AND THE BIG NEWS
Cooking school for Monte Castello
di Vibio:
July and August 2011

Since my last update, we have been working our way through more details regarding the Umbria Cucina Cooking School, adding and changing the nature of the the courses and changing the dates...

We are delighted to announce the opening of a cooking school in Monte Castello, to be run by Chef Massimo Costanzi at Il Grottino di Zio Toto. Those of us who have eaten there know how fortunate his students will be!

The restaurant is located beside the medieval walls of Monte Castello di Vibio. The menu for the main course will include antipasti (starter), primi (pasta and sauces), secondi with contorno (main course meat and side dishes) and dolci (dessert), with each of these 4 courses held on successive days. The first lesson will be "introductory theory of ingredients and wine choices", with a sommelier present.

Accommodation
will be provided at nearby Borgo Strugginati.

This Italian cooking course concentrates on genuine, Italian / Umbrian culinary preparation. You'll learn how to make fresh pasta, how to use the famous Umbrian wild mushrooms, and cook speciality meat/fish dishes, and delicious deserts, with choice of menu based on seasonal availability. Only fresh, local produce will be used, and you will learn the importance of seasonal choices in food preparation, under the expert guidance of Chef Costanzi.

Main Course features:
5 half day cooking classes in Monte Castello di Vibio
Enjoy tasting wonderful local wines, olive oil and food
4 'gastronomic' excursions to the beautiful towns of Todi, Orvieto, Montefalco, for sightseeing, combined with visits to tastings of local food and wine produce.

Cost: 1650 pounds sterling per person all inclusive. 950 or 550 pounds for non-registered friends/family

Courses will be held for a maximum of 8 persons, with minimum enrolment being for 4. The emphasis is on a small number of people with maximum individual attention.

2011 Course dates:
July 17 - 24
July 24 - 31
August 7 - 14
August 21 - 28
there are currently spaces open for all dates.

Umbria is the quintessence of Italy—rolling countryside sprinkled with picturesque villages full of charm (not to mention ancient ruins, medieval and Renaissance art, and stunning churches); friendly, laid-back inhabitants who have lived for many generations in the same small towns; incredible cuisine rich with local flavors—all wrapped in one of the most pristine and least touristy parts of the country.

For further information, please contact sarah@rjslade.com, and look at the website umbriacucina.com where it is possible to book.

'Vendemmia for the year 2010 is complete with both red and white wine now aging. We have just bought our first 25lts of the new wine from Cantina Spina, and look forward to following its progress in maturation through the winter months. We were lucky to be able to help Cantina Spina and Borgo Strugginati in their vendemia this year - a wonderful way to enjoy fresh air and help in the creation of the local produce.

Olive Oil season is now in full swing but is being slowed by poor weather. That which we have tasted has been of high quality, a lovely green and a hot chili taste - especially good on bruschetta. For those interested in seeing how it is done revisit the pages we created previously.

'Il Grottino di Zio Toto' ( Tel. 075.8780652 ) has recently enlarged his indoor seating area and reopened for the fall hunting season. Below an image of the ingredients preparation for palomba.

In addition to the Main Courses, There are also Mini Courses

These are 3 hour lessons in preparing an entire meal, followed by the student and a companion sharing that meal as their supper, complete with wine. The menu will vary and the course will be offered on Monday afternoon/evening , for a cost, including translation from italian to english, of 140 Euro

For more details and the weekly menu please click here

Spring is rapidly approaching, in terms of weather. The days are londger, and warmer, the wild iris are in flower. The scaffolding is removed from the rennovated building that is being sold as appartments. With luck the crane that has graced the skyline for two years will soon disappear.

One of the houses within the walls is being converted into a BandB, so we may soon again have some accomodation for tourists, within the Commune walls.

from before:
Sarah is now to processing images taken on recent trips to Venice and Africa and the Photoempt.com web site has been updated with more new content.

The next workshop is already scheduled, again with David Muench, father of Marc Muench of Muench Workshops. It will encompass Machu Picchu in Peru, in September and then a return to Kenya with Marc Muench . All these photo opportunities!. Photoempt and Smugmug sites have the results of part of the initial African trip - more are being added weekly.

We continue with the marketing of her images using our existing vendors of FotoSearch and SmugMug. If you want to see the latest completed work visit: Photoempt or Smugmug (soon to be updated) sites.

I try to find time to continue my design blog, albeit infrequently, commenting on design issues. This is a continuation of the 'Design Special Interest Groups' I used to have in my Design Studio in Ottawa. Feel free to follow my thoughts on Hardware, Software and Design issues at:
http://photoempt.com/wordpress/

This site will be updated, but infrequently, compared to our previous entries. Enjoy what is here, it will remain

Ross and Sarah