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My Thoughts on Slow Food, Slow Travel

travel slowly through small hilltowns of tuscany

More and more we are hearing and learning about slow food. And the slow food movement has led to the concept of slow travel. For some, these buzz words may not mean much, but they actually mean something to me.

The lifestyle and culture of both Italy and France lends itself very well to the more laid back travel experience, eating and moving around at a more relaxed pace allowing you to savor every last bit of a meal, a museum or a destination.  It’s one of the many reasons I adore these two countries.

Slow Food and Slow Travel are exactly the opposite of fast-food and fast travel.

While I could spend hours attempting to explain the definitions and the movement itself and how it started, honestly I think that you would be able to learn and understand more about it directly from the source.  If you’re really interested in learning more, read Slow Food Nation, which is written by the President of the Slow Food Organization, Carlo Petrini.

Instead, I’d rather spend a few minutes explaining to you, from my point of view, what they mean to me and how it translates into my work. I’d much rather speak to you from the heart.

But first, let me tell you a funny, yet scary, story that really resonated with me.

A few years back, I read Dario Castagno’s popular memoir called Too Much Tuscan Sun (a great read). In it, he reveals a rather embarrassing story about a tour that he was leading with some Americans in Siena, Italy. During the part of his tour where he would normally bring his clients to a family owned trattoria that prides itself on preparing time-honored recipes using local foods for lunch, he was met with a chilly response when he announced these plans. The clients responded that they had come all that way to Italy to enjoy real Italian food, and would rather pass on Dario’s personal recommendation in favor of a Pizza Hut or Olive Garden.

I have no words. Could you imagine how Dario must have felt? How insulting!

Unfortunately, I think stories of this kind play out much more often than is written about.  Not only are Pizza Hut and Olive Garden not my idea of real Italian food in the U.S., but it certainly isn’t my idea of authentic Italian food in Italy.

And why would I want to experience the same thing when I travel that I do day in and day out at home?

Isn’t the point of travel to understand and experience the local culture and immerse yourself in something different?

Personally, I think it a shame that McDonald’s has set up shop in both of these countries. There are far better, healthier and more interesting options for sightseers on the go who don’t wish to take the time to savor a full meal for every lunch and dinner.  In Italy things like lampreddoto, porchetta and pizza al taglio all come to mind.  In France, there are crêpes, falafel, sandwiches or even just a baguette and cheese.  Or better yet, why not pick up some fresh food at a local market and enjoy a picnic in a lovely garden or park?

One certainly doesn’t need to resort to finding a McDonald’s or god forbid an Olive Garden!

cranberry beans at a local food market

What Slow Food doesn’t mean to me

• Slow Food doesn’t mean being a pretentious food snob
• Slow Food doesn’t mean ever eating something that you know isn’t good, clean, fair and sustainable
• Slow Food doesn’t mean visiting fast-food joints on vacation, no matter how pressed for time you are
• Slow Food doesn’t mean obsessing over every bite and being anal about having to find a slow food
• Slow Food doesn’t mean always having to splurge on expensive meals

What Slow Food does mean to me

• Slow Food means seeking out locally-owned establishments who pride themselves on using fresh, local ingredients
• Slow Food means taking the time to learn about the ingredients, where they came from, how they are typically used and prepared
• Slow Food means cooking and eating what’s in season
• Slow Food means spending a bit more on good quality food, even when it means the portions may be smaller, because the flavor of the food will make up for it
• Slow Food means allowing yourself the pleasure of enjoying a leisurely meal and knowing that what you put in your mouth is good for you and is benefiting everyone who touched it – from the farmer to the chef to you.

What Slow Travel doesn’t mean to me

• Slow Travel doesn’t involve getting a list of as many places as possible and trying to figure out how you can check them all off in record time on your trip
• Slow Travel doesn’t mean seeing seven different cities on a week-long vacation
• Slow Travel doesn’t mean spending an hour on a gondola and calling it “seeing Venice” or taking a trip up the Eiffel Tower and saying you experienced Paris.
• Slow Travel doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t use a high-speed train to get from place to place.  Getting to your destination quickly leaves you more time to experience it.
• Slow Travel doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t visit a fast-paced city

What Slow Travel does mean to me

• Slow Travel means enjoying and savoring every experience and every moment
• Slow Travel means taking the time to chat with proprietors and vendors about their establishments
• Slow Travel  means immersing yourself in the local culture and chatting up the natives to learn more about their lifestyle
• Slow Travel means taking time to stray from your itinerary if an opportunity presents itself. It means living in the moment.
• Slow Travel means veering off-the-beaten-path and perhaps opting to stay in an agriturismo in the countryside as opposed to a chain hotel in the city.
• Slow Travel means doing less, or perhaps doing nothing at all.

If the idea of slow food and slow travel resonates with you, you may be interested in:

• A selection of food and wine excursions led by a local.
• A slow boat rowing lesson and tour in Venice.
• A custom designed foodie adventure highlighting slow food artisans.
• A complete custom travel itinerary to Italy or France with a focus on slow travel priniciples.

What does Slow Food and Slow Travel mean to you?

An Evening with Bertolli and Chef Fabio Viviani

Bertolli, an Italian company that hails from Lucca, has been a name synonymous with Italian food and authentic Italian products since 1865. Best known for their quality olive oils and pasta sauces, (which I happily use) you may remember that they also launched a new line of Bertolli frozen meals in 2009.

Though I really prefer to make my own Italian food and Italian soups from scratch, Bertolli is fully aware that for folks with busy schedules, it’s near impossible some days to make a delicious, Italian-inspired homemade soup because you need time for shopping, chopping, prepping and simmering, which is why they worked hard to create a new line of restaurant-quality Bertolli frozen meal soups, that will be available in the frozen food section of your local supermarket.

Last week I was lucky enough to be invited by the folks at Bertolli to attend a launch party in New York City announcing their new frozen Italian soup line. That night, Chef Michael Christiansen, who is Bertolli’s innovation chef was joined by spokesperson Chef Fabio Viviani of Top Chef fame to kick off the launch!

The evening began by noshing on antipasti and Italian wines while mingling with the other attendees.  It progressed into having time to visit individually with Fabio Viviani and Chef Mike and hearing about the soups and how they each became involved with the project. As you listened to them talk, it was obvious that they are both very passionate about the product.

And let’s be honest here – I wouldn’t kick either of them out of bed for eating crackers (with their soup of course)!

There was also a video of Chef Mike shopping at the Roman markets and explaining the process of how the fresh vegetables were chosen, and how all the ingredients – veggies, beans, pasta and herbs, are cooked, flash frozen individually and then bagged at their peak of freshness. When reheated, the ingredients retain more of their nutritional value and stay firm and flavorful, rather than mushy and tasteless.

Then into the kitchen space we went as we were treated to an entertaining cooking demo where Fabio attempted to make a homemade soup from scratch, while Chef Mike opened his bag and reheated the Bertolli Frozen Soup for Two in a fraction of the time.

I’ve embedded a short video (yes, my FIRST attempt at video!) of the cooking demo below.

During the final portion of the night, we got to sample the four delicious soups, each paired with a wine and a specific variety of Italian bread while an opera singer filled the air with arias. I must admit all the soups were delicious and very tasty, but my clear favorite was the Tomato Florentine and Tortellini with Chicken. It was thick, hearty and full of tomato flavor. Bertolli was also kind enough to give me two bags for sampling at home in my own kitchen.

This week I prepared my personal favorite – Tomato Florentine and Tortellini with Chicken for lunch.  I was truly impressed at how easy it was to make.  I was especially excited that the tortellini was not mushy, the spinach was a vibrant green and I saw plump red tomatoes coming right out of the bag.  It looked fresh and certainly tasted better than most canned soups I’ve had – and it only took about 10 minutes to prepare!

As I said before, I prefer to make my own homemade soup – but I can see that in a pinch or for those who don’t have the time (or desire) to make a homemade soup, this is a fantastic, tasty option.  If you’re pressed for time and your instinct is to pick up fast food, a Bertolli frozen soup is definitely a healthier alternative to visiting your local drive-thru!

It should be noted that the four recipes now available are not vegetarian friendly. And since I’m a slave to pesky little things like label reading and trying to eat healthy, I’m happy that Bertolli is transparent – you can find all nutritional information both on the package and on their website. What I’m not exactly thrilled with is the fat and sodium content per serving, which is a bit on the high side, and would prevent me from making this an everyday staple in my house.

I love this frozen soup concept so much that I’d be all over a vegetarian, low-fat and low-sodium version! I hope they can improve on that. Can I suggest a Minestrone made with veggie stock, sans the chicken? Well, I guess I just did.

Full disclosure : After attending the event, I was given a Bertolli logo gift bag, a soup ladle, 2 bags of Bertolli Frozen Soup and a coupon for the purchase of an additional frozen soup or meal of my choice.  As always, the opinions here remain my own.

Are you dreaming of exploring Bertolli’s homebase of Lucca or Fabio’s hometown of Florence? Find out how I can help plan your trip or your next Foodie Adventure!

Ladurée comes to New York City

One of my favorite sweet treats is the delicate French macaron, and I’ve drooled extensively over macarons in Paris. There is no doubt that if you want the best macarons in Paris, one name comes to mind more than any other.  That name is Ladurée.

If I had my druthers, I’d rather be devouring the best French macarons in Paris, but if the girl can’t get to Paris, then Paris has to come to the girl, right?  Well, closer to the girl anyway.

So, just imagine my giddy excitement when I found out that Ladurée had opened up its first boutique in the United States, and it just happened to be in New York City.

My visit to Ladurée New York started out by strolling up Madison Avenue, near Central Park in a very chic part of town, the Upper East Side.  Thought it certainly isn’t Paris, the architecture and ornate detailing gracing the facades in the neighborhood definitely sets a similar tone.  Ladurée New York chose their address well.

I was greeted by the same window displays and storefront, which showcase their sophisticated, signature packaging.

Both inside and out are painted with that perfectly blended combination of French-green and Robin-egg-blue that seems oh so hard to replicate.

On offer are about 15 of the same French macaron flavors available in Paris, like pistachio, cassis, orange blossoms, coffee, chocolate,  and my personal favorite – caramel-beurre- salé , salted butter caramel.  Chocolates, confections, teas and candles from their home fragrance collection line the shelves, all of  which make perfect gifts.

I indulged in two macarons – a pistachio and a salted-butter caramel – and am delighted to report that the flavor, consistency and quality is the same as I remember from Paris.  At $2.70 a pop, they aren’t cheap – but totally worth every penny!

So, if you can’t get to Paris, but New York City is a option, you can savor all of the same delicious flavors of French macarons, with the same elegant packaging, and the same lovely atmosphere and decor found in the Paris boutiques, sans the salon experience.

Ladurée
864 Madison Avenue
New York, NY  10021
Subway : Hunter College

• Are you heading to Paris? Click here to see how I can plan your next yummy foodie adventure.