Back... with some news
With just under 1000 km spent behind the wheel, here I am back from my Italian culinary experience. It has been a ten day eating and cooking marathon. I'm definitely lacking sleep, but I really don't care: I had the time of my life. I've met with some great people, eaten in one or two nice places, spent a week covered in fish scales, guts and the like in the kitchen of La Locanda della Tamerice working together with Igles Corelli, one of Italy's most experienced chefs, and his very professional and friendly brigade. In the next few days I'll be posting my Emilia Romagna adventure, with reviews, posts on products, books, and the like. The opening picture, salami gentili made by Ore, is just a preview of things to come.
In the meantime a few news. Let's start with the not so good one: IMBB? did not win the Best Meme category of the 2005 Bloggies. I clearly hoped we would win, though I honestly thought photo friday would get picked. Instead the winner was Flickr: a great tool, but I cannot deny I'm not really sure why it was picked as a meme. Oh well congratulations all the same! The Bloggies were not too kind to us food bloggers. Excluding the Best Food Blog winners, Cooking for Engineers (congratulations!), none of the other food blogs nominated in their regional categories made it. I'm disappointed for two of my favorites, Chocolate and Zucchini and noodlepie, who really deserved to win in this blogger's opinion. Still, congratulations to all the winners: all the nominated blogs were really nice.
On to some merrier news. This blog received a little media coverage, together with fellow blogs IMBB?, Scent of Green Bananas and Cooking with Amy, from the Asian edition of Time magazine. Thanks once more to Graham Holliday, aka pieman, for the nice article.
Last but not least, just if you've missed the announcement: the next IMBB? will be hosted by Maki from I was just really very hungry and the theme is cupcakes. And now, get baking!
Welcome back in your kitchen ! ;)
Posted by:Laura | March 16, 2005 at 01:53 PM
Welcome back Alberto and congratulations on all the media coverage! I look forward to reading all about your adventures in the coming weeks! Cheers
Posted by:Deb | March 16, 2005 at 03:48 PM
Oh you're back, you're back! Eagerly looking forward to reading all about it.
Posted by:Karen | March 16, 2005 at 04:38 PM
Ciao Alberto,
I am glad you are finally back - I am sure the rest of your trip was amazing. Any cool kitchen photos? Was the kitchen a different experience from what you thought it would be?
Did the crew, not only the chef and his wife, open up and let you in, as in many kitchens it takes time or superior skill to be 'let' in?.?
I can't wait to read more. Outstanding choice for cover photo...THANKS!
(tentative date for return to Los Angeles...May 4th)
Posted by:Ore | March 16, 2005 at 11:05 PM
Thanks to all of you for the nice comments.
Ore, I'll keep most of the details for myself for the moment other wise I'll have little to say later ;-), but yes there are cool pictures coming up of the kitchen and restaurant. Regarding the "letting in" everything went quite nicely, one or two people remained more on their own till the end, but the rest of the crew was friendly, helpfull and we, after the "getting to know each other" on day one, went on well. I was probably lucky to land in a kitchen where the soul of the chef and his sous (Gianni, my man) is reflected in the way the rest of the crew behaves. The experience was certainly different than I expectd, I hadn't thought I would enjoy it so much.
Next up Al Vedel ;-)
Posted by:Alberto | March 16, 2005 at 11:46 PM