As the host of Culinary Vacations, a cooking school with five locations in Europe: Spain, France and Italy, I live in Europe five months out of the year, experiencing the European way of life first hand.  Europeans have a very a different lifestyle, often spending as much as three hours for lunch or dinner.  It’s a laid back and enjoyable way to soak in continental atmosphere and each other’s company.

Having said this, I must admit I do appreciate the States for at the very least the convenience of going to the grocery store at 11:00 at night to indulge any craving--ice cream, fruit, pizza.  In Europe, however, most stores close at 8:00 p.m. and you can’t even buy gas if you go out on a Sunday.  In countries like Spain, France, or Italy, I must remember that most stores close in the middle of the day for siesta. In fact, Spain takes the longest siesta in Europe, with everything shutting down between 12:00 and 4:00.  After awhile, one gets used to this slower pace and learns to plan ahead.

A few years ago in Italy, friends called me and asked me to go for a walk with them on one bright and clear Saturday afternoon.  When they arrived to collect me for the walk, they carried with them many cloth bags.  I asked them what the bags were for.  They told me that they were for chestnut season and that we were going to walk in an area up in the hills with a very large grove of chestnut trees with ripe chestnuts scattered all over the ground.  That day we gathered so many chestnuts we didn’t know what to do with them all. Happily, they keep well and you and can be eaten in weeks to come.

If you have never seen a fresh chestnut, you are in for a big surprise.  As they grow on the trees ,each nut is in a round sac-like ball covered with spikes and green in color.  As they mature, the nuts fall from the tree, hitting the ground and bursting open to reveal the dark brown nut on the inside.  Long before the holiday season, people often gather these nuts before they mature, then split them open and spray these spiked globes with gold paint and use them for Christmas tree ornaments. 

Other nuts are common in the Tuscany region.  We also have hazelnuts and walnuts that grow in the area.  In the fall, when the walnuts are falling from the trees in Tuscany, I often gather fresh nuts to make a really different pasta recipe.

While I make this sauce, my friends eat the chestnuts that I have roasted for them,together with fresh grapes from a nearby vineyard. All the food that we will consume in one evening are the result
of a single afternoon foraging for ingredients. For added seasoning, we find small fennel bulbs growing by the roadside and so full of flavor that we can use them for a tasyt side dish braised with chicken stock and olive oil, topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.  We find ourselves dining with such wonderful food fand Tuscan wines that we did, in fact, pay for…. I think.
Bon appetit!

WALNUT SAUCE WITH PENNE PASTA

¼ cup Olive Oil	¾ lb. Penne Pasta
3 Garlic-cloves-crushed	½ cup Italian Parsley-minced
½ cup Dried Bread Crumbs	½ cup Parmesan Cheese-grated
1 cup Walnuts-finely chopped	Salt and Pepper
½ tsp. Red Pepper Flakes

Method: Bring a large pot of water to boil with 2 Tbs. Kosher salt.
In a large skillet heat the oil till very hot and add the crushed garlic and cook until golden brown-2 to 3 minutes, discard the garlic. 
To the flavored oil add half of the bread crumbs, all the walnuts and red pepper flakes and cook until the bread crumbs are lightly toasted about 3 to 4 minutes. 
Remove from the heat and set aside.

To the pot of boiling salted water add the pasta and cook until al dente about 9 minutes if using dried if fresh only boil for a few minutes.

Just before draining the pasta add 1/3 cup of the pasta water to the walnut mixture.
Drain the pasta and add the pasta into the pan with the walnut sauce. 
Mix with tongs to combine. 
Add the parsley and the Parmesan cheese, mixing well and pour into a bowl or platter and top with the remaining breadcrumbs.  Serve immediately.

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