Welcome to A standing reservation! Thanks for reserving your table. If you’ve found your way here via pure luck and haven’t already reserved your standing reservation, pencil yourself in the book and we’ll be sure to serve you up something good:
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A boatload of fun
I begin to open my eyes. It’s morning and the sound of the sea laps against the hull. Gently urging me to retreat to the deck and catch the first glimpse of the sun. I toss on a sweatshirt and climb out of the belly of the boat. The first rays of the day bring the colors of the village back to life after a sleepy evening of bobbing boats under a moonlit harbor. The village comes to life again with every clink of glass from the bar that serves morning espresso to tired eyes. It’s time to put on a pot myself.
What does summer sound like to you? Is it salty air and swims in blue seas? Is it walks through olive trees and dips in the pool? Is it the sounds from the bar preparing glasses to serve morning espresso? Or maybe the sea lapping against the sand? I have a funny feeling that wherever it might be, you’ll be happy to end the night with a chilled drink and a crisp to snack on. Summer 2023 is here and if you haven’t thought about or seen someone going to Italy right now then you, my friend, are on a different algorithm and I commend you! The amount of people I personally know who are traveling to Italy in the next coming months is, quite frankly, incredible. It makes me happy for Italians both working in the hospitality industry and those of you who get to enjoy your beautiful Italian holiday - just be sure to say ciao and smile often to your favorite barista.
With all this White Lotus-Italian-summer-vibe hype, it might just mean you’re having trouble finding accommodation or even a bit confused by all the noise of where social media posts say you “must” go. If you follow me on social media, you might find that we travel throughout Italy quite extensively (when I have my passport in hand - if you know, you most certainly know). We love an off-the-beaten-path road trip and sometimes it’s so off the path that even the car (and my fears) have trouble navigating the unpaved roads.
But this summer we’re not taking a conventional road. We’ll be taking to the seas and sailing the path of blue waters along the coastlines of the Italian islands. Life at sea is simply a once in a lifetime experience. Waking up in your cozy cabin, the smell of coffee brewing, the gentle rock of the boat greeting you into a new day. I can feel myself falling into the sleepy post swim nap. A good book in one hand and a chilled drink in the other. I can’t help but spend my nights and days day-dreaming of the food I’ll whip up in the tiny galley kitchen. A fish pasta, mozzarella and tomatoes, a simple frittata, prosciutto e melone. Creative and simple meals is what it’s all about. There’s really nothing like a cold pasta salad after a swim in the sea. And so, simple is best on board.
This week’s newsletter is just that. Simple and here to share with you some experiences we have planned through tavolotwelve this summer. Our first trip to the islands of Ponza and Palmarola is booked for early September. We’ll be setting sail from the mainland to these beautiful islands just off the coast of Rome. A week of blue sea swims, post snorkel lunches, aperitivi sunsets, dinners by starlight, chilled wines, and maybe a crodino for good measure.
There’s still the possibility to gathering yourself and a group of friends for some final opening dates this September and October. So, if sailing along the Mediterranean, exploring Italian islands, and snacking on delicious food sounds like your kind of thing, andiamo…let’s go! You’ll be guided by an expert captain, but of course, and myself, your cook and host for the week. Reply to this email, email me here at paige.woodie@gmail.com or send me a message on Instagram. We’ll explore options and dates that work for your group and the rest is as simple as packing your swimsuit and dreaming all things delicious and salty sea.
Speaking of simple and delicious. While in Italy this past week, one of the home cooked meals Gianluca’s mom made for us was her polpette al limone. There’s no words for these meatballs. They’re perfection. The only and best meatball for summer as they’re light, fresh, and tossed in a zingy lemony sauce. Serve them along side some bright arugula and ribbons of zucchini and you’re good to go.
Polpette al limone
These simple and bright meatballs will have you wondering why meatballs in red sauce exist (kidding but also, I’m not?). The dusting of flour helps to create a creamy and lemony sauce that you’ll want to gluttonously spoon up and eat on its own. The perfect meatball for summer because why should meatballs only be subject to darker times? Gianluca’s mom uses ground veal which is nice as it’s makes for a ‘lighter’ and more tender meatball. When I say lighter I simply mean that Gianluca believes he digests the meat better. Italians and the topic of digestion…never fails to enter the chat.
Serves 4-6, makes about 16-18 meatballs
Ingredients
500g of ground beef (a mix of ground beef and pork is also nice)
75g of stale bread or breadcrumbs
1 egg
100ml of milk (enough to soak the bread, if using breadcrumbs milk is not necessary)
1 lemon (zest and juice) 60ml
20g grated parmigiano
1/2 bunch chopped parsley
30ml of white wine (about 1/2 a glass)
2 clove of garlic
1/2 cup of plain flour for dusting
100ml chicken stock or water
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil
Method
Break your stale bread into mixing bowl. Add enough milk to soak the bread and once the bread absorbs the milk, wring the bread of the excess milk and pour the excess milk away. Gently break the bread into smaller breadcrumb like pieces. Add your ground beef to the bowl along with 1 egg, lemon zest, grated parmigiano, chopped parsley, salt and pepper. Mix well and shape into golf sized shaped meatballs. In a shallow plate or bowl, add flour and roll the meatballs in the flour. Gently shake off any excess flour so you’re left with lightly flour dusted meatballs.
In a frying pan, add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a clove of garlic. Gently heat the oil and garlic. When the pan has come to medium heat, add the meatballs - frying in small batches. Once the meatballs are all browned, add them back to the pan and deglaze the pan with wine. Shaking the pan to allow the meatballs and the browned bits to loosen from the pan. Turn the heat to low, add your chicken stock or water and lemon juice, cover the pan with a lid, and cook for about 5 minutes. Remove the lid and cook for another 5 minutes or until the sauce begins to thicken. Once you have a sauce that coats the back of a spoon, dish your meatballs onto a plate and serve with the lemony sauce. For presentation, garnish with a few more grates of lemon zest, chopped parsley, and lemon wedges. Or simply dig in. Enjoy.
Until next time at a standing reservation…
With love & snacks,
Paige
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Need a happy moment?
When you need a happy moment, simply turn to gelato. We were looking for a little comfort after a tough day and what better way to give yourself a much needed treat than gelato before dinner. My first Tony gelato of the season and most definitely not my last. This local gelateria is a staple in Gianluca’s neighborhood and it shows. Gianluca pointed out that both the man behind the cashier counter and the man behind the display of gelato have been there since he was a child. If there’s one thing that screams comfort, it’s a gelato from Tony’s.
This newsletter is literally a beautiful dream! If circumstances were different, you know J and I would be sailing with ya this September 💛