November 2017

Christmas in Florence and Tuscany!

By bonvivant@atoasttotravel.com|2018-01-02T22:10:17-06:00November 15th, 2017|Christmas, Feature, food, Wine|

Italian Christmas traditions with Panettone

Christmas in Florence and Tuscany!

Florence, Italy is by far one of the most magical and beautiful cities in the world and millions and millions of visitors agree. It’s the birthplace of the Renaissance and home to unforgettable landmarks, museums, monuments, art, culture and food!

If you have never visited Florence or have been many times, the Christmas season is not to be missed. The streets are festively decorated and shopkeepers take pride in their window dressings. Christmas markets are abound full of unique and precious gifts to buy for you or loved ones and chestnuts are roasting on an open fire but this time—they are everywhere!

Living like a local in Florence means experiencing all that it has to offer this time of the year. There are fewer tourists (although there are always people visiting Florence), the weather is milder and there are many cultural activities to take part in. The festivities start in early December.

If you are looking for furnishings, food and wine, the festivities for you start at the Christmas markets all around Florence. The largest one is located in Piazza Santa Croce. There’s a combination of vendors and somewhat of a German theme—you know that means–warm wine! Of course, you can always find the leather goods Florence is famous for—bags, gloves, book binders, notebooks, etc. You can also negotiate your prices with better success given the fact that Florence has fewer tourists this time of the year.

If you are interested in visiting museums, the Uffizi Gallery is open throughout the Christmas season except on Christmas and New Year’s day.

If instead you are looking for a spiritual experience, Christmas Eve Mass is held by the Cardinal of Florence at midnight in the Duomo of Florence, while the vigil prayers start earlier, around 11 pm.

For New Year’s Eve, you can celebrate in the main squares of the city and attend one of the concerts. In the Piazza della Signoria, for example, there’s usually a classical music concert while in the Piazzale Michelangelo, a pop concert on New Year’s Eve.

Living like a local, there’s plenty to see and do during the holidays in Florence. Some wineries are open and other well-known cities such as Siena and Arezzo also have festive decorations and holiday markets. These make for very enjoyable day trips.

We look forward to hosting you during one of our experiences where you will learn to live like a local all seasons! Happy holidays from A Toast to Travel!

Truffles, Truffles and more Truffles—Let’s Hunt!

By bonvivant@atoasttotravel.com|2017-10-04T10:20:40-05:00October 3rd, 2017|Feature, Features, food, General, hidden gems, Wine|

Truffles, Truffles and more Truffles—Let’s Hunt!

So, what are Truffles? They are rare, edible mushrooms with an intense aroma and flavor. They grow underground and can be difficult to find. They only grow in certain parts of the world. Certain experts in the past (and some still do) used pigs and hogs to find them—today, in Italy, dogs are used as they don’t eat them as soon as they find them! That was a big problem–the hogs would eat the truffles as soon as they found them before they could be stopped. The dogs, on the other hand, can be trained not to eat them so they end up being a much better choice for the hunt.

October and November in Italy are great times to hunt and eat truffles. There’s also the Fiera del Tartufo or truffle market which takes places during this time. Prices vary per pound each year. The rarest truffles are the most expensive food in the world. Did you know that the record price paid for a single white truffle was $330,000. It was unearthed near Pisa, Italy and weighed 3.3 pounds!

Imagine learning to make hand-made pasta only to drizzle your own creation with a special sauce created by you from the truffles you hunted in the morning! During our Cooking Under the Tuscan Sun Experience, we hunt truffle with truffle hunting experts and their dog. We walk the hills and with the help of the dogs, seek and find the most delectable truffles we can to use later in the kitchen during our hands-on cooking class. Heading over to the kitchen, we learn to make Tagliatelle con Tartufo or Tagliatelle with Truffle sauce. It’s only the start of the week with many authentic recipes to come so pace yourself, pack yourself!

Of course with any Tagliatelle con Tartufo wine is a good complement. We usually enjoy a Chianti Riserva with this dish as it brings out the best of each. In Tuscany, there’s always enough Chianti to go around and you certainly can spend your time focusing on wine tasting during The Ultimate Tuscan Wine Experience where we indulge in stunning wineries in Tuscany during tours, wine tastings and exclusive tasting and dinner menus. It’s all part of living like a local with A Toast to Travel.

If you’ve always wanted to visit Italy or if you’ve already been and have always wanted to go back, now’s the time to pack your bags. All you need to do is get there and we’ll handle the rest!

Fall in Tuscany—the harvest of the grapes

By bonvivant@atoasttotravel.com|2017-09-02T13:21:14-05:00August 23rd, 2017|Events, food, Wine, wine festival|

Pictorial countryside and beautiful vineyards of Piemonte in aut

There are very few places that can compete with the beauty of Tuscany in the fall. The leaves are turning colors, the air is crisp, the temperature mild and if you love wine, now is the time to travel. La Vendemmia is the harvest of the grapes and each year, many take advantage of this time of the year to travel to Tuscany.

Italy is dependent on wine production for its economy and it’s an important time of the year. Unique grape harvesting activities abound in Tuscany while grape stomping like you may have seen in I Love Lucy is considered unhygienic. Fun, but unhygienic. Fret not, there are many activities you can take part in or if you are like us, you can just enjoy drinking it.

For those of us who enjoying drinking it, grape selection is an important part where the ripeness of the grape matters. There are many different tasks that must be completed during the grape harvest, and although no one can exactly predict the week the grape harvest will happen, it’s still a beautiful time of the year in Tuscany.

During The Ultimate Tuscan Wine Experience, we host you on visits to 4 different and stunning wineries in Chianti where you can live like a local and take part in the revelry—even if we don’t stomp grapes, we still enjoy all the abundant wine Tuscany has to offer with Chianti being the most well-known.

The harvest is not only for wine lovers. Many fall foods are abundant in Tuscany and ready for you to enjoy from fall root vegetables to chestnuts to mushrooms. During our Cooking Under the Tuscan Sun Experience, we take advantage of the fall abundance during our hands-on cooking classes. Simone, our resident chef, will show us how to make an authentic and mouth-watering mushroom risotto using farm to table mushrooms and herbs. It’s also time to hunt truffles for the other delicious dishes we will learn to make all as part of living like a local.

A Toast to Travel and Ivy Social

By bonvivant@atoasttotravel.com|2017-09-02T13:21:56-05:00August 4th, 2017|Cooking Under the Tuscan Sun, Events, Feature|

We had a great time with Ivy Social. Enjoyed great wine, learned how to make amazing pasta and incredible bolognese and made a lot of fantastic new friends. Be sure to follow us to learn about local events, tips on how to Live Like a Local as well as specials and new Experiences!

The Italian Lifestyle—what makes it so special?

By bonvivant@atoasttotravel.com|2017-07-19T22:02:35-05:00July 20th, 2017|Feature, General|

Many of us have had the fortune of travelling and even living in various parts of the world and yet, for those of us who have visited or lived in Italy, it will always hold a special place in our hearts. What is it about Italy that has us obsessing over living like a local?

I lived in Italy for many years as a student, intern, professional and an adventurer. Most weekends, I would travel to various cities and get to know the locals. I travelled all over Italy while living there and one important lesson stood out: Italians really know how to live.

It’s not just that the pace can be more relaxing or that you are surrounded by some of the most beautiful architecture in the world (although that really helps), it’s that Italians really enjoy every moment that many of us take for granted. Take a simple cup coffee—there are so many ways to enjoy it. Sit outside at a street café, enjoy it at the bar, catch up with friends or even your local barista—any way you drink it, it’s social time for you to enjoy not only your coffee but also your friends, the weather, a moment to relax and people watch. The same is true for a glass of wine or prosecco during an aperitivo. It’s not just about the delicious wine or prosecco. The aperitivo is time for socializing and catching up with friends; it’s about taking a moment and creating a transition between the work day and your dinner and evening. It’s much more than just a drink—it’s a ritual.

Furthermore, Italy is all about quality not quantity. If you people watch (and who doesn’t in Italy!), you will see everyone dressed nicely or at least trying to. One of the things you will notice is the quality of everyone’s clothing and shoes. Even if finances don’t permit two closets full of clothes, the Italian will always prefer quality or quantity. Beautifully tailored jackets, a silk scarf, a nicely tailor skirt or pair of pants are essentials. Also notice the leather goods—from the shoes to the belts, leather in Italy is beautiful! Mostly, Italians will always have a nice pair of shoes, belt, watch or a purse. Italians take pride in their look—not too overdone but definitely full of good taste.

In Italy, it’s the intangibles that really matter. A strong cup of coffee spent catching up with friends, people watching, feeling good about yourself, feeling connected to others, spending time outdoors, enjoying a delicious aperitivo to transition from day to evening, ending your evening with dinner and wine with a group of friends or family, all are part of the Italian way of life and each, make us so obsessed with living like a local and La Dolce Vita!

Check us out in Italy Magazine

By bonvivant@atoasttotravel.com|2017-06-29T08:00:42-05:00June 29th, 2017|Cooking Under the Tuscan Sun, Feature, Featured in the Media|

Check out our feature in italy magazine!

They discuss our Experiences as well as our Fall Promo.

Visiting an Italian Food Market

By bonvivant@atoasttotravel.com|2017-06-22T12:01:47-05:00June 21st, 2017|Feature, food, General, hidden gems, Italy Shopping|

Visiting an Italian Food Market

To really live like a local, you need to shop like a local. Generally, Italians do not stockpile. They are generally not visiting a Costco and buying large quantities of food in bulk to store for lengthy periods of time. Fresh is the name of the game and there’s no better place to find fresh food than at a local Italian food market or “mercato.”

The markets are full of fresh fruit, vegetables, herbs, nuts, cheeses, salumi, bread and more! It’s an embarrassment of riches and a way of life at the same time. The prices are reasonable, goods are seasonal and it’s the perfect time and place to sample the local cuisine. As you walk through the beautiful market and take in all the scents, sights and people, notice how relaxing the experience can be. It’s what living like a local is all about. For an authentic Tuscan experience, visiting a local market is essential. You can soak up the culture and rub shoulders with the locals. Watch the many different colorful personalities selling their goods—the local farmers, cheese-makers and artisans come to sell their goods every day. While at the local market, you usually can enjoy other culinary delights like fresh pasta, desserts and even, sample some wine .

I personally use the farmers market not only to buy fresh produce and cheeses but also to socialize with friends and acquaintances. It can be an adventure, a time for socializing and practicing or keeping up your Italian language skills. You can also get the latest on all your questions from the locals—ranging from recipes and the best produce to buy right now to politics and elections around Italy and more. Everyone has an opinion! Italian food markets are weekly, bi-weekly or even daily. It depends on where you are located. Most Italians frequent the food markets regularly as a means of buying their fresh fruit and vegetables, cheeses, breads and even desserts. Much of the shopping is done before lunch so that the food purchased at the market can be incorporated into the lunch menu and is supremely fresh.

For me, visiting a local Italian food market is much more than just buying fresh tomatoes, burrata and basil even though I usually make a caprese salad right after my visit! It’s an essential part of Italian life, shopping with the locals, seeing old friends and making new ones, maybe stopping for a coffee after and generally catching up on life. It’s a feeling of connectedness that is hard to find in a US grocery store with lists in our hands and little time for enjoying the moment. I always leave the market with a fresh perspective and a smile on my face. I look forward to experiencing a local food market each time I am in Italy. It reminds me of what’s important in life.

We invite you to join us on our Cooking Under the Tuscan Sun Experience so you can experience Italian food markets, an essential part of local life!

Great Night at St. John Boutique in Chicago

By bonvivant@atoasttotravel.com|2018-07-21T18:15:05-05:00June 14th, 2017|Cooking Under the Tuscan Sun, Events, Wine|

Thanks to everyone who joined us for an evening on Tuscany, Wine and Travel at St. John Boutique in Chicago.

Happy National Wine Day

By bonvivant@atoasttotravel.com|2017-05-27T07:15:04-05:00May 27th, 2017|Events, Feature, Wine|

Happy National Wine Day!!! Check out this article in Forbes to learn more about National Wine Day and other fun Wine facts!

National Wine Day Article on Forbes

A Day in the Life—the courses of an Italian dinner

By bonvivant@atoasttotravel.com|2017-05-04T09:19:21-05:00May 3rd, 2017|Feature, food, hidden gems, Wine|

For Italians, mealtime is a social and friendly affair. Italians love to take their time, savoring each course and enjoying good company and great wine. Meals can take several hours with plenty of time for socializing and if the weather is nice, soaking up the beautiful sun. It can be intimidating to understand what all the courses are and the cadence of the meal in Italy. To help put you at ease, we’ve put together some information on eating dinner like an Italian.

So what are all the typical courses of an Italian dinner? Well, after you’ve had your aperitivo (more on that in an upcoming blog) where you’ve enjoyed a pre-dinner drink with a few snacks at a bar or café and shared the latest news with your friends over a glass of wine or two (or spirits or prosecco), now it’s time for dinner.

Assuming you are dining in a ristorante (we will also write more on the differences between the various types of places to eat in Italy), generally the courses are as follows: antipasto, primo, secondo (with contorno) and dolce. Of course, not everyone orders or eats all the courses and that’s the beauty of it all—the point is to have a great time and enjoy life. La Dolce Vita!

Now, let’s start with the antipasto (no pun intended). This is the starter course and it can consist of charcuterie, cheese and bread or it can simply be a beautiful bruschetta made with fresh tomatoes and extra virgin olive oil. The next course, il primo, is the first course. Typical first courses or primi (plural for primo) are pasta, soup, gnocchi and risotto. Portion sizes tend to be smaller than in the US so you should still have room for the main course, il secondo! Generally this is your meat or seafood course. Depending on the region where you are dining, you can choose from various seafood or meat options. In Tuscany, the bistecca alla fiorentina is your best option if you love steak. It’s tender, juicy and grilled to perfection after having been drizzled with olive oil and herbs. Magnifico! Also, Italians normally order a contorno or a side with the secondo and the contorno is usually vegetables (raw or cooked). I tend to order a salad—arugula salad to compliment the taste of the steak. I add a little extra virgin olive oil, squeeze a fresh lemon and add a dash of salt to my arugula salad.

The last course is the dolce or dessert. There are many delicious options to choose from including tiramisu, panna cotta, cake or gelato. Keep in mind, wine is served during the meal and after dinner, most Italians have an espresso (no milk). Some Italians will also have a digestivo to aid in digestion after dinner. Generally, the digestive after the meal is a grappa, amaro or limoncello (depending on the region of Italy).

I hope you find this content helpful in living like a local. Please feel free to send us any topic you are interested in learning more about and we’ll be happy to write about it. In the meantime, Buon Appetito!

Yearly Archives: 2017

November 2017