People often remark that my work must be so glamorous and fun. While there are some wonderful perks to being a wine educator and communicator, the schlepping is not exactly what most would call a “good” time.

Too much flying, tight connections, cramped seats in economy (no business class for me!), miles and miles behind the wheel trying to make every appointment on time, shitty sandwiches at the freeway Autogrill because there not enough time to stop and have a genuine meal… It’s not exactly a stroll in the park.

But every once in a while, the stars align and fate delivers something truly compelling to experience.

This week, that moment came in the form of a proper Sunday lunch in Italy (I’m here this week for my yearly teaching gig at the Slow Food University of Gastronomic Sciences where I’m an instructor in the grad program).

Yesterday, there was an invitation to join the Marsiaj family for their Sunday repast in Turin (Michele Marsiaj, owner of the Amistà winery in Nizza Monferrato, is a client and he and his wife Francesca have also become dear friends of ours).

This is the type of meal where you start noshing and sipping around 12:30. The party then shifts to the dinner table around 1:30 as the first appetizers are served.

We began with lonza (capocollo) from Abruzzo and freshly fired focaccia topped with cherry tomatoes and onion. Then it was on to battuta (finely minced raw beef, topped in the case of the Marsiaj family with minced olives or finely crushed walnuts) and eggplant alla parmigiana.

The main attraction (above) was the showstopper: tajarin, the thin long noodles classically used in Piedmont, tossed in butter and then topped generously with freshly shaved Alba white truffle rounds.

And of course, no proper Sunday lunch in Italy is complete without a glass of wine… or two.

It’s literally been years since I was invited to someone’s Sunday lunch. Many great meals, some of them unforgettable, yes. But nothing can ever rival the joy of the proper Sunday lunch in Italy.

We finished up around 6 with a round of poached quail eggs topped with more truffles. Needless to say, everyone skipped dinner last night.

Thank you again, Francesca and Michele! I’m so blessed to have friends like you. Thank you!