Capri, Italy

This is the tomato crop I found running down to the Blue Grotto.I was hoping they were San Marzanos, my favorite tomato on Earth, but I think they are technically Romas. In 1996 the EU gave San Marzanos DOP (Denominzaione d'Origine Protetta) status meaning they have to be from Campagnia and of the exact variety with thinner skin and less seedy to gain the name so I'm not sure if these are actual San Marzanos. They are the sole canned tomato we used in our pasta sauces back at The Nell, probably the choice of most chefs, and definitely the only single tomato you can use in order to call your a pizza true Neapolitan Pizza. Naples happens to be the place where pizza originated. They've probably chosen San Marzanos for a reason.Think canned San Marzanos are going to be hard to find? Amazon baby. And I gave you a link to the one I think is the best. Order them, cook with them, and then try to go back to a regular plum tomato. I just changed your life.

Another EU recognized crop is the Capri lemon, granted PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) in 2000. They can only be grown on the Sorrento Peninsula or on Capri by a designated group of only 200 farmers and must be grown organically at that! They were the first lemons used to make Limoncello- where lemon peels macerate in alcohol and simple syrup giving you a deliscious yet deadly drink. It's probably the best "sitting-on-the-porch-relaxing-on-a-warm-summer-night" drink you can imagine.

Look how freaking gigantic they are!! They're twice the size of an orange.Here's a simple Limoncello recipe if you want to give it a whirl:Ingredients10 Lemons only the peels1 Bottle of Vodka perhaps Grey Goose?4 Cups Water2 1/2 Cups Sugar
StepsPut the lemon peels and vodka in a container, cover it, then steep them at room temp for 4 days.At some point, combine the water and sugar in a sauce pot and heat it for a few minutes until the sugar has dissolved, then cool the liquid completely. You just made a simple syrup!After the 4 day steeping, pour the simple syrup over the vodka/lemons and let them hang out for another day.Strain it.Drink it.(This will keep for a month if you can't polish this off in one night. If you do take this all down in one sitting, seek medical attention.)

Kumquat!!

Ohhh gelato! I'm seeking out the best pistachio gelato in all of Italy during this trip.

What's this guy doing with the platter of whole raw fish?

He's showing us our dinner options. Our options for fish include only what was brought in that day. How awesome is that?!

I took the little prawns for a starter, but opted for their homemade pasta called Scialatielli with Bottarga. The pasta is a traditional shape from the Campagna region of Italy, more specifically the Amalfi Coast that resembles a thicker, more chewy version of spaghetti.The coolest part about pasta is how indicative a shape is of it's history. Just the shape of a pasta gives way to its origins, telling you who made it first, where, and why. What other food is so unique and packed with historical clues?Take the other pasta on the menu last night, Paccheri- Paccheri is similar to rigatoni in shape, but it's a little bit shorter and has a larger diameter. The diameter is about twice as big as rigatoni in order to fit garlic inside the tube, 4 cloves to be exact. Back when Austria was still Prussia, the Prussian government banned garlic trade with Italy in order to protect their own garlic farmers. Since Italy's garlic exports relied heavily on their Prussian market, Italian farmers began smuggling garlic across the border inside of their pasta. PASTA IS SO DAMN COOL!!

The use of Bottarga is also wonderful to see. Outside of restaurants devoted to Italian tradition, you don't get to see Bottarga used a lot in the states. I think this is because the average person doesn't find a pressed, dried, and cured roe sac appetizing. When I see it on a menu, my mouth starts to water. It adds a complexity that you can't get any other way. It's not fishy...it just adds a slightly salty, deep flavor. It's great.

Rocket Scialatielli

A16When I went to San Francisco I ate at A16- a restaurant devoted to bringing the beautiful food of Southern Italy to the states by focusing on simple authentic ingredients and preparations. The spot is named after a road that runs west to east, starting right outside of Naples, so I couldn't resist bringing the cookbook along for the ride to Naples. One of the greatest parts of the books is their passionate focus on Southern Italian Wines. Guided by the book, I've sampled a bunch of native grape varieties. Greco is white grape that arrived here with the Greeks in 6th Century BC and is now predominantly grown in the town Tufo in Avellino. Greco Di Tufo is typically compared to a Sauvignon Blanc and after sampling a few, I've found it's a little too bright for my style. On the other hand, I've totally fallen in love with the Falanghina grape. Falanghina Coste di Cuma by Grotta Del Sole has become my staple here.I found this bottle and a bunch of similar options online if you are interested in a little southern sampling yourself. I like A16's sommelier Shelley Lindgren's description of the grapes taste and history. She writes,"During the Roman times it was literally the toast of the empire...the grape was worth more than gold. Falanghina has since endured wars, the demise of several empires, dodged phylloxera, and been relegated to the role of blending grape in bulk production, from which it is still recover...Falanghina wines are a deep straw color and have a ripe, honey- and almond scented nose with a hint of nectarines." It's a fantastic buttery, earthy white that I'll willingly drink a case of before I leave Capri.Fiano Di Avellino, my current co-pilot, was also a must try after reading A16. It supposedly has perfect balance of sweetness, acidity and body. I'm still trying to figure out where this supposed balance is, it's a little more acidic than I expected.I haven't dabbled with the red wines yet, mostly because it's 9,000 degrees every night and I can't fathom drinking a red in this heat but I'll take notes when I do.

In our hotel, Capri Palace, there's a two Michelin star restaurant called L'Olivo, with Executive Chef Oliver Glowig. I didn't realize I was standing on top of it until I started talking to the room service guy. After everyone left the table, I started clearing the plates in our room when he remarks, "You work in a restaurant, don't you?" Apparently I can't get rid of these symptoms. We started talking about the dish I'd ordered, "Trippa di Baccala con Ricotta, Caviale, Taccole e Pancetta" which translates loosely to: Salt Cod Stomach with Ricotta, Caviar, Snap Peas and Pancetta. It was outstanding, and now I know why. Chef Oliver, who I just met seconds ago, was awarded his second Michelin star in 2008. Yesterday the same room service guy showed up to my room with this gift from the kitchen- a house salumi platter with awesome light and cripsy grissini. I'm giving the room service guy my tripe recipe in exchange for his effort to sneak me the grissini recipe.I couldn't convince the fam of eating at the hotel tonight, so I'm eating solo at my first two Michelin star restaurant- I'm freaking pumped! By the way, It's much easier to get into a kitchen in Italy than in Africa. All I did was ask Chef. Expect a blog about staging in the two Michelin star restaurant L'Olivo soon!

On a side note, while browsing for simple Limoncello recipes, the foodnetworks.com's top recipes for the day are: Baked Macaroni and Cheese, Italian Baked Chicken and Pastina, Shredded Tex Mex Salad, and the finale Buffalo-Chicken Baked Macaroni and Cheese. Wow. After reading this, do me a favor. Throw some noodles in boiling water and while that cooks, sautee some garlic, pop open a can of marzanos, toss this all together with a little salt and olive oil- respect your body and the food we have available to us. Also, the tags on one of the recipes for Limoncello read "Vodka, Lemon, American." What.
Ciao!