“We should all do what, in the long run, gives us joy, even if it is only picking grapes or sorting the laundry.”   -E.B. White

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Wining and Dining





About an hour outside of Naples, is the Mustilli Family Winery.  Situated inside of an ancient Medieval town, this little jewel of a winery, is run by Mr. Mustilli himself, an expert of the grape, who is carrying on his family's age-long tradition.  Our second day off was spent with this incredible man, walking through the underground wine cellar and tasting the fruits of his labour (the best part).  Just making wine, spending time with his family and living the simple life, beautiful.  The good wine was followed by great food at a local eatery, dining al fresco, ahhh yes.  The rest of the day was spent driving around the Campania countryside, a place laden with grape vines, ancient towns and truly down to earth Italian folk.  Love those Italians, I tell ya....proud of my Joely and his roots :-) 










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Where has this southern gal been in the past year?

  • Bra, Italy
  • Milan, Italy
  • Venice, Italy
  • Cinque Terra, Italy
  • Paris, France
  • Sardinia
  • Ajaccio, Corsica
  • Calvi, Corsica
  • Portovenere, Italy
  • Portofino, Italy
  • Villefranche, France
  • Cap D'ai, France
  • Nice, France
  • St. Tropez, France
  • Cannes, France
  • Monaco, France
  • San Remo, Italy
  • Hilton Head Island, SC
  • Ft. Liquordale, FL
  • Seattle, WA
  • Nosara, Costa Rica
  • Charleston, SC
  • Waxy O'Connors, FL
  • Florida Keys, FL
  • Highbourne Cay, Bahamas
  • Harbor Island, Bahamas
  • Nassau, Bahamas
  • Ft. Lauderdale, FL
  • Big Lake, Washington :-)
  • Mt. Vernon, Washington
  • Seattle, Washington
  • Portland, Oregon
  • Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
  • Wilmington, North Carolina
  • Outer Banks, North Carolina
  • Stuart, Florida
  • Palma de Mallorca, Spain
  • Barcelona, Spain
  • Rome, Italy
  • Sorrento, Italy
  • Sollerno, Italy
  • Agropoli, Italy
  • Positano, Italy
  • Amalfi Coast, Italy
  • Ischia, Italy
  • Isle of Capri, Italy

MY MENU MANTRA

I cannot overemphasize the importance of approaching each new menu or each new dish with a fresh attitude. Never look back, burdening yourself with the memory of the dinner that didn't quite work.  Nor should you endlessly repeat the comfortable dish that you have mastered: that promotes a stagnant attitude.  Move away from that safe old chocolate mousse recipe to new ideas, new cookbooks, and new restaurants for inspiration, motivation and incentive.  Learn to discriminate and choose the best of everything.  More than any other quality in other cooks, the one I most value is the ability to see precisely what is needed in a particular dish, dinner, or event.  This discrimination and attention to detail distinguish those dedicated and perceptive cooks I most admire.  -Alice Waters.