hamcolvin

Does anyone have any thoughts on inexpensive sparkling wines? I will be using it for mimosas and a ginger version of a French 75 for a brunch for 300 people. Thoughts?

These are wonderful ideas...and make me want to try them all now. I will definitely look into the DC guild for the event since we are required to have licenced bartenders at the event. Thank you!!

Hello all, I am helping plan an event for June that will be a brunch. The event is a school fundraiser. One of the other planners brought up the idea of having a signature drink beyond the standard bloody mary and mamosa. I don't really drink cocktails that often. I though you all migh have some ideas. Also, this event is for a Chinese immersion school. Thank you in advance.

I am a fan of Montmartre and Sonoma. Belga can be great but I have had a couple of only OK meals there. Plus is on the pricier side. I have not been to Matchbox on 8th yet. Have a good dinner

I bought some of the Pugliese bread and it was lovely. We just got back from Italy Tuesday night. I brought home with me some wonderful olive oil we got from the Agrotourismo we stayed at in Montepulciano. I want make the simple toasted bread, rubbed with garlic and drizzled with olive oil that we had several time there. I have a feeling this oil will not last us long. I liked the unsalted bread, particularly with the assorted cured meats and tasty cheeses. I tend not to like a lot of salt anyway. It is not the bread I would use for everything, but I really enjoyed it.

Is there a place in DC that sells tuscan style bread?

There were several companies listed on SlowTravel with some reviews. All of them left from Florence. From the looks of it that is the major jumping point for a lot of folks. Check out the SlowTravel Reviews. Heather

I am looking for a company or an individual that offers wine tours originating out of Montepulciano. I have found a few companies that offer wine tours but they all start out of Florence. We will be staying in Montepulciano and I hate to drive to Florence to then be driven back to Montepulciano. Ideally I would love to have a knowledgeable individual take us to a few wineries but would be happy with a tour company or group. Any suggestions?

This looks great!! It is on the list. 12 days and counting for lift-off.

So we decided to take a whole different route. We are going to drive from Rome to Cinque Terra along the Tuscan coast that day. It is about a 6 hour drive that we will take VERY slowly. I am hoping to find a few jems along the coast. Wish me luck. Heather

I am looking up all of the suggestions. Decisions...decisions...I will let you all know what we decide. When we get back i will do a review so that other might learn from our hardships. LOL Heather

Hello all, We are going to be in Italy 2 weeks at the end of May/ beginning of June. Currently the plan is to spend 4 nights in Rome, 1 night at an agrotourismo "somewhere," a week in a cottage 1/2 km outside of Montepulciano and then the last 3 nights in Florence. LIFE IS GOOD. Does anyone have a recommendation for an agrotourism farm/lodging in northern Umbria or Tuscany for one night? Since we are going to be spending a week day-tripping out of Montepulciano, I thought it would be nice to either go somewhere on the west coast, or in the east either in Umbria or over near Assisi/Cortona. I want to thank everyone who has contributed to the travel posting section. I have been going over all the great postings about places to eat in Rome, Florence and (in and around) Montalcino. I can't wait to get there. Thanks, Heather

We joined a CSA last year for the first time and had a mixed experience with it. I am trying to decide wheather to join this year or not. I love the idea of getting fresh local produce with the added benefit of getting to know the farmer and supporting a local farm. The problem was that it was really hard to plan a menu since I could never be sure what I would be getting and in what quantities. I had weeks where I, and every member of my family, was consuming our body weight in tomatoes or greens...and then two weeks later...very little. The farmer had a lot of issues getting enough labor to help in the fields so what we got was often determined by how much got picked and not on what was there. I felt like, on average, I got my money's worth and think I paid less than I would have at the farmers market. However, I am not sure if I would do the same CSA again. So...to my question...Does anyone have any suggestions of CSAs on or near Capitol Hill that they were happy with and that was consistent?

Thank you. I figure that even if it is not exactly what I remember...it will probably not be too bad either. I let you know in a few months how it went.

I am trying my hand at liqueur making. So far I have made a lovely orange liqueur but I am questing for other recipes. Two years ago we were in southeastern France and found two great liqueurs that are difficult to impossible to find in the states. I know that these are traditional to the region and many families make their own. They are walnut liqueur and chestnut liqueur. The world wide web is failing me bucause I have yet to find what I am looking for. I have found a recipe for the walnut liqueur but it is the wrong season to make that because it requires young green walnuts. I have also found a recipe for the Italian version of the chestnut liqueur. I have tried the commercially produced Italian version and it was much sweeter than the French one. (I have included the recipe for the Italian version below.) Does anyone have some advice? Thanks! Cook Time: 45 minutes Ingredients: 4 1/2 pounds (2 k) marroni 18 ounces (500 g) sugar 1 quart (1 liter) water 1/2 quart (500 ml) rum, cognac or brandy 2 bay leaves 4 cloves Preparation: Carefully peel off the outer skins of the chestnuts, without nicking the inner skins, and set them in a large pot of cold water, with the bay leaf and the cloves. When you are finished peeling bring the pot to a slow boil and cook the chestnuts 25 minutes. Carefully remove the chestnuts with a slotted spoon and set them on a plate to cool. When they have almost completely cooled use a thin bladed knife to remove the inner skins, being careful because the chestnuts will be crumbly. Combine the sugar and the water in a broad pot, bring it to a boil, and skim the froth that rises to the surface. After 8 minutes add the chestnuts to the syrup and let them simmer without stirring them for 5 more minutes, over a very low flame. Let everything cool and then carefully remove the chestnuts with a slotted spoon, layering them in an elegant, wide-mouthed jar. Return the pot to the fire and bring the syrup back to a boil. Skim off the froth several times, add the liquor, stir, and let it cool to room temperature. Once it has cooled gently pour it over the chestnuts. If there's not enough liquid to cover them add more alcohol to cover, without stirring. Seal the jar with a lid, and set it in a cool dark place for 2 weeks or more.

You have the best Lattes ever! Thank you for your public service.

Hello all, I am new to the group and did not want to be a lurker. Mostly I love to eat. Because of my interest in eating good food, I had to learn to cook it. A friend told me to check out this group and I am excited to see what good info is out there. I have two small kids and a fab husband who also likes to cook. My kids are a little different from the sterotype. Their favorite foods are Indian, and Italian. My oldest is a bread snob and will refuse to eat an inferior baugette. While this makes them interesting it also makes it hard to feed them. I am interested in learning about new places to try in the area and also snooping out info for a future trip to Italy. My husband is taking me to Italy at the end of May. We are starting in Rome, going to Venice, then on to a cottage in Cortona and finally to Florence. If anyone has any suggestions about good eats...let me know!