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These are difficult times. Agriculture in Tuscany is being drowned to death this year - at least so it seems. In the occasion of the visit of Jeff and Donna Chandler (parents of Emily who owns the spectacular Piazza Italian Market in Easton, MD), we visited a lot of our Scrumptious Pantry producers yesterday. Everyone was complaining about the continious rain.

Barbara was telling us that she is expecting to harvest about 30% less of her second most important crop - The San Miniato artichoke. Too wet, no sun, to harvest! Luckily enough she has not lost her smile, as you can see in this picture with Donna and Jeff.

Roberta and Giulio have similar problems - some of their plants have been replanted three times already, because the first plantings just died off with all the water. And this third planting does not look very good either. The peperoncino, for example (hot chilli peppers) did basically just spring up now. Whatever will be harvested here this year, it will be with a delay of two months compared to a "normal" year (In the picture you see Roberta as she presents a bouquet of chilli peppers and grains to Donna, it is supposed to be good luck).

So we can start discussing what "normal" might be. Since 2001 every year here has been somehow exceptional in terms of climate conditions. Too much rain in 2002, not enough rain in 2003... and so it goes. I am not a scientist, so I do not want to try to contribute to the "who's fault is it" debate, but something is surely going on!

Every year in April posters with flying pigs pop up all over Florence and Pisa - Jazz in Macelleria-time! Andreas Falaschi, the fourth generation running one of Tuscany's greatest butcher shops, hosts an annual Jazz concert. The small main street of old San Miniato get's flooded with people from close and afar listening to a local Jazz band playing behind the counter of the butcher shop, while nibbeling on the delicous taste bites Andreas serves together with local wines: the blood sausage "Malegato" (a Slow Food Presido), the "Spuma di gota", a puree of the Cinta Senese hog's cheek and various kinds of Salami.

Inside the butcher shop meanwhile, Andrea takes the time to explain all the different products to curious visitors, in this picture he is talking to Chie from Japan!

For more info on Andrea's shop, his family and the great products they create: http://www.sergiofalaschi.it/

... is exactely you will end up doing after having shopped at La Cuisine! A small independent cookware store with a fine selection of specialty food items in Alexandria, Virginia, LA CUISINE is the place to shop. And the best is: you can do it online - you just need to go to www.lacuisineus.com

The Cuisinetts, as the women that run the store call themselves, have a gifted hand to source great products that are delighting hobby and professional chefs alike! All of them are passionate cooks themselves, wich is the secret of their success. Nothing is stocked on the shelves of LA CUISINE without having been tested and tested again.

For Food lovers living in the VA/DC/MD area: the Cuisinettes do organize weekly events, tastings and classes such as knive skills. Check out their website to not miss the next time this small store LA CUISINE becomes the center of the cooking world!

Side note: we are proud to have convinced Nancy and her fellow Cuisinettes to stock our Roasting and Grilling salt by Roberta and Giulio. Buy it here: http://lacuisineus.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=2419

What a great picture I received from Judy, Sally, Lin and Pamela from the LA Yacht Club's women's rowing team. You can see them enjoying The Scrumptious Pantries' Tomato Jam with Grappa - accompagnied with some great cheese from the Artisan Cheese Gallery in Studio City - as a delicous snack after an intense training session and to celebrate a birthday. (Unfortunately I do not know whom of the four we can congratulate, Happy Birthday from everyone at The Scrumptious Pantry)!!
We are delighted to have been part of the celebration! Keep rowing strong (and eating that panforte Niccolina and Giovanna make certainly helps - it is dried fruits and nuts and nothing else).
Side note: In Los Angeles, The Scrumptious Pantry is available at the Artisan Cheese Gallery, 12023 Ventura Boulevard, Studio City

Another big GRAZIE to everyone that tasted our food and discussed vividly with me about food, different varieties of balsamic, Tuscan and Ligurian olive oil ecc ecc... in EASTON, MD. The fabulous specialty store "Piazza Italian Market" on N. Washington hosted today's tasting of foodstuff from The Scrumptious Pantry. And what a great store Emily and her team have created here! Full of goodies from Italy and a great, just great selection of specialty cheeses and cold cuts...If you are in the area make sure to drop in... a store that is not to miss!! To know more about Piazza, check Emily's blog on http://piazzaitalianmarket.wordpress.com

I have been travelling up and down, left and right, through the US in recent weeks, presenting The Scrumptious Pantry to foodies and retailers in CA, Il, MO and MA. Not only am I delighted that everyone really likes our food, I am really excited by all the questions that I was asked, the curiosity so many of you showed and the in-depth discussions we had on food production, agriculture, politics, Italy, risotto dishes and if a beet contains too much sugar in order to qualify as a healthy part of one's meal (this latter opinion was - to my outrage - blasted into US homes on a recent morning show.... well, yeah, just have some more diet soda, no sugar in there, that is much better...)

BTW: NEXT TASTING ON SAT, 28th AT PIAZZA ITALIAN MARKET, EASTON/MD - all day!