Culture Discovery Vacations

The old style coffee press makes the BEST espresso!!! Hands down!!!

And so we start planning the relaunch of CDV !!!

Yet another reunion!!!!

2nd attempt! 😂😂😂

One by one…. CDV is back!

Our first morning back in Italy, and all is looking amazing!!! #italy #goodbyecovid #travel #travelcdv

Finally back home in Italy!!!!!

We are at the Rome Airport!!

Last stop before Rome!!!!

Finally getting back to Italy!!!

Do not miss this special live stream! The one and only Rocco is here, and we will be chatting about everything I discuss in the My Life in Italy blog that chronicles my introduction to Italian culture back in the mid-'80s as a dude from L.A. stepping into some incredible culture shock in mafia-ridden southern Italy. Rocco and I will be having a conversation about all we experienced when I visited him and his family there, the way his family embraced me, showed me a world I never knew existed, and... well... "protected" me. Come into the chat room during the broadcast and ask questions, let us know what you think... and NOTHING is off the table for discussion. I promise if you engage with us in this broadcast, you will be in for some surprises and an absolutely wonderful time as we reminisce about a world gone by. If you want some pre-podcast prep, read up on the blog here: https://www.culturediscovery.com/blog/culture/my-life-in-italy-part-1 Finally, for those reading this on Facebook, please do me a solid and watch the stream on our YouTube Live channel. You can subscribe and get notifications here: https://www.youtube.com/c/travelcdv. Seeya Then!

Live Italian Cooking Lesson from Italy, making the Roman classic, Saltimbocca alla Romana. Live-streamed from Italy on May 21, 2020 during the Covid lockdowns. Culture Discovery Vacations hosts Italian cooking, culinary, and wine tours throughout Italy and Portugal, and all of our vacations feature live hands-on cooking classes. Since we could not be with wonderful guests in person, Carla, the chef-instructor from our main location in Italy began live streaming cooking classes while the world was locked down... for free... just to be together in harmony. The recipe listed below: Visit us: https://www.culturediscovery.com Recipe: Ingredients: ======================= Saltimbocca alla Romana 8 Milanesa steak (thinly sliced beef) 8 slices of mozzarella, provolone, or fontina cheese 1 clove of garlic 4 Fresh sage leaves 8 slices of prosciutto (or ham) 4 Tbsp Olive oil Salt and pepper ½ cup (125 ml.) dry white wine 1 Tbsp (15 gr.) butter Toothpicks Prep ======================= 1. Place beef slice on a cutting board. Cover with plastic film. 2. Pound the beef slices to a thickness of 1/8”. 3. On each slice of beef, place a slice of cheese, a slice of prosciutto and ½ leaf (torn into pieces) of sage. 4. Fold in half and secure with a toothpick. 5. In a large skillet, sauté the garlic in the olive oil. Remove garlic. 6. On high heat, brown the beef on both sides, turning just once to achieve a nice crisp surface. 7. Add wine to hot pan and allow to evaporate slightly. 8. Reduce heat. 9. Add salt and pepper. (If you used prosciutto, reduce the amount of salt). 10. Cover and simmer for a few minutes. 11. Remove meat to a warm platter. 12. Add butter to pan juices, whisk until butter is melted. 13. Pour sauce over meat and serve. #italiancooking #cooking #italian #saltimbocca #veal #recipe #recipes

After nearly two years and a global pandemic, Michael and Paola are getting ready to head back to Italy as Culture Discovery Vacations gets read for our big "Post Covid Re-Launch" this September. We will be posting many podcasts in the coming months, as well as live streams. In this first podcast, we will be talking "off the cuff" about what we will be doing in the next few months, while in Italy we will be traveling, and who we will be with. We will be looking in the chat to answer questions, as well as ideas that anyone watching has as we start out on our broadcasting extravaganza! (will stream live on Facebook, Youtube, Twitch, Twitter, and Instagram - @TravelCDV)

Part 1 of our Live Italian Cooking Lesson from Italy, making Italian Rice Balls. In southern Italy, many know of the rice balls as "Arancini," but in central Italy, they are smaller and more oblong, called "Suppli." After our first step of making Suppli, we make a simple dessert called "Salame del Papa" (The Pope's Salame( - Which is a wonderful chocolate desert! This class was live-streamed from Italy on April 23, 2020 early in the Covid lockdowns. Culture Discovery Vacations hosts Italian cooking, culinary, and wine tours throughout Italy and Portugal, and all of our vacations feature live hands-on cooking classes. The recipe listed below: Visit us: https://www.culturediscovery.com Makes about 20 medium size Suppli Ingredients for Ragout • 2/3 cup (150 gr.) Ground beef • 2/3 cup (150 gr.) Italian sausage (mild, no fennel) • 1/2 onion • 1 celery stalks • 1 carrots • 2 basil leaves • 3/4 (200 gr.) tomato sauce • 1/4 cup (50 ml.) red wine • salt – pepper – crushed chili – olive oil. Ingredients for Risotto • 1/2 lb. (250 gr.) Arborio rice • 1 Qts. (1 lt.) of beef broth • ¼ cup of butter (50 gr.) • 1/4 cup (50 ml.) white wine • 1/2 small onion Ingredients for Suppli • Cooked risotto (must be cool) • 2 eggs • 3 TBSP + 1 teaspoon (50 gr.) all-purpose flour • 1/2 lb. (250 gr.) Breadcrumbs • 1 large Mozzarella (about 8 oz/ 250 gr) • 1 qt. (1 lt.) Sunflower oil for frying Preparation: Ragout 1. Chop the celery, carrots finely. Chop the onion finely and keep it separate from the celery and carrots. 2. Place about 2 TBSP of olive oil in a saucepot. Heat for a few minutes and sauté’ the onion. Then add the ground beef and the sausages (remove the skin and crumble the meat with your fingers). 3. Cook the meat for about 10 m (until almost all the juices are gone) 4. Add the red wine and allow it to evaporate. 5. Add the tomato sauce and bring back to boil. Then add the carrots and celery. 6. Add salt, pepper, a pinch of crushed chili, and the basil leaves. 7. Simmer for about one hour. 8. Taste the sauce and add more salt and pepper if needed. 9. You may need to add a teaspoon of sugar if the sauce is too sour. While the sauce is cooking, heat the beef broth and keep at a low simmer. Risotto 1. Chop a small onion and sauté’ in a large and tall sauce pot with butter. 2. Add the rice and stir continuously at med/low heat until golden but not dark. 3. Add the white wine and allow it to evaporate 4. Add the ragout and stir well. The secret for the rice is to add the broth slowly (about ½ cup at the time). The broth must be hot 5. Add broth slowly and stir without ever stopping. Stir continuously and maintain a low simmer 6. The rice is supposed to be well cooked and dry so be careful how much broth you add towards the end. The broth is needed to allow the rice to cook and not stick to the pot but if you put too much the rice will be too wet. 7. When the rice is cooked, remove it from heat and place it in a large bowl. Allow it to cool down completely. Suppli 8. Cut the mozzarella cheese in small strips of about 1 ½ “(3 cm) each. (you will need 1 strip for each suppli. 9. Place one heaping spoon of risotto in the palm of your hand. Work it with your hands trying to shape it into a bowl. Place the mozzarella strip inside and start closing the Suppli. 10. Suppli can be round or oval. 11. Prepare all the Suppli and place them on a large tray 12. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs. Add a pinch of salt. 13. Place the flour on a tray and the breadcrumbs on another tray and create an assembly line 14. Coat the Suppli with flour, then dip in the egg and coat with breadcrumbs. 15. Place on a separate tray. 16. When all the Suppli are ready heat the sunflower oil in a large and deep frying pan ( you can also use a deep fryer). The oil is supposed to be really hot. 17. A good test is to place a few breadcrumbs in the oil to test if it is hot enough. If the breadcrumbs immediately start to cook the oil is ready 18. Gently place a few Suppli at the time in the hot oil. You want to make sure you have enough room to turn the Suppli during cooking. 19. Cook until golden. Remove the fried Suppli with a slotted ramekin and place on paper towel to drain excess oil. 20. Serve warm SALAME DEL PAPA INGREDIENTS • 1 cup (150 g) dark baker’s chocolate • 2/3 of a cup (150 g) butter (room temperature) • 3.5 oz (100 g) powder sugar + a little more • 3 egg yolks • ½ cup (50 g) unsweetened cocoa powder • ¾ TBSP (10 ml) of brandy or rum • 2 cups (200 g) of dry biscuits like digestive or petit prince • ½ cup (50 g) of toasted hazelnuts • Kitchen twine #italiancooking #cooking #italian #suppli #rice #arancini #fried ------------------------------------------------- 00:00 - [ Intro ] 00:18 - [Starting Suppli Prep ] 16:59 - [ Preparing Chocolate Salame ] ------------------------------------------------- Part 2 of Suppli Lesson: https://youtu.be/CqZxkDZHBpc

Live-streamed from Italy on April 23, 2020 early in the Covid lockdowns. Culture Discovery Vacations hosts Italian cooking, culinary, and wine tours throughout Italy and Portugal, and all of our vacations feature live hands-on cooking classes. Since we could not be with wonderful guests in person, Carla, the chef-instructor from our main location in Italy began live streaming cooking classes while the world was locked down... for free... just to be together in harmony. The recipe for the Suppli dish is in the Part 1 video. The recipe for Pasta alla Gricia is listed below: Visit us: https://www.culturediscovery.com Pasta alla gricia a modo mio Gricia pasta my way Serves 2 people • 6 slices of thick pancetta (better if you can find the pig cheek, otherwise pancetta is fine) • ½ onion • ½ pint (200 ml) white wine (dry) • 6 TBSP of Romano cheese • Salt, pepper, and crushed chili pepper • 7 oz (200 gr) of spaghetti or any kind of short pasta you prefer • Olive oil Preparation Chop the onion in small pieces Cut the pancetta or pig cheek in cubes (not too small) In a frying pan add some olive oil, the onion and allow it to sauté. In the meantime, put a large pot of water on the stove and add salt when it starts boiling When the onion is translucent, add the pancetta and sauté until the fat is melted. Add the wine and allow it to evaporate completely. When the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook al dente ( a minute or two before the instructions on the box) When the pasta is almost cooked warm up the ingredients in the frying pan Drain the pasta and place it in the frying pan. Toss for a few minutes and add the romano cheese I personally prefer short pasta like rigatoni or penne because the sauce really gets inside the pasta

Live-streamed from Italy on April 16, 2020 early in the Covid lockdowns. Culture Discovery Vacations hosts Italian cooking, culinary, and wine tours throughout Italy and Portugal, and all of our vacations feature live hands-on cooking classes. Since we could not be with wonderful guests in person, Carla, the chef-instructor from our main location in Italy began live streaming cooking classes while the world was locked down... for free... just to be together in harmony. The recipe listed below: Visit us: https://www.culturediscovery.com INGREDIENTS: 1 lb + 6 oz.( 600 gr.) of ground beef. 2 eggs 3.5 oz (100 gr.) Parmesan cheese 5-6 TBSPS of breadcrumbs plus more to coat the meatballs ½ cup of milk 1 bundle of Italian parsley Nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste Mazola oil for frying PREPARATION: Place the ground beef in a large bowl. Add two eggs, the 5-6 TBSPS of breadcrumbs, the milk, nutmeg, salt, and pepper and the Italian parsley ( chopped finely), and the parmesan cheese. Use your hands to combine all the ingredients. This mixture needs to be moist but you need to be able to form your meatballs. If it is too moist add a little more parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs. Allow it to rest while you are preparing the oil in a large frying pan. Spread a good amount of breadcrumbs on a tray. Start shaping the meatballs and roll them in the breadcrumbs. The size of the meatballs is very important. They should be about 5 cm or 2 inches in diameter. (something in between the size of an apricot and a small peach). Slightly press the meatballs to make them a little flat. Once the oil is hot (test by placing a few breadcrumbs in the oil. If they cook fast it is ready), start frying your meatballs. You do not want the oil to be too hot otherwise the meatballs will burn. Prepare another tray with a paper towel on top. As the meatballs are ready place them on the paper towel. You can eat these meatballs with a nice salad, steamed vegetables OR you can now place them in a crockpot with two cans of tomato sauce garlic, basil, salt, pepper, and a pinch of crushed chili pepper and allow them to cook slowly for about 6-8 hours. However you have them, it is required that you also have a bottle of red wine, too.

Live-streamed from Italy on April 9, 2020 early in the Covid lockdowns. Culture Discovery Vacations hosts Italian cooking, culinary, and wine tours throughout Italy and Portugal, and all of our vacations feature live hands-on cooking classes. Since we could not be with wonderful guests in person, Carla, the chef-instructor from our main location in Italy began live streaming cooking classes while the world was locked down... for free... just to be together in harmony. Visit us: https://www.culturediscovery.com INGREDIENTS: 2 Italian Zucchini Salt, Pepper 1 Egg 3 TBSP + 1 Teaspoon (50 gr.) Flour 2 TBSP + 1 Teaspoon (40 gr.) Parmesan cheese Oil for frying (Corn , Mazola etc.) Preparation: Slice the zucchini very thin and round. Add salt, mix well with your hands and leave to drain in a colander for about 40 m. In the meantime, prepare the oil in a large pan. Bring oil to a temperature of about 350F. In a medium-size bowl add the drained zucchini, the parmesan cheese, the flour the black pepper, and a whole egg. Mix well with a spoon or your hands. When the oil is ready use a spoon to pick up a medium amount of the zucchini batter and drop it carefully in the oil. When it is golden remove form the oil and allow it to drain on a paper towel. This recipe can also be done using bell peppers, potatoes, asparagus, spinach, or whatever you like. Just make sure you slice the vegetables thin and allow them to drain the excess water.

Live-streamed from Italy on March 30, 2020, early in the Covid lockdowns. Culture Discovery Vacations hosts Italian cooking, culinary, and wine tours throughout Italy and Portugal, and all of our vacations feature live hands-on cooking classes. Since we could not be with wonderful guests in person, our team began live streaming cooking classes while the world was locked down... for free... just to be together in harmony. This is Paola showing us how she not only learned to make an amazing pancetta substitute living in the United States, but how it is absolutely authentic to Italian pancetta, super-fast, and dirt cheap. This is something the "pancetta producers" do not want you to see :-) Visit us: https://www.culturediscovery.com Ingredients you will need: 12 Oz Cured Salt Pork (Hormel or another brand) Black pepper Crushed chili pepper Wax Paper Ziplock Freezer Bag

Live-streamed from Italy on April 2, 2020, early in the Covid lockdowns. Culture Discovery Vacations hosts Italian cooking, culinary, and wine tours throughout Italy and Portugal, and all of our vacations feature live hands-on cooking classes. Since we could not be with wonderful guests in person, our team began live streaming cooking classes while the world was locked down... for free... just to be together in harmony. This is Biagio, our dear friend and cheese-maker on The Amalfi Coast showing us how he makes fresh mozzarella cheese. Visit us: https://www.culturediscovery.com

Live-streamed from Italy on April 1, 2020, early in the Covid lockdowns. Culture Discovery Vacations hosts Italian cooking, culinary, and wine tours throughout Italy and Portugal, and all of our vacations feature live hands-on cooking classes. Since we could not be with wonderful guests in person, our team began live streaming cooking classes while the world was locked down... for free... just to be together in harmony. This is Claudia from The Amalfi Coast showing us how to make Occhi di Bue Cookies. Visit us: https://www.culturediscovery.com

Live-streamed from Italy on March 28, 2020, early in the Covid lockdowns. Culture Discovery Vacations hosts Italian cooking, culinary, and wine tours throughout Italy and Portugal, and all of our vacations feature live hands-on cooking classes. Since we could not be with wonderful guests in person, our team began live streaming cooking classes while the world was locked down... for free... just to be together in harmony. This is Stefania showing us how to make "FAST" Bread from Umbria, Italy! Visit us: https://www.culturediscovery.com

Live-streamed from Italy on April 2, 2020 early in the Covid lockdowns. Culture Discovery Vacations hosts Italian cooking, culinary and wine tours throughout Italy and Portugal, and all of our vacations feature live hands-on cooking classes. Since we could not be with wonderful guests in person, Carla, the chef-instructor from our main location in Italy began live streaming cooking classes while the world was locked down... for free... just to be together in harmony. Visit us: https://www.culturediscovery.com Recipe: Ingredients: • 1 lb (500 gr) chicken breast • 2 TBSP (30 gr) flour • 2 TBSP (30 gr) butter • 5 oz. (150 cc) grand marnier liquor • 2 oranges • salt • pepper Prep: Coat the chicken breasts with flour and saute’ in a frying pan with the butter. Once browned, pour the grand marnier and allow it to evaporate. Juice both oranges and zest one of them.( keep a couple of slices of oranges for garnish) Pour the orange juice over the chicken breasts and allow the juices to coat both sides of the chicken breasts. Add salt, pepper and the orange zest and remove from heat. Place the chicken breast on a serving dish Drizzle the pan juices over the meat and garnish with a slice of orange

Created for our FB fans on March 2022 2020 at the very beginning of the Covid lockdowns. Culture Discovery Vacations hosts Italian cooking, culinary and wine tours throughout Italy and Portugal, and all of our vacations feature live hands-on cooking classes. In this video, Alyssa makes PIZZA with her amazing little girl, Aria!!!

Livestreamed from Italy on March 26, 2020 at the very beginning of the Covid lockdowns. Culture Discovery Vacations hosts Italian cooking, culinary and wine tours throughout Italy and Portugal, and all of our vacations feature live hands-on cooking classes. Since we could not be with wonderful guests in person, Carla, the chef-instructor from our main location in Italy began live streaming cooking classes while the world was locked down... for free... just to be together in harmony. Visit us: https://www.culturediscovery.com Recipe: 100 gr. (1 cup) pork lard or margarine 300 gr. (2 cups) of mortadella (cut thick) (you can substitute with hot salami or prosciutto cut in cubes) 300 gr. (2 cups) of swiss cheese cut in cubes Salt 3 teaspoons (16 gr) of active dry yeast 500 gr. (1 lb.) of flour Type 00 3 eggs+ 1 for brushing pizza 4 tablespoons of milk (whole or 2%) Melt the lard (or margarine). Beat the 3 eggs Warm the milk and stir in the yeast Then slowly add the flour, the lard, the yeast and then add the cheese and mortadella. The dough is supposed to be soft Spread some lard in a baking dish (2-3” depth of baking dish) . Let it rise for about 2-3 hours Brush with one beaten egg Pre heat oven at 200C (375F) Bake until the top is golden and when you insert a toothpick in the middle it comes out dry This is very good served warm or cold with colds cuts and cheeses, and of course some wine

Livestreamed from Italy on March 19, 2020 at the very beginning of the Covid lockdowns. Culture Discovery Vacations hosts Italian cooking, culinary and wine tours throughout Italy and Portugal, and all of our vacations feature live hands-on cooking classes. Since we could not be with wonderful guests in person, Carla, the chef-instructor from our main location in Italy began live streaming cooking classes while the world was locked down... for free... just to be together in harmony. More about CDV here: https://www.culturediscovery.com The Recipe: Chicken Breast Involtini Ingredients: 4 thin slices of chicken breast 4 slices of ham ( or pancetta) 8 slices of sweet provola cheese ( smoked gouda, swiss cheese, or whatever cheese you prefer) Salt and pepper Breadcrumbs 2 eggs Flour Olive oil Rosemary twigs Preparation Flatten the chickenL slices using a meat beater. Add salt and pepper. Place a piece of ham and a piece of cheese on every chicken slice. Beat the eggs in a bowl with a little salt and pepper. Roll the chicken breast in the flour, then dip it in the egg and then roll it in the breadcrumbs. Pre heat the oven at 350F ( 190C) . Place a drizzle of olive oil in a baking dish. Then place the chicken rolls in it so that they almost touch each other. Sprinkle olive oil on top. Add a few rosemary leaves and bake for about 25-30 m.