Book Reveal. 72 Hours in Rome.
We are authors! How we spent a lovely few days in Rome.
Ciao!
This is almost too much for one newsletter, oh well! Let’s dive in. Also, you can leave comments at the bottom of this post.
Becoming an author
Growing up, reading, writing, and storytelling were my greatest forms of escapism from my often unsettled home. A horror buff from a very young age, I would make up spooky stories on the spot and recount them to my friends. Then I discovered the worlds of Harry Potter, J. R. R. Tolkien, and later Ken Follett and Patrick Rothfuss.
I became entranced not only with the stories but the whimsical ways each author presented the storyline and communicated with the reader. I believe the experience of reading a story unfold is so incredibly fun and satisfying. It’s one of the main reasons I love reading and writing.
When I was very young I told the adults in my life about my desire to write but they weren’t quite impressed. I was often met with…
“Writers don’t get paid a lot.”
Fair. But what if you pair it with something that people enjoy? The telling of a sequence of events that has a rhythm and is explained in a digestible and satisfying way. And what if you were able to channel all of your creative energy and love for writing into a gorgeous book that people could hold in their hands and flip through?
My desire to write presented itself to me before I saw my love for olive oil and food. So for me, this book represents my love for storytelling and beautiful things but with the narrative focusing on the product that I later came to dedicate my career to, really good extra virgin olive oil.
The Olive Oil Enthusiast
The Olive Oil Enthusiast is a comprehensive, practical introduction to the often misunderstood world of olive oil—with recipes for appetizers, pasta, sauces, and desserts—from the founders and producers of the acclaimed EXAU Olive Oil brand.
In late 2020 Giuseppe and I were presented with the opportunity to write a book about one of our favorite things in the world, olive oil. We immediately said yes, but knew we had to find the right people to work with. We interviewed literary agents for 3 months before finding the incredible Andrianna deLone from CAA. We wanted someone to hold our hand during the process because we were nervous. She listened to us (tbh mostly me), answered all of our questions, and made sure we felt confident in our decisions.
Then it came time to submit the manuscript to our editor and find an illustrator. There were so many options but we quickly became enamored with the work of the very talented Maria Jesus Contreras! And when you see the inside of the book you’ll see why : ) Once the illustrations were completed and we handed in our final manuscript, we were truly off to the races.
Pre-order for August 15, 2023
The Olive Oil Enthusiast is available for pre-order and will be released on August 15, 2023, which is both Ferragosto and Giuseppe’s Birthday!! What a day for celebration.
Currently, The Olive Oil Enthusiast is primarily available in North America (US + Canada). However, both Amazon and Barnes & Nobles ship internationally! (Please note that additional shipping fees may apply).
Alternatively, there will also be an ebook version and a kindle version. Explore more places to purchase in the US here. We encourage you to purchase from the links below or if possible your local bookstore.
Thank you to Sara on IG in Canada who came in with the best options for Canada shipping!!! And lastly, at this time The Olive Oil Enthusiast is only available in English.
Btw you can leave comments at the bottom of this newsletter!
The color of olive oil does not matter
Over the years as we’ve spoken with customers and clients we’ve noticed a very common myth about extra virgin olive oil. It goes something like this, ‘The greener the oil, the better it tastes’. But this isn’t true.
There are approximately 2,000 cultivars (cultivated varietals) of olives in the world. Now not all of them are used to produce olive oil (some are used for jarring or other other things). However, even if we only looked at 1/4 of those cultivars, leaving us with 500, only a small portion would somewhat consistently produce green olive oil.
This is because the color of an olive oil is based off of many different factors including but not limited to cultivar, weather, altitude, time of harvest, and even filtering. Other environmental factors may also influence the color of an oil some years.
Professional olive oil sommeliers taste in small blue glasses because they do not want to judge an oil based off its color. In formal settings we always taste in blue cups circumstances not permiting we use numbered opaque cups. Incredible olive oil doesn’t look a certain way. It can range in color from light yellow to green to gold.
The most important thing is that the oil tastes good. It should be reminiscent of fresh food you enjoy consuming, for example almonds, exotic fruit, spicy peppers. For more on why the color of olive oil doesn’t matter check out this Instagram post!
The Lina Tasting Notes
Nose: Fruitiness of olives harvested at the correct time of ripeness. Opens with sensations of ripe banana followed by almond, hints of exotic fruits.
Mouth: Bitter, opens with green banana followed with sensations of bitter almond.
Finish: Spicy pepper, notes of exotic fruit.
Pairing: Legumes, mushrooms, artichokes, strong soup, grilled red meat and gamey meat.
The Turi Tasting Notes
Nose: Opens with green olives, followed by almond, fresh-cut grass. Aromatic herbs and hints of tomato leaf.
Mouth: Well-balanced bitterness with a firm sensation of chicory and bitter almond.
Finish: Persistent bitter almond.
Pairing: Bruschetta, vegetables, baked fish, chicken, red meat and gamey meat.
A (short) visit to Rome
Last week Giuseppe and I went to Rome and it was glorious. But not for the reason you may think. Yes, Rome is beautiful and romantic and full of historical treasures… But Giuseppe lived in Rome for 12 years, I’ve been many times, and we’ve both seen the big tourist sites. We decided on a proper staycation in the city where we met almost 8 years ago (!!), with a few short (and non-mandatory) stops to some beautiful/delicious sites…
And can we just say that it’s so special to visit a city you truly enjoy without the pressure to keep to a schedule. Our trip in review…
We met up with Zoe from Stella Vision Travel for Carbonara and Amatriciana at Santo Palato in Re di Roma. This was the only reservation we made. Santo Palato is known for its Carbonara, we also wanted to try the Amatriciana. Both were good. But, and this is a big But. We personally prefer Giuseppe’s version of the dish because we use different proportions of parmigiano and pecorino. We feel pecorino is too strong and salty which covers the taste of the guanciale. We want to try more carbonara’s and amatriciana’s in Rome the next time we’re in town. The beef secondo was excellent. All the assorted pickled items were also very good.
Drinks at Cantina Belsiana on a very small street perpendicular to via Condotti. If I lived in Rome I would be here (almost) every Friday night. Cantina Belsiana is a wine bar that also serves simple cocktails, aperitivi, and small bites. It’s tinyyyy and frequented by both locals and tourists. We couldn’t stay for dinner so we cannot comment on the food but the drinks and wine were excellent! If I were to eat here I’d get the meatballs and the lasagna.
A drive out to EUR to visit family. EUR is a suburban neighborhood outside of the city center with lots of Fascist-era architecture. Go figure, it was designed and built under the reign of Mussolini. I always felt that EUR was kind of a weird (and random) place, especially considering how close it is to so many historical structures. But it’s very nice, and clean, and since the last time I visited, there are lots more shops and restaurants. While I wouldn’t put it at the top of my ‘must-see’ places in Rome if you’re into brutalist or mid-century architecture or WW2 history you might find it interesting.
A walk from Monte Mario to the Vatican. If you stay at The Waldorf Astoria when you exit the gates just make a left and keep following the steps down. It’s about a 30-minute walk with a fair amount of stairs. Going to the Vatican knowing you aren’t going to be dealing with the crowds somehow makes it even more special?! Highly recommend taking a walk around the neighborhood and popping into cafes for an espresso or macchiato as needed.
We stayed at The Waldorf Astoria in Monte Mario and were lucky to be there for Sunday brunch, my favorite meal of the week! Sweet breakfast is common in Italy, which we often skip because we’re savory morning food people. And the hotel had really good American bacon which I’ve been craving for a while. They also had strong American coffee and on Sundays eggs benedict, pancakes, and waffles. My eyeballs almost bulged out of my head when I saw a takeaway coffee station with half and half as my ideal morning is a long morning walk with an XL coffee. You can take the girl out of California but...
The rooms are very spacious, the beds are comfortable, and the pillows are very big and fluffy (I’m a big pillow person). If you’re a bath person you’ll be really happy with the size of the tub. And if you’re a makeup person there’s a vanity for you to use!
And lastly, if you can upgrade to the city view on a higher level (3rd floor or above) DO IT!!! The balconies are great to sit on and look out at the city (with your to-go coffee). And if you’re lucky enough to be in Rome for a thunderstorm you can watch the lightning strike over the Vatican!!
Travel Credit Cards and Hotel Benefit Tips
If you have a rewards credit card with travel benefits (or points) we highly suggest going through the entire list of benefits before the end of the month. Some cards only allow changes in the month of January. You might also find some new rewards that you want to put to use in 2023!! Some benefits to check…
Airline credit: If your credit card offers an airline credit call your provider and make sure the credit is assigned to your preferred airline (if required).
Subscription credits: If you get subscription credits review which subscriptions are accepted by your credit card provider (i.e. Netflix, Hulu, Audible). A lot of cards changed their terms on subscriptions shortly ‘after’ Covid.
Hotel credits/upgrades/perks: Check if your credit card provider has partnered with any new hotels. You might be able to get a room upgrade, a present waiting for you in your room upon arrival, breakfast, and/or a credit to use in the hotel!
Rental Car Credits: Your credit card provider may have new or changed benefits for rental cars so check that out too.
This is so different than our regular content, but spring travel season will be here before we know it so better to make sure you have everything in order now!
As usual, thanks so much for reading. Enjoy the rest of your day!
Xx
-Skyler & Giuseppe
P.S. Are you following on TikTok? We’re having fun over there.
Amazing! Congrats! I can’t wait to read it
Congrats Skyler!