Calabrian Table Tour, October 16-23, 2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) May 5, 2011 -- With 500 miles of coastline, three national parks and thousands of acres of olive trees, vineyards and citrus groves, Calabria is one of the most diverse regions in the bel paese. That diversity, combined with the enduring influence of Calabria’s past conquerors, notably the Greeks, Spaniards and Arabs, is echoed in Calabria’s unique cuisine.

Join us, Cherrye Moore and Tania Pascuzzi, on our first annual tour through Calabria as we venture from table to table, introducing you to our local friends, chefs and cooks in the region.

We have handpicked our favorite towns and villages, many of which you’d never find in a guidebook, so we can offer you a comprehensive, authentic culinary experience. This Calabrian Table Tour is the first in a series of exclusive cooking, food and wine events that we will be offering.

From Italy’s largest national park in the northern Calabria to the rugged coastline of the sun-kissed south, we have spent years eating our way through Calabria … and we want to share our Calabria with you, one table at a time.

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Partial Itinerary for The Calabrian Table Tour
Eating Through Calabria with Tania and Cherrye

Day 1: Sunday, October 16
Folk Music Feast

You will arrive at Lamezia Terme International Airport and be met by us, Cherrye Moore and Tania Pascuzzi, your bilingual hosts, as well as Andrea Fornari, a Calabrian native who will serve as an additional interpreter and translator throughout The Calabrian Table Tour.

We will transfer via charter bus to northern Calabria. There we will check into our mountain chalet that is surrounded in flowering, green gardens with a dramatic backdrop of Pollino’s swooping hills and mountains.

We will have time to unpack, settle into the hotel and explore the agriturismo’s gardens before meeting for a group aperitivo and Q&A session.

In the early evening we will transfer to a nearby farm where we will meet Nicola, a retired engineer who has dedicated his life to preserving the history of the Pollino. He and his wife, Caterina, will welcome us to their 16th century farm and show us the Convent of Colloretto.

After our tour we will join Caterina in her kitchen and enjoy our first hands-on cooking class in the Pollino Mountains where we will make homemade pasta and salsiccia. We will end Day One with a private feast, complete with live Calabrian folk musicians from Morano Calabro who will perform in traditional costumes.

Day 2: Monday, October 17
Zotërote flini arbërisht? Calabria’s Albanian Influences

We will have breakfast at our agriturismo, then set out to explore the heart and soul of Pollino’s Albanian culture. These traditions, along with their native language that is still taught in schools, has been around since the mid-1400s and plays an important role in northern Calabrian culture and cuisine.

We will visit a local village, where the Albanian heritage still thrives and meet a local nun who will show us the ancient trade of weaving traditional cloth into Albanian costumes. We will have the chance to visit the famous Ragnanello Gorge, the deepest gorge in Europe.

For lunch, we will feast on Albanian dishes that feature the sweet paprika that is commonly used in these villages. In the late afternoon we will take a guided walk through Morano Calabro-one of Italy’s 100 most beautiful villages-and step back in time to explore the historical center.

We will end the day with dinner at one of the town’s most renowned restaurants that features the famous stocco fish from the Pollino Mountains.

Day 3: Tuesday, October 18
Hike and Harvest

We will spend the morning on a mild walking excursion through the Pollino Mountains where we will have the opportunity to hunt for mushrooms, chestnuts and wild berries that are typical of this mountains. During our hike, we will encounter the rare and beautiful Lorica pine, a tree that is found only in this part of the world.

We will step back in time and stop for a picnic breakfast a sacco, complete with local bread, frittata, salamis, local cheeses and wine, all set with a backdrop of pine trees and mountain views.

In the afternoon we will visit a local cheese factory.

For dinner, Our host, Adriana, will prepare the meal that won her first place in a national culinary competition, a meal that features the mushrooms, chestnuts and berries we harvested during our hike.

For more information, visit http://my-bellavita.com.

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