This incredible year of wild growth started with an exciting and terrifying move to the mouth-watering heart-thumping city of Palermo. I settled into a gorgeous sun-drenched apartment nestled right above the city's famous Ballarò outdoor market. It's an absolute dream come true for any chef! By springtime, I was spending afternoons trekking on the magical volcanic island of Pantelleria and then headed back to New York for a summer working retreat in the middle of the forest surrounded by bear, deer and trout in the Beaverkill Valley. As my career in Sicily continues to shift from private cheffing into more of a food/wine tourism focus, I am happy to morph from a one-woman-show into a collaborator who gets to work on projects with inspiring female colleagues like Casa Mia in Rome, my mentor/sister Fabrizia Lanza, and sommelier Melissa DiGiovanna.
Along those lines, as I swiftly think ahead into autumn, I invite you to join our second Life in Sicily adventure. I've partnered with two other female entrepreneurs to host a 5-day food and wine experience focused on the italian olive harvest. We will picnic with contadini and follow the harvest from the orchard to the oil mill and right into the kitchen. Come sip wine and amaro, take a few short road trips, visit a cheesemaker, and spend the week living like a local with us in the beautiful village of Sambuca di Sicilia.
Life in Sicily: October 17-21, 2018
Full itinerary + booking details are available on my website.
Contact our organizer Amie Ruditz for more information and to book your spot.
amie@montecastelli.com
