Kalispera! Yours truly is back from Greece 2, and unlike the movie, this sequel was soooo good. Corfu is a magical island, with such a fascinating history (the Venetians ruled the island for 400 years, and Old Town Corfu made me feel like I was back living in Castello!) and cuisine that felt more Italian than mainland Greek. We got to taste a multitude of traditional and housemade Corfiot dishes during an evening event at the Corfu Food and Wine Festival, what a dream.
I packed in a lot in just one week—when you travel that far, you gotta cover some serious ground. I was so touched by the continual kindness and incredible hospitality of the Corfiots, from the café baristas to the taverna chefs to the home cooks to the shop owners. I had so many enjoyable conversations with people.
The island was so verdant, full of kumquats and olive trees, and I was lucky to get a break in the storms one day and head to the beach for a couple hours. There was barely anyone there, and I was one of the only people in the water. A dip in the salty and clear Mediterranean restores me on a cellular level, I swear. I even met a real-live Durrell while on Corfu. (I can’t wait to binge watch the show this weekend.)
I’ve been joking about starting a new clothing line: My Big Fat Greek Pants. And My Big Fat Greek Caftans. Although I actually lost a couple pounds on this trip, what the hell, efharisto to Artemis and her badass fellow goddesses for looking over me this trip, and my waistline.
Now that I’m back, it’s time to start looking at how I’m going to find some summer vibes with all these gray days. One tactic is to look ahead to some alfresco events in Wine Country, like the Kendall-Jackson Farm to Table dinner series, which start up in June (the June 8th dinner is almost at capacity, FYI) and run through October 12th. Each family-style dinner features a different purveyor and ingredients from their culinary gardens—I can’t wait for a warm evening dinner in their stunning estate gardens, with rosé in hand, and my cute mother at my side!
If you’re one of my canna-curious readers, you won’t want to miss this upcoming Pineapple Collaborative event I’m moderating: Flower to the People on Thursday May 30th. We’re going to take a cannabis deep dive with guests Raeven Duckett of Supernova Women, Haejin Chun of Big Bad Wolf, and Jewel Zimmer of Juna Drops, covering everything from handy micro-dosing tips and terminology for the everyday womxn, to CBD’s wellness properties, and how we as consumers can support womxn and communities of color who have long been discriminated against in the cannabis economy.
The event will be hosted by the chic Canopy in Jackson Square, and we’ll sample non-medicated treats and take home goodies (also non-medicated) from SuuKuu (my latest obsession), Lulu’s Chocolate, Plant Magic, and sip on make-your-own sparkling beverages. Thanks to our friends at Caviar, we’ll enjoy a spread from La Mediterranee. See you there? Tickets here.
Okay, gang, let’s dive in. I hope to see you around soon. I think it’s time for a tablehopper dinner or something. :) XO Marcia Gagliardi
A memorable lunch at Marina’s Taverna in Corfu. I will be dreaming of her bourdeto with sweet potato and baked eggplant for a long, long time. Photo: © tablehopper.com.View tablehopper Newsletter from Tuesday, May 21 2019
