The Arrival of Kirk

For those of you that don’t know him, Kirk is my friend that I have known the longest. We were roommates in college and drank lots of beer together and share much in common. Kirk loves food more than anyone that I know (This includes myself). In fact he is also the best chef that I know and author of the Everyday Gourmet Newsletter, so his arrival had the same impact on food that Steve and Emma’s had on shopping and wine! I was counting the days in anticipation of his arrival and had an agenda set to ensure that the culinary experience of Italy was all that he hoped it would be. When I picked him up from the airport, I immediately took him to Georgio, the best Pasticceria in Florence. One day after another we had nothing but insane meals, including one that we prepared together at the castle for the family. One the menu that night was calamari sautéed in white wine and olive oil with tomatoes and fresh arugala. This was followed by Branzino (Mediterranean Sea Bass) baked in a salt crust and finished with some fresh new Tuscan olive oil, and accompanied by potatoes roasted in the oven with rosemary and olive oil. It was yummy.

Kirk arrived five days after Gina and the two of them left on the same day. Even though his visit was brief, having Kirk in town was a terrific time and we made the most of our five days together. The motorino served as our key to the city’s secrets and we spent a lot of time ripping through the streets of Florence to see its history and architecture.

One would never accuse Kirk or Gina of being shy, so the two of them together made for an energy that kept things light and fun. Together we shared great times in Sienna and at the numerous restaurants that I was so excited to take him to. Kirk shares his feelings about Italy’s food, the castle and his time with us in his interview below.