Virtual Italy Trip – Day 9 & 10!

Cooking & Pilates at The Poppy Farmhouse in
Costigliole d’Asti – Piedmont, Italy
~ Day 9 & 10 ~

Our 1st Annual trip to Italy was a great success!  The Poppy Farmhouse is the perfect setting to enjoy a week of cooking and pilates in Italy.  Thank you to John & Robyn for putting so much of themselves into this property, your passion really shows and I’m glad we could spend some time enjoying your Agriturismo.

From the Farmhouse our group took a taxi bus to our hotel near the Milan airport.  We had a little extra time so some of the group went into Milan to see the Duomo and Canal District.  The rest of us hung out at the hotel to relax and take walks.  Then it was off to bed to catch our flights back home in the morning.

*** SAVE THE DATE: September 12th-19th, 2011! ***
We reserved the same week next year at The Poppy Farmhouse, would you like to join us?  Let us know if you would like to go and we’ll get you more information and add you to the list of folks interested in traveling to Italy with us.

For more information about future trips please contact:
All Things Italian – Specialty Food Store
. 2251 W Kagy, Bozeman, MT 59718 . 406.586.0444 .
. info@all-things-italian.com .

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Virtual Italy Trip – Day 8!

Cooking & Pilates at The Poppy Farmhouse in
Costigliole d’Asti – Piedmont, Italy
~ Day 8 ~

And yet again I won’t be posting this evening. Sadly, I need to go pack 😦

We had a great day at the Palio d’Asti so I’m very excited to be able to share some photos/videos with you soon. Tomorrow we are leaving to go back to Milan to head home so this post might be up a little later than typical. I hope you’ve been enjoying reading about our lovely trip!

————— next day —————

The day started again with a nice breakfast at the Farmhouse.  We then had the morning to relax and get organized.  A light lunch and we were off to the “races.”  We were fortunate enough to be able to come the week of the Palio d’Asti.

Part of our group had tickets to sit in the grand stands to watch the processional and the rest of us were with the crowds on the streets.  What fun!  We got there at the perfect time to get on the corner of the street right before the track.

The processional came right down the street towards us before entering the track.  Wow, the costumes and pageantry was fantastic!  Once the gates opened it was a mob of people going towards the track to get into the center of Piazza Vittorio Alfieri to watch the race.  It took us a couple times to get into the track.  We watched 3 races and then wandered around town to grab some more presents and gelato.

For our final dinner we went to a local pub for wood fired pizza.  The prosciutto and mushroom pizza was great with a glass of Dolcetto d’Alba.   Finish off dinner with a hazelnut gelato and I’m happy 🙂

Back to the Farmhouse to pack up our Barbera wine grown here at Cascina Papaveri and find room for all our shopping finds.  Then off to bed!

For more information about future trips please contact:
All Things Italian – Specialty Food Store
. 2251 W Kagy, Bozeman, MT 59718 . 406.586.0444 .
. info@all-things-italian.com .

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Virtual Italy Trip – Day 7!

Cooking & Pilates at The Poppy Farmhouse in
Costigliole d’Asti – Piedmont, Italy
~ Day 7 ~

The schedule for today was very similar to Day4 except this morning we left early to go into the town of Alba. We went into the center of the city for a typical breakfast of cappuccino and brioche. Right at the side of the courtyard was the start of a street filled with shops and street vendors. Instead of picking up ingredients for lunch we all went shopping for ourselves! Clothes, boots, purses, scarfs, regional food items, truffle products, calendars… we came back with arms full of bags 🙂

Back at the Farmhouse to a nice lunch of: squash soup, stuffed squash blossoms, gnocchi romana, mortadella & speck, salad & melon. During the free time before our last cooking class some of the group participated in pilates, enjoyed the sauna/steam room, wrote home or rested.

Tonight was the 5th and final Cooking Experience. What fun it has been cooking with Gino this week, he is a phenomenal chef and his personality is perfect to keep track of everything, speak in another language and make us all laugh! For the final meal we made:

• 2 types of Bread: Sesame Knots & an Egg Bread made into small Cheese Rolls
• Parmigiano-Reggiano Bowls with a Celery-Apple Salad
• Vermicelli in an Amatriciana Sauce
• Veal Saltimbocca with Roasted Peppers
• Hazelnut Panna Cotta with Chocolate sauce

A farewell and many thanks to Gino!

For more information about future trips please contact:
All Things Italian – Specialty Food Store
. 2251 W Kagy, Bozeman, MT 59718 . 406.586.0444 .
. info@all-things-italian.com .

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Virtual Italy Trip – Day 6!

Cooking & Pilates at The Poppy Farmhouse in
Costigliole d’Asti – Piedmont, Italy
~ Day 6 ~

It’s going to be an early morning tomorrow to go into Alba so I will post about Day 6 tomorrow afternoon……. all I can say is this trip has been so much FUN!

I’m excited to put together some videos when we get home with regards to cooking, pilates, truffle hunting & the horse race on Sunday. That’s right, we went truffle hunting today! 🙂

——————— next day ———————

We had a free morning to spend some time doing pilates, going into town, corresponding back home or resting.  A quick trip into town to change some money and shop and it was back to the Farmhouse for my second pilates session.

I had never experienced pilates before coming to the Farmhouse and it’s been great to learn more about.  With all the eating & walking we are doing here it has been a wonderful experience!  A basic class on the reformer and a little chair & cadillac work and I’m set to get right back to it and enjoy more of Italy.

Right after pilates we had another gorgeous lunch out on the terrace, which included: fennel-cabbage soup, butter beans with veggies, fennel-orange salad, green salad and bresaola with parmigiano-reggiano on a bed of arugula.

Then it was off for an amazing adventure.  Truffle hunting with Natale Romagnolo!  Natale explained about how truffles grow, the truffle hunting industry and his family’s history.  We were then introduced to one of his truffle hunting dogs, Diana.  Diana took us into the woods behind Natale’s house to search for truffles.  She found one little white truffle (the season is just starting) and then a larger black truffle.  While Natale was digging out the truffle Diana found another black truffle and I got it out of her mouth since Natale wasn’t with her, she was just slightly chewing on it 🙂

Back to Natale’s to enjoy some truffles!  There was truffle salami, fresh truffle oil on bread and then shaved white truffle on a robiola cheese with a nice glass of Barbera wine.

Then what’s one to do except eat more?  For our 4th Cooking Experience we made:

• 2 types of Bread: Small Rolls with Salt & Walnut-Anchovy Rolls
• Tuna Stuffed Peppers
• 2 types of Gnocchi: Potato & Semolina
• Trout with Porcini
• Tiramisu

Only because the food is so amazing can we all find room!  Off to bed 🙂

For more information about future trips please contact:
All Things Italian – Specialty Food Store
. 2251 W Kagy, Bozeman, MT 59718 . 406.586.0444 .
. info@all-things-italian.com .

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Virtual Italy Trip – Day 5

Cooking & Pilates at The Poppy Farmhouse in
Costigliole d’Asti – Piedmont, Italy
~ Day 5 ~

This evening we went to the Doua D’Or, the large wine festival that features wine from throughout Italy and many from Piedmonte.

I am going to postpone this post until the morning. Because 1) I’m tired & 2) I don’t want to wake up my roommates for the 3rd time to go get my camera cord. So until tomorrow…. buona notte! 🙂

—————– next day —————–

After our normal breakfast we all had a free morning or afternoon to get massages, have a pilates session, relax or walk down to town. I chose to walk down to town to do a little shopping and get some gelato. First we stopped at the cemetery to see the architecture and history.

Costigliole d’Asti is a nice little town to check out, it has a great little bakery called Bisco that had really great gelato & cookies. Always a nice rest when walking up & down all the hills. There were also a few nice dress shops, a bath & body store & of course my favorite place to shop… grocery stores.

After a nice lunch of leek-potato soup, sliced meats, cheeses & salads I took a quick swim and then we started our 3rd Cooking Experience a hour earlier so leave room for the Douja d’Or. For the cooking class we made:

• 2 types of Focaccia: Onion & Olive
• 3 types of Risotto – Apple with White Wine, Radicchio with Red Wine & Chanterelle
• Summer Eggplant Parmigiana – very light with Orange Zest & Taleggio
• Stuffed Quail and Tomatoes
• Apple Tart & Abbracci Cookies

Dinner went a little faster than usual and we all had a good laugh because Jack is excited for the “rodeo” on Sunday, also known as the Palio di Asti. A group of us headed off to the Douja d’Or where you grab a glass and tickets for tastes of wine. Nice to see families & friends out sampling wines from throughout Italy!

For more information about future trips please contact:
All Things Italian – Specialty Food Store
. 2251 W Kagy, Bozeman, MT 59718 . 406.586.0444 .
. info@all-things-italian.com .

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Virtual Italy Trip – Day 4!

Cooking & Pilates at The Poppy Farmhouse in
Costigliole d’Asti – Piedmont, Italy
~ Day 4 ~

It was an early start this morning so we could go into the town of Asti. We started off at a small cafe for a traditional breakfast of cappuccino and brioche. Then we were given 5 Euro to spend in the Wednesday market. Twice a week there is a large market with everything from produce to clothes.

With the 5 Euro we were to get something to contribute to lunch for the day. It was fun to see what everyone picked up and fixed for lunch. A few of us were won over by the salami vendor, he had us sample his specialties and then we were hooked! So we picked up some of his salami naturale and porchetta that we plated with a few cheeses from another vendor. Some of the group grabbed a few goodies to take home and then it was back to the farmhouse to prepare lunch.

Other lunch items included: fruit plate with fichi di india, mozzarella with tomatoes and fennel salad, fried sardines, roasted vegetables, parmigiano-reggiano cauliflower, salads & grissini. One of the guests picked up some decorative cabbages and eggplants and festively decorated the table. It was a wonderful lunch from the market!

The afternoon was full of more Pilates, swimming, walks and naps. I had my first experience with Pilates. I really enjoyed it and understand the benefits of regular Pilate sessions, plus it’s a definite bonus to balance out all the eating we are doing here!

Speaking of more eating, for the 2nd Cooking Experience we made:

• 2 types of Bread: Mother’s-in-Law Tongues and Olive Loafs
• Leek Quiche
• Garganelli with Vegetable Sauce (zucchini, tomatoes & onions)
• Rabbit stuffed with Herbs, Pancetta & Frittata and a side of Green Beans wrapped in Pancetta
• Orange Pudding with Kiwi

Then after dinner it’s either off to bed or the nightly stroll around the hill top. What a beautiful day!

For more information about future trips please contact:
All Things Italian – Specialty Food Store
. 2251 W Kagy, Bozeman, MT 59718 . 406.586.0444 .
. info@all-things-italian.com .

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Virtual Italy Trip – Day 3!

Cooking & Pilates at The Poppy Farmhouse in
Costigliole d’Asti – Piedmont, Italy
~ Day 3 ~

Our first full day at the Farmhouse has just come to a close.  What a full day!  For some the day started off with a nice walk around the estate with a cappuccino in one hand and a fresh picked fig in the other.

Breakfast was nice and simple with muesli, yogurt and a fresh fig tart.  After breakfast part of the group participated in the first pilates session and the other half of the group took a walk down to check out the local town.  Then a short swim in the pool and we were ready to eat again 🙂

Eating lunch outside on the terrace is almost magical, not only is the food superb but the views are astonishing!  We had a lovely assortment for lunch: fresh grape juice, tomato soup, grissini with lardo or speck, figs with prosciutto, olives, cheeses, egg and tomato flan and salad.

After a short break we took a tour of the estate and cantina.  We learned about everything they grow and how they make their Barbera wine.  We sampled 3 different years to see the difference in years and how their wine is made to store.

Our first Cooking Experience was great fun.  Gino, the chef, did a great job having all of us help to put together a grand meal.  Which included:

• Two types of Bread: Plain Loaf & Grissini
• Swiss Chard Flan
• Veal Ravioli
• Pork Stuffed with Herbs and Topped with an Apple Sauce
• Chocolate Souffle

After that much food a nice stroll around the top of the hill and it’s off to bed, well at least after posting this 🙂

For more information about future trips please contact:
All Things Italian – Specialty Food Store
. 2251 W Kagy, Bozeman, MT 59718 . 406.586.0444 .
. info@all-things-italian.com .

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Virtual Italy Trip: Day 1 & 2

Cooking & Pilates at The Poppy Farmhouse in
Costigliole d’Asti – Piedmont, Italy
~ Day 1 & 2 ~

And we’re off! From Bozeman to Milan… it’s always an early morning and long days of travel but once you get to Italy, it’s all worth it! It was a pretty seamless day with all the connections and travel. (Except one guest was delayed so I hope we see her later this morning!)

Once we got into Milan we took the bus to the train station, it’s a beautiful station and we got to spend a little time there while we waited for our train to Asti. There was one quick transfer in Voghera and then we arrived in Asti. The Poppy Farmhouse is just a short drive away, and WOW it’s a dream!

After checking in and getting a quick tour everyone settled into their rooms and then enjoyed sampling a few local wines out on the terrace before dinner. We had a wonderful first dinner:

• Antipasto: a mixed cheese filled crespelle
• Primo: a simple spaghetti dish with garlic pasta & red pepper flakes
• Secondo: a local sausage cooked in wine with a salt roasted potato
• Dolce: half a nectarine cooked and topped with a cocoa and amaretti topping
• Ending of course with the Farmhouse’s grappa 🙂

Then it was off to bed for a good nights sleep to get ready for our first full day at the Farmhouse.  Buona notte!

For more information about future trips please contact:
All Things Italian – Specialty Food Store
. 2251 W Kagy, Bozeman, MT 59718 . 406.586.0444 .
. info@all-things-italian.com .

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Join us on a Virtual Trip to Italy!

Cooking & Pilates at The Poppy Farmhouse in
Costigliole d’Asti – Piedmont, Italy
September 13-20, 2010

Virtually join us as we take 11 guests to an exclusive retreat at The Poppy Farmhouse, set in the most stunning hilltop location in Italy’s premier food and wine region.

Each day we will post about our travels & adventures with accompanying photos and videos.  Follow along with us and daydream about going on the trip next year!

For more information about future trips please contact:

All Things Italian – Specialty Food Store
. 2251 W Kagy, Bozeman, MT 59718 . 406.586.0444 .
. info@all-things-italian.com .

Main Attractions

• 8-day/7-night intimate cooking & pilates vacation in Italy’s Piedmont region
• Elegant and comfortable accommodations at a 5-star Agriturismo, small working farm, with certified organic vineyard and vegetable gardens that produces Barbera, fresh herbs and vegetables.
• Delicious regional cuisine: freshly made meals plus all inclusive drinks & wine
• Private & group pilates with Kathy Mulvahill on ‘Balanced Body’ equipment
• 2 Visits to local markets in nearby Asti & Alba
• 5 Culinary Experiences, hands-on cooking lessons throughout the week
• 1 Visit to a local restaurant
• 1 Visit to a local Cantina for a wine tasting
• Asti Palio, the horse race similar but older than that of Sienna
• Douja d’Or, the major wine festival of the year.  Fantastic selections of wines with tasting areas

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Join us for a 7 night all inclusive retreat of Cooking & Pilates

Cooking & Pilates at The Poppy Farmhouse in
Costigliole d’Asti – Piedmont, Italy
September 13-20, 2010

This exclusive retreat (11 guests) features luxurious accommodations and fabulous facilities, set in the most stunning hilltop location in Italy’s premier food and wine region.  For more information please contact:

All Things Italian – Specialty Food Store
. 2251 W Kagy, Bozeman, MT 59718 . 406.586.0444 .
. info@all-things-italian.com .

To learn more about the retreat visit www.cascinapapaveri.com & for reviews visit www.tripadvisor.com (enter Agriturismo Cascina Papaveri).

Main Attractions

• 8-day/7-night intimate cooking & pilates vacation in Italy’s Piedmont region
• Elegant and comfortable accommodations at a 5-star Agriturismo, small working farm, with certified organic vineyard and vegetable gardens that produces Barbera, fresh herbs and vegetables.
• Delicious regional cuisine: freshly made meals plus all inclusive drinks & wine
• Private & group pilates with Kathy Mulvahill on ‘Balanced Body’ equipment
• 2 Visits to local markets in nearby Asti & Alba
• 5 Culinary Experiences, hands-on cooking lessons throughout the week
• 1 Visit to a local restaurant
• 1 Visit to a local Cantina for a wine tasting
• Asti Palio, the horse race similar but older than that of Sienna
• Douja d’Or, the major wine festival of the year.  Fantastic selections of wines with tasting areas

What’s Not Included

• Airfare or other transportation to the trip starting point & from the trip ending point
• Lodging outside of the 7 nights at the Farmhouse
• Meals and alcoholic beverages not specified
• Personal expenses
• Optional activities: truffle hunting, golf, horseback riding, massages, etc.
• Passport fees
• Insurance of any kind

$2,900/person based on double occupancy

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