Chef Jodi Cooks Her Way Through Italy

Earlier this month, Chef Jodi traveled to Italy where she experienced the height of truffle season.

Her first stop was Umbria, a region in Central Italy known for its delicious food and pristine countryside. Staying in the exclusive Black Truffle Lodge in the small mountain village of Pettino, Chef Jodi and her husband, Glenn, were introduced to their hosts during their stay, Francesca and Fabiola.  Together, the four of them went truffle hunting and later cooked a variety of meals loaded with their black truffle harvest – a spectacular experience!

Says Chef Jodi, “It was an unforgettable immersion experience spending two days with Francesca and Fabiola in their fabulous lodge and experiencing the true flavors of Umbria.”

Next on her agenda was the Le Silve Lodge, which was beautifully situated in the hills above Assisi, also located in the Umbria region.  During her stay, Chef Jodi cooked a fabulous meal with the owner of Ristorante Armentum, Chef Antonio Falcone.  Together, they prepared a delicious vegetable risotto with ricotta, a fabulous baked egg with bacon, black truffles and eggplant cream, as well as a delicious zucchini caponata.

Her Italian cooking adventure ended with a visit to the infamous NOPI restaurant in London, owned by Yotam Ottolenghi, who Chef Jodi met at a foodie event last month in San Diego.  “Ottolenghi’s restaurant and the food was every bit as good as his cookbooks,” she exclaimed.  “What an amazing dining experience!”

Chef Jodi came back to the states inspired from her Italian journey and brought back a ton of fabulous truffle products (thanks in part to her visit to a local truffle factory, Tartufi Alfonso Fortunati).  She cannot wait to incorporate them into new recipes for her Lajollacooks4u cooking classes and team-building events!