I first met Maria in St. Barts many years ago and we became instant friends.  As we walked the beach together, she told me about her life…bringing Gucci to the United States in the early 80’s, working working working 24/7 for so many years to build the Gucci brand. Because of her incredible style and marketing abilities.. her hard work paid off!!

Ville Mille Rose

Today, she is a patron of the arts and travels the world. She built a phenomenal home on 60 acres in Oakville California/Napa and named it Ville Mille Rose, because she has roses growing everywhere on her property.  This estate is the essence of Italy where she was born and raised. There are vineyards on all sides ,flowers and fruit tress , lavender and sunflowers wherever you look.

I am so lucky to have had the privilege to stay with Maria in August for the last several years in a row…Every time I’ve gone out to visit her it’s been at the height of the season in the beautiful Napa Valley.

Maria loves to entertain. The first time I was invited to her home, she had a lunch on the lawn for me with Chef Gary Danko http://www.garydanko.com/ and some of her other dear friends. I was mesmerized by the beauty of the surroundings.  Everything was picked fresh from her garden… the tomatoes….the peaches… the fresh herbs.. Truly a heavenly place for a foodie like me.

Kitchen At Ville Mille Rose

Last summer I stayed with her for 3 days and every morning we walked in her
vineyards and picked ripe peaches and plums from her trees as we caught up on both of our lives.

Maria is a connector and loves to connect her friends together.  She never stops…she hardly sleeps…and is constantly in motion….we walk in the morning and have chicken soup for breakfast…I love this ritual.  Loi, her trusted Vietnamese housekeeper and chef., makes it fresh with all the vegetables from her garden and organic chicken.

Being the connector the she is, Maria entertains every weekend. She is meticulous about planning her menu with Loi and is involved with every detail. She does the table seating concentrating on where everyone will sit and then she writes our names on leaves with a gold pen.

Don't You Love It When You're Inspired By Your Host?

What a brilliant and beautiful touch. She picks roses from her garden and throws the leaves on the table… so very Maria!  Don’t you love when you stay at somebody’s home and they inspire you with new ideas for your own entertaining?

She figured out how to make a classic Bellini with white peach juice from her own peach trees and Prosecco. She peels the peaches and then puts vitamin C powder and lemon juice on them to preserve them and she freezes them. Then she purees them in a blender and combines with the Proscecco.  This was the cold, refreshing bubby cocktail that she served on a hot summer day in Napa.

This lunch was to celebrate her very close friend and composer, Daniel Brewbaker who composed a piece that was being played at the Music in the Vineyard Festival.http://www.musicinthevineyards.org/.  Daniel had lived with Maria for 4 years and during lunch, he toasted her with a beautiful poem, and then her friend Margrit Mondavi spoke of the special friendship they have shared for 30 years.

I was honored and privileged to be at this extraordinary lunch with Maria and her closest friends to experience the hospitality, good cheer and ambiance of her home as well as the magnificent food and Napa Valley wine.  Some of the guests included  Bill Harlan from Harlan Estate http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/californias-cult-cabernet-visionary and Margrit Mondavi, the late Robert Mondavi’s wife. http://www.robertmondaviwinery.com/flash/index.html

Pamela and Margrit Mondavi

The late Robert Mondavi said that Maria is the bubble in the champagne of life!

I agree.. perfectly said.!!!

Here’s to Maria!!

Though I am a New York City girl (crazy since I grew up in the Boonies of Nowhere Texas) everybody needs a break from the hustle and bustle once in a while.  In my case, I am grateful because my older brother has a house in South Beach Miami, and whenever I need a dose of ocean air, or some “trendy” nightlife…or anything in between, I allow myself the luxury of hopping on the three hour flight and staying with my bro.   New York was freezing as usual this past winter so getting off the plane in South Beach was definitely a nice treat.   

And…speaking of TREATS, Scott Conant has a new restaurant, “Scarpetta” in the newly renovated Fontainbleu building in Miami.  I had been anxious to eat here since it opened and took this trip to FL as an opportunity to satiate my love of his elegant approach to very  simple Italian cuisine.  We ate there on a Friday night and I was pleased to see how busy it was.  It’s nice to know that the current state of our economy hasn’t impacted all the food lovers in the world…   

My meal consisted of an organic beet, endive and raddichio salad, and for an entree, my friends and I ordered Scott’s spaghetti with tomatoes and basil.  As somebody who has spent their life eating, learning, exploring and tasting different kinds of foods…especially these days when chef’s sometimes try to over compensate by making their dishes  overly-complex… a lot of time (not all the time) it’s really the the most simple dishes with the finest and freshest ingredients…cooked to perfection that truly satisfy my palate..  This dish is as simple as it gets….. spaghetti, tomatoes and basil.  But the manner in which it is  prepared, the pasta made fresh and cooked to a perfect al dente……fresh organic tomatoes and freshly picked basil…all made this dish perfectly simple, elegant and of course, worthy of a spotless plate.  

In addition to the food that we ordered, Scott also sent us a complimentary polenta with wild mushrooms….very Italian… it’s just cooked cornmeal, but  Scott’s polenta is rich, creamy and flavorful…truly one of the best polenta dishes I have had.  He adds cream and parmesan and then preserved truffles and a mix of wild mushrooms… a simple dish but unsurpassed in richness.   

As far as food is concerned…my Miami trip did not end there.  My brother’s kitchen is one of my favorite kitchens to cook.  It is so spacious…has a huge marble island and top quality cooking equipment…and pretty much anything a happy chef needs to do some damage!   This Sunday I decided to cook for a group of 30 of his friends. 

My brother is very spontaneous and young at heart and very frequently decides to throw last minute dinner parties, jam sessions (he is a great piano player) and everything in between.    So, like the great sister I am, I rolled up my sleeves and drove to the Whole Foods on  Alton Road and came up with the menu impromptu.  Cooking on the “fly” is very much like a jazz musician.  Improvising is what makes it exciting.  Following a recipe is always fun…like reading music, but coming up with something off the top of your head  is one of my favorite things about cooking.   

Here’s the menu I came up with!

Braised Red Snapper Mediterranean

Grilled Tuscan Steaks

Broccolini Sauteed in Olive Oil, Garlic and Lemon Juice

Roasted Rosemary New Potatoes

Salad of Watercress, Bibb, Cucumbers, Tomatoes and Olives and Feta 

Recipe    Red Snapper Mediterranean   

Serves 6     

3  red snapper filets ( ½ pound each) skin on, trimmed and pin bones taken out   

2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary   

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped   

1 tablespoon Italian parsley, roughly chopped   

1 ½ cups fresh fennel, sliced into thin rounds   

½ cup shallots, sliced into thin rounds   

10 pitted Kalamata olives, sliced in half   

6 roasted plum tomatoes ( recipe attached) or buy at specialty  food  store, or sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil   

2 teaspoons capers, rinsed    juice of one lemon   

salt and freshly ground pepper   

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil   

2 tablespoons white wine     

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Lay one sheet of foil onto baking sheet.  Place filets in the center of foil.  Season the fish generously with salt and pepper.  Sprinkle with  rosemary, thyme, fennel slices, shallots, olives, roasted tomatoes and  capers, Squeeze the lemon over fish and drizzle with olive oil and  white wine.  Lay another piece of foil the same size over the fish and  roll edges to seal the fish.  Place fish in 400 degree oven for 15 minutes.  Take out of oven and  let sit for a few minutes.  Open foil carefully and use a spatula to  place fish on plate. Spoon vegetables and sauce over the fish.  Serve  immediately.     

Note:    This recipe can be used with just about any firm white fish.  It is  essentially fool-proof as long as you don’t overcook