wine sauce that leaves you scraping the bottom of the pan with anything you can find in the kitchen! Divine! Go to Lidia's website for the recipe: http://www.lidiasitaly.com/appetizers/ap01.

Not the most fabulous pairing ever, but both stood exceedingly well on their own and complimented nicely.

Definitely a wine and a dish for future endeavors!

Contemplating Chickens

It's been brewing for a while now, our plan to take more control over our what we eat. We've always had a relatively healthy diet and are fully aware of the risks associated with eating the "American way". But lately it's taken a different turn as the economy's downward spiral makes the trips to Whole Foods happen less often. We've started to take advantage of our local produce at the Farmer's Market, Kerry is growing micro greens and sprouts and my next project is to plant herbs and vegetables, and possibly find us a few citrus trees. We'd like to become more self sufficient, sustainable. We're even contemplating chickens....

We also both love to cook and want the freshest, healthy ingredients possible. We are moving back to the old ways when people grew their own food and lived off their land. It's a very "old world" way of life and with all of the turmoil of the present, it seems like a more simple and gentle path.

We also both love wine and are always seeking that perfect pairing that happens when an incredible dish and a delicious wine make the meal sing. We're picky about restaurants and wine lists and most of the time we'd rather eat and drink at home. Great food and wine are important to us and we're trying to find a way to make a living out of it!

So I've created this blog to document those wine and food experiences that you don't want to forget. Be it at home, at dinner party, a little osteria in Italy or a hole in the wall diner in NewYork, I'm in pursuit of the perfect pairing and unforgettable dining experiences. Right now this is just for me, but who knows where it will lead....