May 28, 2008
Welcome to our very first
Slow Travel for Women Newsletter
First of all, the Directors of Slow Travel for Women, Ann Marinelli and Muriel Theriault, would like to thank all of you for your enthusiastic response regarding your desire to sign up for our monthly newsletter.
As the BBC Magazine so adeptly put it when describing Slow Travel, “it’s hard to over-estimate how good it is”. Slow Travel is becoming as significant as cost in planning a holiday.
But, why do women want to travel and why “Slow Travel”?
Due to some special requests, a few exceptional trips will also include men and/or significant others.
A special effort is being made to advise you in detail regarding your pre-departure preparations. It is of the utmost importance to have the proper documents for your chosen destination, passports up to date as well as visas, if needed. Custom agents must follow the rules no matter how winning your smile may be.
Read your Health Insurance Plan carefully to see whether the policy will cover you while travelling.
We will be addressing the issue of pre-departure preparations and dress codes for country/countries on the itinerary as well as what to expect weather-wise.
Proper and comfortable clothing and accessories are an important issue and we will be inviting you to visit our on-line shop in the near future.
We are presently in contact with renowned chefs in Italy, (Milan and Tuscany), as well as Madrid and Ireland to arrange cooking classes where you will be able to enjoy your cooking delights accompanied by the best of local wines.
We will have at your disposal a “Slow Cooking Cookbook" with all your recipes tasted and enjoyed during your trips at various destinations. These cookbooks will be available on-line as well as the hard cover edition. Below is our very first recipe we would like to share with you.
We have tried to answer all your needs with meticulous care. We therefore, invite you all to start thinking and planning your future Slow Travel For Women Trips.
Let’s all take time out to smell the roses !
For those of you who haven’t yet done it, we invite you to
sign up for our monthly Newsletter
and do take a few minutes of your time to
fill out our Survey Form.
We look forward to a long and lasting relationship with you.
Ann & Muriel
Slow-Travel-for-Women
Slow Cooking Recipe No. 1
PESTO: the authentic recipe from the Italian Liguria Region.
2 cups fresh basil leaves
4 medium-size cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup of pine nuts
1 cup best quality olive oil
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup freshly grated Romano (pecorino) cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1. Process the basil, garlic and pine nuts in a food processor fitted with a steel blade – or in 2 batches in a blender – until finely chopped.
2. With the machine running, pour in the oil in a thin, steady stream.
3. Add the cheeses, a big pinch of salt, and a liberal grinding of pepper. Process briefly to combine. Remove to a bowl and cover until ready to use.
The most popular pasta used in Liguria is known as “trofie”, a short curled pasta usually hand made. Lasagna al pesto is also very popular as well as a flat type of spaghetti similar to fettucine. It is a good idea to set aside a cup of the pasta water should you find the pasta to be too sticky. It should be fluid.
We recommend a white Vermentino wine from the Liguria region, one of the sunniest wines on the planet.
Buon Appetito
As George Bernard Shaw would say,
“There is no love sincerer than the love of food”