fun facts & finds:

• into design as much as food? check out Sestini & Corti

• tomatoes! I told the gentleman I was from Seattle. He told me he sells his tomatoes in Seattle... had I heard of Sur la Table? um---yes! (still trying to find his direct website...)

• Easter bread by www.pasticceriafilippi.it (it is normal for it to be shaped like a dove).

• yummy fresh pasta by Mariotti... sorry, we cannot buy it in the states. It was stunning---both the taste and the colors.

• pasta fillings---from www.lasfoglia.net (post on this soon---it will serve as inspiration for my own ravioli).

• coffee meets DOP at Mokarico (certified quality & ethics, plus coffee tasting classes).

• Italian wine-makers/owners in Belgium created Nut beer---the taste landed where beer meets Prosecco. It was actually fantastic, light on the tongue like champagne but smooth going down like a blonde beer---check out ZAGO.

• I loved trying oil-based sweet bread and butter-based sweet bread side by side (filippi).

• yummy Parmesan from bcheese.

• this site is coming soon, from one of the vendors... don't you just love it?

Until next time: With hours of walking aisles, sample upon sample and meeting vendors---I had filled my mental and physical belly. I largely skipped the meats and seafood, pastas and oils, balsamic, Grappa, beer and sparkling wines. I focused my taste-buds on condiments (pestos, mustards, jams, chutneys, spreads, tomato sauce, pasta fillings, etc.), and a smattering of wines (I am increasingly a fan of Maremma wines and always loyal to Montalcino), dessert wines, chocolates, crackers and cheese.

Next time, I will aim for meats and balsamics and make SURE to get cards from each vendor. There are one or two that I loved but their cards were lost in my large pile (maybe bring a large folder of some kind...).

Of course I did buy a few token jars of this and that (including a mouthwatering olive tapenade from La Baita)---and carried them home in my rickety little bike basket---while grinning from ear to ear. Dinner anyone?