Five years ago, I was in Italy with a group of friends on a trip that was outstanding. We rented a villa in the middle of nowhere and enjoyed the serenity as well as nearby Orvietto.
Tonight, we got together for an Italian dinner that was superb. We had antipasti, homemade pasta with a sauteed spread of mushrooms, Tuscan steaks and panna cotta (of sorts). I made the desserts and packed them on ice, but some of them melted anyway, turning into a kind of vanilla soup. But the whiskey-marinated cherries were ridiculously good.
And we had some spectacular wines to go with the meal.