Last-Minute Foodie Stocking Stuffers

Whew! Now that all of my holiday preparations are complete (and I’ve finally recovered from a very non-hedonistic cold/flu that seems to be going around), it’s time to get back on track and share some holiday treats.
Foodies can be, at the same time, some of the most easy-yet-difficult folks to buy for. Below are some [...]

Fullanthropism, Palatethropism, and/or Hedonosity

Although the spirit of giving should be all the year through, during Hallowthankmas things get kicked up a notch. From candy for the kiddies to prezzies for your peeps, October through December/January is the prime time.
Given that this time of year is definitely the time for – well, giving – it’s a good idea to [...]

Recipe: Sugo all’Amatriciana

No matter what your level of hedonistic foodie-ness, you can always expand your horizons, be it at the dining table of a new restaurant in a faraway land or in your very own kitchen. Willingness to be adventuresome is key – as is an unconditional love of food.
Take sugo all’amatriciana, for example (so named due [...]

From Cooking Class to Carnival

So it’s now March, dear hedonists – are you all still holding on to your self-betterment resolutions from New Year’s Eve? If so, why not make that improvement hedonistic as well?
You can start this Saturday.
For March 5th, 2011 is the third of an eleven-session 2010 Cooking Class Series at Il Fornaio. Dubbed “Inspired Italy” and [...]

From Piemonte to Friuli

It’s been awhile – before the holiday hectnicity, in fact -  since the regions of Italy have been visited here on Heed the Hedonist (”HTH” for short). And, with 20 of them, there’s lots of ground to cover. So it’s time to carry on with our Italian regional education, dear hedonists.
With the Italian regions of [...]

From Sicily to Umbria

Italy is a great nation – filled with animated and expressive people, fabulous food, and many, many regions. Twenty, regions, to be exact – each with their own dialects, specific customs, and unique culinary ingredients.
Festa Regionale: Il Fornaio Seattle is honoring these twenty Italian regions with its Festa Regionale – your Hedonista covered first Toscana, [...]

Passaporto, Part Two

So your Hedonista returned to Il Fornaio with a friend to experience their Veneto menu, which was created by Executive Chef Maurizio Mazzon (born in Marcon, Veneto) and made available August 2 to 15, 2010.
Chef sent out a complimentary bruschetta to get our taste buds tingling (and tingle they did) – although technically the origins [...]

Stamp Your Passaporto at Il Fornaio

I confess, when I was invited to a media dinner at Il Fornaio (Il Fornaio is Italian for “the Baker” – appropriate, since they make their hand-formed bread in-house and daily), I was skeptical.
Why, you ask? Because it’s a California-heavy restaurant and catering chain of some 20-odd restaurants and your Hedonista is typically not a [...]