Umbrian Notebook, Wendy Aulsebrook lives a life we all dream of - living in Italy, married to an enchanting Italian and conducting Umbria Food & Wine tours in conjunction with LivingItaly!  Her insightful journal extract makes for envious and delicious reading….

“…All of a sudden while in Umbria my husband and I found ourselves surrounded by incredible home cooks who live to eat! Our conversations and friendships and leisurely outings revolve around the most prized regional specialties. Our home pantry changed. Now we use more grated Pecorino cheese to dress pasta dishes. I learnt new cooking techniques of how the lentils from Castelluccio can be cooked as if making a risotto. Our kitchen cupboards had to make room for the potato ricer to mash the potatoes to make gnocchi and the big wooden board and long rolling pin, to make the strangozzi – hand-rolled pasta.

Now I almost worship the practice of eating in season. It makes such a difference to your health and well-being. There is so much to look forward to. In spring we enjoy the wild asparagus and strawberries; in summer it is the red onions from Cannara, the red potatoes from the mountains and the best flavoured pecorino cheese; in autumn it is the porcini mushrooms and the new release of the dried pulses; in winter it is the tartufo nero pregiato (best quality black truffle), and the new pressing of the extra virgin olive oil. In addition to this, traditional dishes are prepared for each important occasion from birth to the grave, whether it is Easter, a patron saint’s day or a sagra (food festival) to celebrate the grape harvest.

Umbrian cooking is exquisitely simple. For that reason, its ingredients must be excellent, as they often standalone. Complimented often with the local aromatic herbs such as wild mint and wild fennel. What struck us was how the traditional methods of cooking are still adhered to. The open fireplace is used to char-grill sausages and mushrooms and to toast thick slices of unsalted bread for the infamous bruschetta. Every country house boasts a characteristic wood-fired oven to roast meats and vegetables and to bake focaccia.

In Rome we tend to meet our friends in restaurants.  But here, people want to eat at home because quite simply you eat better…”

More about the Author and Living Italy Food & Wine Tours

Wendy Aulsebrook is a professional Home Economist, who began her career in Australia teaching cooking and nutrition before moving onto food styling, recipes and creative writing.

However, her “wished” culinary journey commenced some 11 years ago when she married an enchanting Roman and moved to Italy.  Wendy now collaborates with Living Italy’s food and wine tours sharing her passion with the discerning “foodie” tourists, and to introducing them to all that is genuine in Umbria, whether it is Gianni’s organic saffron, or Raffaele’s cinta senese prosciutto or Doriana’s wood-fired roasted pigeon.

Wendy Aulsebrook is a long time active member of Slow Food and attends food events around Italy.

Dividing her time between Rome and Umbria, where she lives mostly in the countryside overlooking a medieval town. She has fun cooking and sharing recipes with the local women.  She says that it is always a two way learning process, and they go crazy over her “foreign” cakes. Wendy appeared on Italy’s highest rating television cooking programme in 2004 presenting one of her favourite desserts.

Wendy has been the President of the Professional Women’s Association in Rome from 2002-2006. Each year she works on the team of W.I.N. – Women’s International Networking, the prestigious global forum for international businesswomen.

Wendy’s collaboration with Living Italy’s food and wine tours allows her to share her passion with the discerning “foodie” tourist, and to introduce them to all that is genuine, whether it is Gianni’s organic saffron, or Raffaele’s cinta senese prosciutto or Doriana’s wood-fired roasted pigeon and all those wonderful culinary traditions!  In conjunction with Living Italy, Wendy will be running the following food and wine tours:

The 7 day Umbrian Appetites tour from September 21-28, 2008
A 14 day tour of Taste of Umbria October 19 – November 2, 2008

For booking information email wendy@livingitaly.org