Friday, January 1, 2010

2010 Buono Anno

A very happy new year indeed. I am dusting off my Blog again and committed to write about my culinary experience with Divina Cucina's cook book "Secrets from My Tuscan Kitchen", every weekend.

Let me introduce you to Divina Cucina; Chef Judy Witts-Francini and I met the summer of 2008, in Florence, Italy. She was my culinary tour guide for a week, in the heart of Chianti. Since then, she has become a friend, a mentor, a motivator and a pseudo sister in my life. She's an amazing woman with talent, inspiration and an enormous amount of love for her family and friends. I've had the privilege to see Judy several times since my trip to Italy. Judy's cook book was published in 2009, and in my opinion, should be an essential tool in all kitchens! You can find Judy's cook book at www.divinacucina.com .

Secrets from My Tuscan Kitchen at La Cucina Laurenti:
Menu for Saturday, January 2, 2010

Anatra all'Arancia (Duck with Orange Sauce) - Page 99

I ordered my duck (fresh, not frozen), from my butcher at the old Larry's Market in Redmond, which is now Top Foods. I find that Jeff, the butcher, orders fresh meats and quality meats for me all the time. I feel quite fortunate to be able to pick up the phone and order whatever I want with reasonable notice, and Jeff can get it for me. One thing I have learned from cooking all these years, is to have great relationships with your favorite grocery stores; they love it when you get to know them by name and treat them as part of the family!

Tomorrow, I will be adventuring in my kitchen with Judy's cook book and posting notes along with photos of my dish. I think I will pair the Duck with some kind of potato dish and a green vegetable (I will think about this today).

Buon Appetito!