Sustenance by Elizabeth Wholey

An interesting book presentation will be hosted at the Italian Cultural Institute on Tuesday, March 19.

In her work “Sustenance. Food Traditions in Italy’s Heartland”, Elizabeth Wholey speaks about her life experience in the region “green heart of Italy”, Umbria.

 

Elizabeth explores the Upper Tiber Valley and the ways in which its peasants fed and sustained themselves throughout history. Their ancient food traditions are still alive today, often with a modern twist, and are accessible to visitors as well as to the local populace.

 

It is truly a unique opportunity to eat and travel your way through the enchanted hills of Umbria, thanks to the secrets of  “Sustenance”, a Guide to Farms, Markets, and Fairs in the Upper Tiber Valley, a self-published book and finalist in the travel category for the IACP (International Association of Culinary Professional) award.

 

Highlighting sixteen farmers and food producers who share their stories and treasured recipes, Wholey guides your way to the farms, markets and fairs where these traditional products are sold. Fifteen towns near the Tiber River-from its source on Monte Fumaiolo to Umbertide-are introduced, along with their yearly celebrations, markets and fairs, as well as important sites and monuments.

 

This book is a must for the tourist who seeks a fuller experience than the usual by delving into the history, agriculture, and culinary practices of this beautiful and fertile valley.

Elizabeth Wholey is a transplanted Californian who has lived and worked in Umbria for over 20 years. After a career in art and graphics, she visited Italy and never looked back. She renovated the home in which she now lives and manages Altabella, a cluster of casa colonica guest villas on the border of Tuscany and Umbria. Elizabeth also teaches cooking classes and caters for Altabella guests through her Amore Sapore venture.

 

Elizabeth has cooked with Amore Sapore since 1996, enhancing her skills with classes in France, Sicily and Emilia Romagna, and with Walter Zanoni at the Italian Institute for Advanced Culinary and Pastry Arts. She is an avid vegetable and fruit grower – expect fresh zucchini flowers, tomatoes, figs and other treasures from her garden. A long time resident of Umbria, she enjoys sharing her knowledge of Tuscany and Umbria with guests, and when not cooking, conducts culinary and craft tours, introducing visitors to the many artisans who still work in time-honored ways in the Upper Tiber Valley. A Culinary Trust Julia Child Scholarship for Research in Italy resulted in her book “Sustenance”.

 

“What holds me here? Certainly the beauty of the place, so much like the Napa Valley of my childhood fifty years ago, with its well-tended fields and small villages, the vineyards in the foothills and the forest rising up behind them. Unlike Napa Valley, the Niccone Valley has castles, several of them.

 

I love the clean air and the quiet, but also the sounds of the countryside as the seasons unfold. The breeze provides the background for spring birdsong and unfamiliar calls from forest creatures, in summer there are farm sounds from tractors and barnyard animals, and the fall colors herald the harvest and the hunt. And then, before you know it, winter has brought a light snowfall and parents and children are outside, delighting in snowball fights”.

 

The event at the Institute will feature a conversation between the author, a native San Franciscan who lives in Umbria, and Italian cooking instructor Viola Buitoni, a native Umbrian living in San Francisco. 

Elizabeth and Viola will read from the book and compare notes on their opposite experiences. The evening will end with a tasting of artisanal products from Umbria paired with regional wines.

Sustenance. Food Traditions in Italy’s Heartland by Elizabeth Wholey

 

Tuesday March 19, 6:30 pm

Italian Cultural Institute of San Francisco