blogfromafar

That’s right! Flavors From Afar is heading to the Texas Olive Ranch next week to check out the local harvest. Set down south in Carizzo Springs, the trees are all Spanish arbequina olives and the olive oil is unctuous and grassy.

We’ll bring back a taste of the new oil, and will have it on the shelves as soon as Jim and Karen can bottle it! Meanwhile, we’ll also bring back some baby olive trees (about 3′ tall) for those who would like them. $24.99 and they’re yours. Call 214.696.2327 or email sales@flavorsfromafar.com to order.

“Italian for Travelers” lessons begin at Flavors From Afar starting September 16 and meet once a week for 4 weeks, concluding October 7. SMU Professor Marilisa Prestigiacomo presents a condensed class focused on essential phrases and grammar for the traveler. The small class size of 10 allows for personal interaction and guidance. The cost is $75/person. Wine and nibbles provided gratis to aid in the learning experience. Textbook purchased separately and available the first night of class. For more information and to order online, click here or call us at 214.696.2327.

5 spots left and counting….

Got to love it!  Small businesses help each other.  As it turns out, when we visited Betty and Cesare Nadalini at their home in Tuscany, they had a big shipment of their 2008 olive oil heading to the states in a week.  After a typical Italian three-hour lunch  (see our March 5 post to find a recipe for Betty’s Cenci) and subsequent nap, we were in a sociable, but not hungry mood in the evening.  What to do?   Why, label the bottles, of course!  You’ll see them March 21st at the Nadalini’s tasting at Flavors From Afar.  Any crooked labels?  Blame them on Nancy!

     We’ve got a new staple in the Krabill Kitchen – Gary’s Smoky Rub.  It includes that Smoked Paprika that’s all the rage (peppers are smoked first, then dried), and adds herbs, spices, and sugar to give depth and flavor to grilled meats.  We sent the smoke factor over the top by rubbing a pork shoulder first, then cooking it one of our Smoker Bags (lets you smoke meat or fish inside without the hassle of an all-day affair outdoors.)  (more…)

Nothing like a visit to New York City to restore our faith in American ingenuity. Euro, schmeuro….Sub- prime, no time! Parked right in front of the Fancy Food Show was a vehicle that symbolizes not only the latest trends in gourmet food, but capitalizes on them!

It’s the cheese delivery rickshaw from Artisanal Premium Cheese that delivers handcrafted cheese in midtown “between the rivers”. So what trends in food does this vehicle represent? (more…)

It almost breaks your heart. We visited our new local farmers’ market in McKinney last Saturday; 8am, a little chill in the new Spring air. Feeling all the following at the same time, without contradiction:

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Brio Tuscan Grille opened in Allen and we just had to check it out! “Brio”, meaning “liveliness” in Italian, is an apt name for the eatery. It’s lovely, dark, elegant, cozy inside, and manages to escape for the most part the feel of a chain restaurant.

However, the dining experience, especially for Italian food lovers like all of us, is decidedly surreal. We call it “Italy-Land“, featuring a Disney playground of a menu that may rival “Tex-Mex” for tasty, though inauthentic cuisine. (more…)

Olive oil scandals, sadly, are not a new phenomenon in Italy. Click here for a summary of a 2002 Italian television expose (“Excuse Me, Are You a Virgin?”) on reprocessing the olive “must” left over after the first pressing of olives and selling the refined product as “Extra Virgin” olive oil. Then, the New Yorker last August published Tom Mueller’s well-researched article on the crime and nuances of mislabeling “Extra Virgin” olive oil.At Flavors From Afar, we hold one or two Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar tasting parties a week (see bottom right to sign up for yours!) and a question we get nearly every time is “How do I know that what I’m getting is Extra Virgin?” The truth is, that in our country where Extra Virgin is a marketing term, you just don’t, unless you know your supplier or producer. (more…)

A new tradition at Alessio’s Restaurant: Third Thursdays wine dinners, complete with produce from Tom Spicer’s FM 1410 around the corner. We tried out the first one on March 27 and found it to be a great value and learning experience, well worth a return trip.

The evening started off with a Doria “Contessa” Spumante from Lombardy (“spumante” means the foam at the top of a wave in Italian). The sparkling, yeasty notes were light and fresh. For the antipasti, we had a Bagna Cauda that was a little heavy and light on the garlic to our taste, paired with mortadella, and finocchiona, a salmi with fennel, both of which were excellent. The Pinot Grigio seemed a little soapy with apple notes; not our favorite.

The risotto with mushrooms (courtesy of Tom Spicer) had a wonderful flavor, but a gummy texture. No complaints with the Ravioli Aurora. The Quattro Valli Primitivo (zinfandel grape) was smokey, leathery, and just perfect. Next, we tried a house salad with wonderful Asiago cheese, but with an oil that was a little heavy (we would have like to have seen the new Texas olive oil there instead).

Alessio brought out his best with the secondi. The rolled veal and Gorgonzola pork loin were superb, served wtih fiddlehead ferns (courtesy of Tom). We tried a Doria Barbera that was a little tannic for us, but a tasty bubbly fruity Trevisani “Diana” from the Lake Garda region was our favorite for the night. Finally, finally the dolci…gelato with almonds and chocolate was far from light, but added a perfect punch to the evening.

Alessio is partnering with a local wine purveyor who guides the group through the evening and sells wine to those who so desire at the end of the evening, with volume discounts. To sign up for April’s Third Thursday, give Alessio a call.

Green, sustainable, renewable Like vegetables, we know they’re good for us, but can they also be fun?! New products, and repurposed old ones, vying for attention at the International Home and Housewares show in Chicago last week, piqued our interest and gave us hope. Pictured above: “Flip & Tumble” reusable shopping bags that are oh-so-cute, and are folded into a fist-sized shape so you can carry them with you all the time, rather than realizing you should have at the checkout counter. Coming to Flavors From Afar in April ($13.50).

For the quick skinny on the show, Five New Trends and products that you’ll see soon at Flavors From Afar. click here.