TOP 60 Day Mailing - Maras Salts

Step 1: Grind your salts

Gaia’s Negroni

Ingredients

• 1 oz Campari

• 1 oz Red Vermouth

• 1 oz Gin

• 1 orange

Instructions

• Fill a glass with ice and stir ice for a few seconds to chill the glass. Once glass is cold, strain any water from the ice so that there is no liquid.

• Pour Campari, red vermouth and gin directly into the glass over the ice.

• Stir by moving the spoon up and down so that the three levels of alcohol mix together.

• Peel a large slice of orange zest, about 2 inches long, and squeeze it over the drink to release the natural oils. Rub the zest around the rim of the glass, give it a twist, and then place the twisted zest into the drink.

• Cin cin!

Other Aperitivos

Alcoholic

• Aperol Spritz

• Americano

Non-alcoholic

• Chinotto

• Crodino

• Cedrata

Step 2: Small Bites - Base

Polenta

Slice pre-cooked polenta into 1/2” thick pieces. Brush with olive oil and bake, broil, pan-fry, or grill. Top with any of the following topping suggestions.

Puff Pastry

Thaw puff pastry sheets and top with any of the following topping suggestions. Bake according to package directions.

Baguette

Slice a baguette and lightly toast. Top with any of the following topping suggestions.

Step 3: Small Bites - Toppings

• Salami, ricotta, and fig marmalade - Chef Alain’s favorite pairing!

• Fontina cheese and speck or prosciutto

• Brie cheese and toasted walnuts

• Pecorino cheese and honey

• Stracchino cheese and sausage

  • Lightly sauté the sausage with some red wine

• Prosciutto and truffle sauce or truffle oil

• Artichoke spread and chopped hazelnuts

• Gorgonzola cheese

• Fresh mushrooms (if baking) or sautéed mushrooms (if not baking)

• “Pizzas” - tomato sauce or fresh tomato slices, mozzarella cheese, fresh basil

  • Add fresh basil after baking

• Zucchini, speck or prosciutto, and brie cheese

• Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

• Pre-cooked or canned veggies of choice and ricotta cheese

• Prosciutto and mozzarella

• Sundried tomatoes and pecorino cheese

• Pesto and cherry tomatoes

• Artichoke spread and ricotta cheese

• Sicilian pesto rosso (red pesto)

• Sliced, jarred artichokes and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese shavings

• Ricotta cheese, cooked eggplant, and cherry tomatoes

• Mortadella, mozzarella cheese, and chopped pistachios

On our Heart of Italy trip, you will meet Chef Alain.

One afternoon on our trip, we’ll venture outside of Florence to Pistoia to visit our dear friend, Chef Alain. With him as our guide, we’ll explore the streets less traveled by tourists, immersing ourselves in the local daily life.

He’ll treat us to the best cappuccino and pistachio croissants, and then take us ingredient shopping through Pistoia for everything we’ll need for our cooking class. Alain walks us through his process of procuring the ingredients like he would for his pizzeria. We’ll start at the daily outdoor market, select our fruits and vegetables, and sample a few as we go. We’ll pick out the meat from the local butcher and then we head to his restaurant for our cooking to begin!

We put on our aprons and gather around the tables while Alain teaches us tricks of the kitchen and how to make homemade ravioli, bolognese sauce, and  — our favorite — tiramisu. Alain’s guidance is infused with humor and fun, ensuring that even those apprehensive about cooking from scratch feel confident and enjoy the experience!