PANZANELLA
This is a simple, delicious salad that can also be served as an antipasto. One or two-day old bread coarse white country bread (unsalted) to which very fresh vegetable are added along with excellent olive oil and good vinegar. To select only best quality is the secret of this dish! This is the basic version but there are many local versions of Panzanella (depending on the vegetables to your disposal) Better if prepared ahead of time and refrigerated for several hours. Remove from refrigerator about half an hour before serving at room temperature

INGREDIENTS
1 lb Italian unsalted country style bread, 2 days old, in slices
2/3 cup best quality extra virgin olive oil
3 T good quality red wine vinegar (to taste)
1 T balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 lb fresh, firm, ripe tomatoes, cubed, about 5 cups
1 small onion, thinly sliced
15 fresh basil leaves, washed, drained on paper towels and shredded, a few extra for garnish
salt and freshly ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS
Soak the bread in cold water to cover for about twenty minutes
Meanwhile, prepare the dressing of oil, the 2 vinegars, salt and pepper: whip with a fork to combine thoroughly.
Remove bread from water, squeezing out as much moisture as you can (help yourself with a clean white cotton dishcloth). Coarsely crumble the bread into a large serving bowl.
Add the tomatoes, the onion and the basil. Add a little dressing at a time till all ingredients are well coated. Test for seasoning. Garnish with a few whole basil leaves. Buon appetito!

For more information on Walking & Cooking in Italy

"Voluntourism" Popular New Way to Travel

President Obama recently called Americans to action, saying that we as Americans have a duty to serve our communities and fellow citizens. That call to service has reached all the way to the travel industry as we see more and more travelers wanting to combine vacations and volunteer work.

The newly coined word for this travel niche is "voluntourism" and I recently had a chance to participate on a trip to New Orleans. While there at the Education Travel Conference, I and a few dozen other participants paid a nominal fee to volunteer in the 9th ward for the day. The neighborhood was devastated by hurricane Katrina and three and a half years later continues to struggle to return to normalcy.

Our day started with an introduction to the volunteers of a non profit organization called OnSite Relief whose mission is to provide relief to families devastated by natural disasters. They also aim to provide not only a fulfilling volunteer experience, but an exposure to the culture and allure of the cities that the organization aids.

A bus took us to the 9th ward where we met James Brown, a homeowner who was in the process of making his home habitable again. Most of the group stayed at Mr. Brown's house either painting the exterior or cleaning up the rubble in the yard. Several others were sent to another work site to help dry wall. Within six hours the yard was clean and the entire outside painted with at least one coat. Mr. Brown was so appreciative and we all truly enjoyed the cultural exchange. His stories about the hurricane and the friends he lost brought the catastrophe up close and personal.

Later we met a family who had been bilked of their relief money by an unscrupulous contractor and left with their home unfinished and uninhabitable. Onsite helped the family and we were able to hear both their gratitude and their stories of the volunteer crews that helped them.

The conference was great but the experience I had volunteering really resonated and in fact, friends and family asked about that the most as opposed to Mardi Gras or the cooking class that I took.

As more and more Americans answer the call to service volunteering is becoming a wonderful way to give back but also to interact with local cultures and people on a very personal level, especially when travelling. In fact if you are interested Epiculinary will arrange volunteer experiences for our participants wherever possible. By the way, we were told that it will take 10 more years for New Orleans to really recover. At this time, Galveston is in serious need of help.

Here's a link to Onsite Relief, one of the many volunteer agencies working in New Orleans:

http://onsiterelief.com/

Saving the Cala

cala[kah-LAH]

The word "cala" comes from an African word for "rice," and refers to a deep-fried pastry made with rice, yeast, sugar and spices. Calas resemble small, round doughnuts without a hole and are usually sprinkled with confectioners' sugar. © Copyright Barron's Educational Services, Inc. 1995 based on THE FOOD LOVER'S COMPANION, 2nd edition, by Sharon Tyler Herbst.

Well that's the official definition, but what I learned recently in New Orleans is that the humble cala can be any type of fritter that is composed of rice and other ingredients. They can even be of the savory sort and do not have to include yeast.

At a recent cooking class with Chef Frank Brigsten in New Orleans our first course was crawfish calas, made with baking powder instead of yeast and accompanied by a delicious homemade Russian dressing. They sort of reminded me of hush puppies made with rice.

It seems that the dish was almost extinct but Chef Brigsten and others are trying to resurrect it. I heard that it has been nominated or else is already on the Slow Food Ark . Anyone know the status of that?

While not a hit at Brigsten's restaurant, the recipe was a definite delight at the cooking class. I wolfed mine down and would have eaten more but needed to save room for the etoufee and jambalaya. I will definitely make it at home! (Recipe to follow...sorry folks but I left it in New Orleans in the hub bub of Mardi Gras)