Trattoria Nostradamos

A trattoria is a small eatery, serving simple dishes reminiscent of grandmother's kitchen, if one was fortunate enough to have had an Italian nonna. While they do not have the extensive food or wine selection of a more formal ristorante, a trattoria provides authentic regional cuisine for a moderate price.

I love the informal, home-style cooking of a humble trattoria, and I find the food and service often exceed that of the ristoranti. The late, great Las Manitas of Austin, Texas reminds me of a Mexican food version of a trattoria.

Tonight I ate at Trattoria Nostradamos, a Como, Italy eatery with a one-page handwritten menu. I settled on the stuffed and baked tomatoes for my first dish, and ricotta and beet ravioli in a butter sage sauce as my second dish. Water, vino rosso and an after-dinner limoncello-- a very satisfying meal.

Departing Austin, Texas

Version 2011 of the Texas drought and heat wave is brutal in a record-breakingly bad sort of way.  People are posting signs saying things like, "Satan called.  He wants his weather back."  Indeed.  Amidst the Texas heat, water rationing and rolling blackouts I'm packing for the crisp fall weather of northern Italy.  The Masters Course at the Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners lasts six months and begins at the school in Costigliole d'Asti and ends with an externship at a restaurant... somewhere... in Italy.  http://www.icif.com/.

This is my blog of that journey.  First stop, Milano.  But first, a few more days of this hellish heat.