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Every time I sit down to write this newsletter I complain that I have nothing to write about and the next thing I know it’s overflowing with adventurous bits of making pasta, meandering yet meaningful thoughts, or we’ve launched something new! Let’s get into it.
#1 Best Seller on Amazon New Releases!
Woohoo!! Y’all skyrocketed us to the #1 best-selling new release in Italian cooking on Amazon. Thank you so much for the outpouring of support for our book, The Olive Oil Enthusiast. Writing, editing, and working through the illustrations and design process has truly been a labor of love and one of the greatest privileges of our careers. From the bottom of our hearts grazie mille. Read more about how this book came to be below. And click the link below to pre-order!
Let’s plan your trip to southern Italy
Giuseppe and I are so happy to share that we’ve officially branched out to the travel industry! Over the years our customers have asked us how they can visit and travel through Calabria. And while we’ve written about some of our favorite places in the region it’s not enough…
We’ve noticed problems visitors run into when it comes to traveling southern Italy:
They want to see too much in one trip.
They underestimate how far things really are and the options to get there.
They think Calabria is ‘google-able’.
Southern Italy as a whole is quite big. And Calabria feels huge because it’s very mountainous and the infrastructure isn’t the best, making it a very challenging region to navigate without the proper support. We want to help travelers build out well thought-out and realistic yet exciting itineraries.
Want to road trip from Naples all the way down to Sicily? Awesome, we can tell you how to do it and what not to miss. Want to go from Sicily to Puglia? Giuseppe drives that route all the time. There are some epic cities and towns on the way.
Here’s the thing, I’ve spent years 'researching’ restaurants and places in Calabria only to get there and have the place be closed, be disappointed with a meal, or find out it’s a tourist scam. I learned very quickly that the region relies heavily on word of mouth for virtually all marketing.
Giuseppe was born and raised in Calabria so knows the region well, particularly the zones of Reggio Calabria and Catanzaro. And over the years we’ve had some incredible adventures and want to help you do the same.
Click the link below and use code 11FORMEYAY at checkout for 11% off our services (first time only).
BIPOC travelers coming to Italy
It started when I received a voice memo from a colleague who has a group of Black clients headed to Italy that asked about racism and wanted to talk through some things. Later that day I received multiple requests from BIPOC travelers asking for advice about visiting Italy. I took it as a sign to make a video on TikTok (see below) and funnel more of my thoughts here in our newsletter.
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I hear and understand the concerns of BIPOC travelers heading to Italy. They are valid. These are my thoughts…
While I do believe that racism is alive and thriving in Italy, what I have noticed above all else is classism. And generally speaking, travelers from North America are not viewed as ‘low class’.
So, I’m not too worried about BIPOC, especially Black American, travelers in southern Italy experiencing racism. In fact, this isn’t something I’m concerned about for any of our clients/customers coming to Italy. However, I, nor anyone else, can make any guarantees to travelers during their trips abroad. Some things to note…
All of the travelers I’ve spoken to heading to Italy are BIPOCs from North America and are visiting heavily touristed places like Naples, Lecce, Reggio Calabria, or Siracusa. These cities and the surrounding towns are used to seeing tourists from all over the world.
In Southen Italy, the people are generally very friendly and excited to meet travelers no matter where they’re from.
I do caution against pickpockets and petty theft as I would in any other city and/or heavily touristed area.
Lastly, Giuseppe and I want all travelers, especially BIPOCs, to feel comfortable during their visit to Italy, thus would not make recommendations that we feel would put them in an uncomfortable situation.
If you’re still worried you’re welcome to respond to this email and we can see if we can set up a call.
Fresh Pasta Recipe
We made pasta casareccia alle seppie and people were so excited about the fresh pasta recipe!! Well, the good news is that you can make it without eggs (!!!).
See the original post on Instagram. If you have fresh pasta questions please ask them in the comments section and we will respond : )
Making pasta with extra virgin olive oil
We used the Lina to add more character and a stronger flavor to this pasta. Let us know if you make it and how it turns out! If you don’t have the Lina yet get it by clicking the link below!
Ingredients
Serves 4
320 g water
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a small bowl
Instructions for shaping
Notes: If possible make the pasta dough on a wood surface, even a large cutting board will suffice. Otherwise, a marble/granite surface will work. If you think the dough is getting too wet stop adding water and keep working it. You can always add a splash later. Use a bread scraper to cut the dough and clean surfaces. Keep the dough you aren’t working with covered to avoid it forming a skin.
Pour the flour onto the work surface. Using 2 fingers make a hole in the center, about 2” x 2”.
Slowly pour water into the hole and using a fork begin to mix the flour with the water by gently pulling the flour from the sides towards the center. Don’t pull so much flour in that the water overflows over the sides. Go slowly.
Once most of the water is added you can begin mixing the dough by hand. Continue to add water slowly. We like to pour the water over our hand and then work it into the dough.
Knead and stretch the dough for a total of 15 - 20 minutes. You should not be able to see any single grains of flour by the time you’re done working it. Shape the dough into a somewhat even sphere then cover it with a bowl or wrap it in plastic and let it rest for 30 minutes.
Line a sheet tray with a very generous sprinkle of semola and have a clean, dry kitchen towel on hand.
We shaped our pasta into long spaghetti, sort of like pici. Cut off a small chunk of dough. Begin rolling it back and forth with your palm lengthening it. We like to focus on rolling out one end at a time and then cutting that strip off to form pieces of pasta, sort of like a spindle. Begin rolling out one end of the dough until it’s almost the thickness and length of a thick piece of spaghetti. Just as the piece of dough is beginning to take its final shape dip your fingertips in the oil (very small amount) and roll along the rough finishing the shape. Place the spaghetti onto the sheet tray. If the piece of dough you’re working with begins to feel like too much just cut it in half and work with a smaller piece.
Once you have a few pieces of spaghetti on the sheet pan sprinkle them with more semola and gently toss. Make sure the pasta is well coated with flour, this will help avoid it from sticking together. Cover the sheet pan with the kitchen towel while shaping the pasta to avoid the pasta forming a skin.
Instructions for cooking
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then salt generously. It should taste well seasoned.
Gently add the pasta and cook for about 2 minutes.
Make sure the sauce is hot, then add the fresh pasta to the sauce and cook for an additional minute to combine all flavors.
Serve immediately!
Storing fresh pasta
Fresh pasta should be eaten within several hours of making it (making it in the AM and cooking it in the PM is fine). If you’re making it a day or more ahead of time it’s best to freeze it. Weigh out single portions and then form them into nests. We like to stick the tray in the freezer for an hour to let the nests take shape then place them in their final storage container and place them in the freezer. Use the pasta within 3 months.
Suggested Sauces
Try this luscious bolognese, it’s a recipe we’ve updated regularly over the years and always turns out well.
Into mushrooms? Maybe the porcini sauce from this recipe will suit you well.
That’s all for this week, thanks for hanging with us till the end. A presto!
-Skyler & Giuseppe
P.S. Are you following on TikTok? We’re having fun over there. Also, you can find EXAU at Crate & Barrel!
"They think Calabria is ‘google-able’." Oh how I cackled! congrats on being number 1! 🤩