I’m leaving, on a jet plane.

If I had a nickel for every time I said that. But today it’s true. We’re bound for bella Italia once again, our last visit nearly five months ago. This one will be shorter. Short but sweet.

To prepare and to get ready for our departure, for our two week trip, we made the eminently sensible choice of going to New York for a day and a half. Return at 1:00am on the morning of departure to Italy. It’s a new strategy to combat jet lag.

There was a rhyme to our reason, however. We were participating in the first New York International Olive Oil Competition, a soon to be annual event that is one more indication that a real food culture is taking root in this country. Fifty years from now, when America and Americans are known around the world for their abundant tables, exaltation of taste and a true food identity that is based on quality rather than quantity, we will be able to look back and point to olive oil as one of the actors that catalyzed the national imagination and ushered in a respect for taste.

We entered one of the olive oils we import in the competition. With over 700 oils entered and being tasted by a panel of judges using blind tasting techniques and international sensory standards, it would be a real long shot if our entry won. But it is just as true that it could win, as it compares favorably on all measures against the competition.

The Competition includes two full days of seminars highlighting different aspects of olive oil – the production process, types of olives, marketing, olive oil through history and its impact on culture. It is a jewel of an ingredient that resembles a diamond, shimmering and engaging the senses and consciousness while constantly shifting perspective depending upon the occasion. With a thousands of years history it has to be both simple and complex.

And so we await the results of the competition, to be announced tomorrow. Stay tuned.

* * *

If spending a day and a half in New York and racing back home in the wee hours of the night or morning to fly to Italy a little more than 12 hours later is not enough, let’s rewind the video tape a little more. Five weeks ago we boarded our first flight in this cross country marathon, deplaning in Asheville, North Carolina, to drop our son off at a two month residential arts program in Penland, North Carolina. Then off to Napa Valley for four days with our daughter to celebrate her spring break. Four more days in Laguna Beach with her and joining us her younger brother whose spring break followed hers for a week. With her departure we headed north to Seattle for a week, doing some slow travel there and, as was the case in Napa and Laguna, enjoying the occasional meal. And if we’re correct in predicting a leading role for olive oil in the development of an American food culture, it is equally plausible that the west coast – San Francisco, Napa, Portland and Seattle in particularly will be considered its birthplace.

With our son’s spring break finished, we returned to western North Carolina for a week at our vacation home in the mountains south of Asheville. There we were able to visit our other son at Penland and really get to see and appreciate this amazing school. And then to Florida to visit my brothers and to handle some family business affairs. And finally, we returned to Washington some four and a half weeks after leaving (not content with her accrued frequent flyer miles Suzy added on a several day visit to see her mother in Iowa).

But DC was short lived, as business called me to New York for two days, with two days back in DC before returning for the Olive Oil Competition.

I’m leaving, on a jet plane.

* * *

And so Italy is just a few hours ahead of us. And although it will be only two weeks, it is two weeks we are greatly looking forward to. On Saturday we will be joined by a group of six, four of whom are going to participate in our first annual Cucinapalooza cooking tour. More details on this tomorrow, but for now suffice it to say we have organized a to-my-mind unique culinary holiday experience, utilizing our friendships and relationships with a number of the area’s top chefs to impart not just recipes and methods to our aspiring chefs but to share their thoughts and approach to la cucina umbra. We will be getting less into their technique and more into their minds. Less what to do and how to do it and more how to think like an Umbrian. This approach is harder to organize than an academie du cuisine but we think we have lined up the right folks to do it.

And after Cucinapalooza we go exploring. Two days on the island of Ischia, the world famous island off the coast of Naples. And four days exploring Napoli. We’ll see where the wind blows us and will let you know what we find. We might try a slice or two of pizza.

The next two days are for settling in and meeting with colleagues on a couple of business interests we have in Italy. So there won’t be much of interest to report (unless you like business). We’ll stay in touch daily, however, and bring you a more detailed preview of what the weeks have in store. Until then

Ci vediamo!
Bill and Suzy