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Italy Day 5 | Beer & Fresh Porcini Mushrooms

An eventful day involving Birrificio La Superba, Borgotaro, plenty of beer and Italian food.An eventful day involving Birrificio La Superba, Borgotaro, plenty of beer and Italian food.

Let’s take a look at my schedule yesterday…

5:45am- Go for 3 mile run to try to prevent the inevitable weight gain sure to occur on this trip

7:30am- Breakfast at the hotel

8:00am- Leave for Birrificio La Superba, a 2 hour drive from Alba

10:00am- I’m sitting in a brewery with 5 glasses of beer in front of me, each paired with a different snack…Life is tough!!

Birra Chiara with foccaccia
“Pure Blood” Red Double Malt with salami
Chestnut Lager with goat cheese
Basil Beer with pizza
Rose Beer with butter cookies

So after thoroughly over-indulging at 10 in the morning, they tell us were going to a 4-course porcini mushroom tasting luncheon afterward. Oh yes, I am so glad I went for that run this morning!!!

12:00 pm We leave the brewery and head out for a 2 1/2 hour death ride to the little town of Borgotaro in the province of Parma. I’m too sure which is worse, sitting in the back of the bus where you feel nauseous, or sitting in the front where you can see the oncoming tractor trailers careening around the corners…hmmm

2:30 pm 4-course tasting lunch with the porcini mushroom company. The menu was; Pan-fried chicken with assorted wild mushrooms, porcini risotto, guanciale (slow-cooked pork cheeks) with wild mushroom Demi glacé, and expresso and grappa for dessert.

4:00 pm Get back in the van and instantly fall asleep. We arrive at our gorgeous hotel in Vignola 2 hours later and have the rest of the night off.

Tomorrow we are in Modena so of course, it’s time for some Balsamico!! Yeah!!

Ciao,

Megan

After graduating from The Culinary Institute of America with her Culinary and Baking & Pastry Arts Degrees, Megan joined the family business and opened Palmer’s Bakery & Palmer’s Catering.  Megan loves cooking & entertaining, dancing, gardening, skiing, and spending time with her daughters and husband.