Page 46 - Emag_AugSept2019

Reflections

H ave you ever been to Tuscany? by Katie Butler Johnson

If you’ve read Frances Mayes’ memoir “Under the Tuscan
Sun” or seen the movie based on it, you have some idea of the
area’s beauty and charm. how to prepare la rack of lamb. We made many Italian dishes: pizza
in a brick oven, ravioli and pasta by hand, limoncello, saltimbocca,
The movie version spins a romantic tale of a woman, played by Dianne tiramisu. . . . . .
Ladd, who travels to Tuscany to recover from her recent divorce. On
a whim, she buys a dilapidated 16th century villa (symbol of the Four hours might seem long for a cooking class, but it was so packed
shambles of her current sad post-divorce life?) and takes us along with fun and activity that time sped. We had much to learn from our
as she transforms that villa into her own Valhalla - finding love and Chef, Franko Palandra.
happiness in the process. Palandra had retired as Chef with
When my daughter Beth called Cunard Cruise lines where he’d
last winter and asked me if I traveled the world and found his
would like to go on their family Paola. She assists in the classes.
trip to Tuscany and stay in an We got all sorts of tips from our
actual restored Tuscan villa for a Chef who always had a twinkle
week of Italian cooking lessons, in his eye, a great sense of humor
memories of Mayes’ book and and a gracious manner.
the movie played in my head. I During lessons, we made our
said “YES!” lunches and dinners for the week.
On June 9th, we drove from Each dinner course was perfectly
Rome to Tuscany and Torre Del paired with a different Italian
Tartufo - our home for 7 days. wine. By the end of the week, the
guests and the staff had bonded
Torre Del Tartufo sits at the top into one happy family. And we
of a long, narrow, twisty, dirt got to tour around the Tuscan
road through the forest and just countryside in our downtime.
past a strand of stately Cyprus
trees banking the entrance. The When I left Tuscany after my
whole place could be a movie week of gourmet meals, not only
set: ivy covered villa with storybook tower; roses everywhere; and did I take home my course textbook (the 3lb “Tuscookany” cookbook)
lavender beds poised to burst into purple blooms. and the memories of a special
We were met by a gracious lady, Lena, who welcomed us and showed week with family and new friends, I also took home seven extra
us to our rooms. Granddaughter Eden’s room was in the Rapunzel- pounds that were . . .very . . .deliciously . . acquired!
like tower at the top of a flight of narrow winding stairs. Daughter Beth
and her husband Lowell were on the second floor with a spectacular
view of the infinity pool and the distant hills with their olive trees.
Grandsons Logan and Trevor roomed next to me on the first floor. All
the rooms were beautifully appointed.
After meeting fellow guests and our Chef at a welcome dinner, we
retired to our rooms. I opened my window which overlooked a rose
bed and breathed in the fragrance. Then laid down on the bed. Last
thing I remember was looking through that window at a slice of moon
and stars scattered across the night sky. Next thing I saw was daylight.
I’d slept longer and deeper than I had in years!
We had 4 days of 4-hour lessons -16 hours of Italian cooking
instruction. We gathered around a massive black marble slab that
topped our work table in the center of a fully equipped kitchen. There
was an impressive herb garden steps outside where we picked herbs
for recipes and eyed luscious strawberries just begging to be tasted.
We even went on a truffle hunt with trained truffle dogs, not pigs
as I thought were used. Seems pigs make a mess of foraging and
then often eat the truffle before their trainer can get it. Dogs aren’t
that keen on truffles and prefer the trainer’s treat to the truffle. We
collected 7 truffles that were added to that evening’s risotto.
Our Chef taught us how to bone a duck, a chicken and a fish as well as

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