Travel with Julie

The Cheesy Side of Italy

Usually when one thinks of cheese, France immediately comes to mind with its cornucopia of dairy delights.  Yet, a true lover of Italy knows that Italy has bragging rights of its own with an impressive list of fine cheeses.  With the help of cheese.com, I've listed familiar favorites and a few, to be sure, you never heard of before. 

• Asiago - a hard cheese made from cow's milk; slightly sharp in taste
• Bel Paese - semi-soft cheese with a light, milky aroma
• Bocconcini - a fresh mozzarella
• Bra - a hard cheese made from cow's milk; used as a table cheese
• Caciocavallo - a softer cow's milk cheese; also comes in smoked versions
• Canestrato - hard cheese made from sheep's milk; peppercorns added during processing
• Castelmagno - a hard cheese made from cow's milk, with some goat or sheep milk added; yeasty aroma with a spicy flavor; used as an after-dinner cheese
• Crescenza - fresh cow's milk cheese; smooth and moist 
• Dolcelatte - a sweet tasting cow's milk blue cheese
• Fiore Sardo - made from sheep's milk; hard cheese with a rich caramel sweetness, salty tang and a hint of fruit
• Fontal - semi-hard cow's milk cheese; buttery with a bland taste
• Fontina Val d'Aosta - a dense, smooth, semi-soft cow's milk cheese; nutty with a hint of honey
• Formaggio di capra - a rich and creamy goat cheese
• Gorgonzola - a blue cheese made from cow's milk
• Il Boschetoo al Tartufo - a mild semi-soft cheese made from sheep and cow's milk; white truffle bits added
• Mascarpone - a soft cream cheese; made from cow's milk
• Montasio - a creamy hard cheese made from cow's milk
• Mozzarella - a buffalo milk cheese; soft
• Pannerone - a creamy soft cow's milk cheese; smooth taste with a hint of bitterness
• Parmesan - hard cheese made from cow's milk
• Parmigiano Reggiano - primarily a grating cheese; hard, and made from cow's milk
• Pecorino - sheep's milk cheeses; hard with a salty flavor
• Provolone - a semi-hard cheese made from cow's milk; an all-purpose cheese
• Quartirolo Lombardo - a semi-soft cow's milk cheese; generally served in salads and with cold meats
• Ragusano - an Italian favorite and produced in Sicily; a hard cow's milk cheese with a savory flavor
• Raschera - semi-soft cheese with a sweet and slightly tart flavor; made from cow's milk
• Ricotta - a creamy whey cheese made from cow's milk
• Rocotta Salata - ricotta cheese that has gone through a natural aging process; hard and pungent
• Scamorza - a smooth and rubbery soft cheese made from cow's milk; bland and milky taste
• Sottocenare al Tartufo - a semi-soft cow's milk cheese; truffle flavored
• Taleggio - buttery semi-soft cheese made from cow's milk; slightly sweet and a good dessert cheese
• Toma - a semi-hard cheese made from cow's milk; taste ranges from sweet and milky to tangy and sharp depending on maturity
• Toscanello - a semi-hard sheep cheese; mild and slightly sharp
• Ubriaco - a hard cheese that has been soaked in wine and covered with crushed grape skins; made from cow's milk
• Zanetti Grana Padano - a grainy hard cheese made from cow's milk
• Zanetti Parmigian Reggiano - rich, nutty hard cheese made from cow's milk; used by the finest chefs in food preparation

Now that you know what they are, where do you find Italian cheese in the U.S.?  Here's a list of some favorite cheese shops:

Baltimore: Trinacria Macaroni Works (406 N. Paca St)

Boston: South End Formaggio (268 Shawmut Ave)

Chicago: Pastoral Artisan (53 East Lake St)

Dallas**: Scardello (3511 Oak Lawn Ave)

Denver: St. Kilian's Cheeseshop (3211 Lowell Blvd)

Kansas City: The Better Cheddar (604 W. 48th St)

Minneapolis: Surdyks (303 E. Hennepin Ave)

Nashville: Corrieri's (1110 Caruthers Ave)

New Orleans: St. James Cheese Co. (5004 Prytania St)

Philadelphia: Chestnut Hill Cheese Shop (8509 Germantown Ave)

Portland: Pastaworks (3735 SE Hawthorne Blvd)

Richmond: The Teddington Cheese (74 Hill Rise)

San Diego: Taste (1243 1/2 University Ave)

Seattle: The Cheese Cellar (100 4th Ave N., Ste 150)

**Many thanks to my friends Rich and Karen, proprietors of Dallas cheese shop, Scardello, for the education and photographs of Italian cheeses!

10 Things that Make Me Happy in the Amalfi Coast

With its dramatic views, fishing villages, and the infamous Positano clinging to tall steep cliffs, what's not to love about the Amalfi Coast?  For that reason, if I could only do 10 things on my next visit, these would be at the top of my list:

1. Drive state road 163 between Sorrento and Salerno.  At some points, this road is barely passable in a small Italian car, much less the large tour buses that roar through by the dozens every hour.  It twists and turns hugging the mountain while suspended between sea and sky.  With stunning views at every corner, this drive is both exhilarating and spectacular.
2. Watch the sun set from the balcony of my room at Grande Hotel Tritone (pictured right).
   
3. Have a casual lunch at Cumpa Cosimo (located on Via Roma, 46, in Ravello).  A simple trattoria with simply good food prepared by chef/owner (and comedian!), Nettie Bettone. (Apparently, celebrities such as Mariah Carey and Oprah Winfrey have enjoyed lunch here, too!)
4. Browse through my favorite ceramic shop, Ceramiche d'Arte. See a pattern you like, but want it on a different piece?  Not a problem, the artist will paint and fire the piece in the pattern of your choice and send it to you!  Love that!
   
5. Take in the garden sites and coastline views from Villa Cimbrone.
6. Enjoy an afternoon break with a lemoncello in Piazza Duomo, Amalfi. The Duomo di Sant'Andrea (pictured right) offers the perfect backdrop in this busy square.
7. Explore the town of Positano, from the top down!  The traffic-free alleys are, in essence, stairways leading down to the town's heart and the sea.  Unfortunately, there is no escaping the climb back up the hill to reach your transportation!
8. Stroll Via S. Cesareo, Sorrento.  Every night, this street is closed to traffic as it comes alive with locals and visitors.  Lovers, families, and shoppers stroll up and down the avenue taking in window-shopping, gelato, and/or the local town gossip.
9. Have dinner on the terrace of L'Antica Trattoria (Sorrento) -- beautiful, romantic, entertaining, and delicious!
10. Day-trip to the island of Capri. 

How to Pack Light for Your Next Vacation

People often ask me how I pack for a two-week vacation in a small roller bag.  It's easy.  This brief video explains how:

Never Leave Home Without 'Em

• Umbrella
• Lightweight jacket or sweater
• Prescription medications 
• Bandaids 
• OTC tablets for motion sickness, upset stomach, diarrhea
• Copy of passport 
• Copy of credit card information 
• Hotel, airline, and rental car confirmations 

Pasta Al Forno

I made Pasta Al Forno (baked farfalle with mushrooms, prosciutto, and peas) last night for dinner and my husband woke up this morning still raving about it.  Apart from being downright delicious, it is easy to make (yet, a "wow" entree when serving guests).  And, it can be prepared in advance, making it a perfect dish for dinner parties.  My recipe serves 2-3 as an entree (4-5 as a primi, or appetizer).  Buon appetito!

1/2 lb cremini mushrooms (stems removed, sliced)

4 tbsp olive oil

1/2 shallot (diced)

1/4 lb prosciutto (coarsely chopped)

Salt and pepper

8 oz frozen peas (thawed)

1/2 farfalle (bowtie) pasta

1/2 c grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

SAUCE:

2 tbsp unsalted butter

1/8 c all-purpose flour

1 c milk

Salt

Preheat oven to 350F.  Butter a 2-quart baking dish.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat.  Add salt and the pasta, stir. Cook until nearly al dente (the remaining cooking process will occur in the oven). Drain, and set aside.

In a large saute pan, warm 2 tbsp. of olive oil.  Add the shallots and saute until golden.  Add the prosciutto and cook a minute longer.  Remove the mixture from the pan and set aside.  Add the remaining olive oil to the pan and stir in the mushrooms.  Saute until golden brown.  Season with salt.  Return the shallots and prosciutto to the pan.  Add the peas, mix well and cook for another minute. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.

To make the sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. While stirring constantly, add the flour a little at a time.  Once the flour begins to turn slightly brown, gradually add in the milk while continuing to stir. When the sauce thickens, season with salt.  Remove the sauce from the heat and pour it into the mushroom mixture, mix well.

Mix the pasta and 1/4 cup of cheese into the mixture.  Pour pasta mixture into baking dish.  Finish off by sprinkling the remainder cheese on top and dotting with butter.  (At this point, the dish may be covered and stored in the refrigerator overnight.  Bring to room temperature before baking.)

Bake until the cheese melts, 12-15 minutes.  Serve immediately.

First Friday Foto Therapy

Cinque Terre, Italy

Taken by:  Julie Gilley

On the first Friday of every month, I will share a photo from my travels, or yours. If you'd like a chance to see one of your fabulous vacation photos published on this site, send it (in .jpg format) along with a brief description to: julie@myfarandaway.com.

Cure your travel bug with a dose of Foto Therapy!

My Far and Away Itineraries: It's What I Do

 

I've been linked into the social media scene for a while, and, it recently occurred to me that many of my new friends and followers don't know exactly what I do.  Hint: it has something to do with travel (duh, right?).

My company's name is My Far and Away Itineraries.  I am a travel planner and tour guide.  In a nutshell, I host small groups on tours of Italy once or twice a year. Based on a profile of each client, I plan an itinerary that fits the vacation style and travel wishes of the group.  Every detail is carefully planned and organized utilizing my local knowledge and network of connections.  I then go with the group to ensure they have an unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime experience. 

For the independent traveler, I create custom itineraries.  Some people don't have the time or the resources to put together such an elaborate and important trip.  By allowing me to create a custom itinerary, the client is using my extensive knowledge of the area to create their perfect vacation.  I extend my offerings for custom itineraries to include France and Spain, with a plan to add more destinations in the near future.

It all started about four years ago when I began seeking a change in careers.  My former position required travel, attention to detail, and an ability to work with an exclusive clientele -- three passions I find in my work.  When I factored in a few other things I am passionate about (Italy, food, and experiencing local culture), I knew I had the beginning of a great idea:  My Far and Away Itineraries.

I love what I do, where it takes me, and the friends I make along the way.  Join me as I plan for my next trip (and, hopefully, yours!).

My Far and Away Itineraries

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