Artisanal Tuscany with Eric Ripert

He's an internationally celebrated French chef; love, love, love everything about him.

His NYC restaurant, Le Bernardin, which I was lucky enough to be able to eat in once when a client brought me, is worth the fortune you have to pay for it, and I say that about very few really expensive restaurants. If you don't like fish, it's not for you, though.

At about 8:55 he tries his hand at making pasta from scratch. He's so humble and self-deprecating, and more charming than the law should allow.

Firenze, 2015.
Market, and Wine Tasting (Oldest wine store in Florence, I was told):

Firenze, olive oil and balsamic vinegar Tasting:

I've always sort of disliked Frances Mayes, if one can say that about someone you've never met.

I thought she was just one more foreigner who goes to Italy and makes a fortune writing books exploiting our culture and subtly making condescending fun of our most "funny" characteristics, "funny" from the myopic perspective of their own culture, of course.

Then, although I could watch Raoul Bova reading a phone book, I thought her movie "Under the Tuscan Sun" was just more of the same, and silly too. I did watch the movie, of course, more than once, as have most of my friends. What red blooded woman could resist? To be fair, her mishaps in renovating her house, which probably are true to Frances Mayes' experience, are pretty funny.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdJGMZDY0-8



However, I have to revise my opinion. This clip of Frances Hayes discussing one of her new "Tuscan" books came across my you tube feed, and last night I made some time to watch it. I found it really excellent, to my surprise. She seems like a really nice, very sensitive woman, and, to my surprise, she really gets not just Tuscany, but Italy and us. Her analysis is spot on, in my opinion, and really lovely. I think she should be made an honorary Tuscan and Italian. I did a little digging and found out as well that her blockbuster book "Under the Tuscan Sun" bears almost no resemblance to the movie.

Of course, as she admits, it's all changing. I've seriously been considering finding some out of the way place in the south for my "Italian" base when I retire. The Italy I love might be fading away.

Anyway, here is the video. "Every Day in Tuscany" with Frances Mayes and The National Geographic. It really starts around :55.