In My Kitchen with Paula

Savouring Slow Travel: Discovering Parma and Modena with Sonia Bozzi

• Paula Mohammed • Episode 22

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What if the best way to experience Italy isn't through checklists and tourist attractions, but by slowing down and savoring each moment?

In this episode, Paula is joined by Sonia Bozzi, entrepreneur and founder of Cultour Italia, who curates immersive culinary and cultural tours in Italy. Sonia shares her journey from growing up in the Alps of Lombardia to managing hospitality ventures across Mexico, Canada, and Italy—all of which led her to creating unique travel experiences rooted in food, culture, and community.

Together, they explore slow travel, the art of truly experiencing a place, and how Emilia Romagna’s food culture is built on centuries of craftsmanship. Sonia gives us an inside look at the family-run farms, vineyards, and culinary traditions of Parma and Modena, from handmade tortellini to Parmigiano Reggiano aged for generations.

In this episode, you'll learn about:

  • The meaning of La Dolce Vita and why Italians embrace slow living
  • Why Parma and Modena are home to Italy’s most iconic ingredients
  • The importance of family-run food businesses and traditional craftsmanship
  • How Sonia built a career blending food, travel, and hospitality
  • A simple yet luxurious Parmesan fondue recipe to try at home

If you dream of truffle hunting in Umbria, sipping balsamic vinegar aged for decades, or learning from Italian chefs in hidden culinary schools, this episode will transport you straight to the heart of Italy.


FEATURED RECIPE

Fonduta di Parmigiano: "It's just a sauce that is two parts cream to one part parmigiano reggiano. You heat up the cream over a double boiler and then you, you whisk the cheese in there until it becomes kind of like a nice velvety sauce. And then you can put it over pasta like or tortellini or you can be creative with it like it's so versatile."  -Sonia

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SAY HELLO

In My Kitchen creates connections one dish at a time, by exploring culture through food. I do this through unique culinary workshops, speaking engagements, and of course, this podcast.

I'd love to hear from you! Connect with me in one of three ways:

Paula Mohammed:  Welcome back to the show. In this episode, we get to talk to Sonia Bozzi. Sonia is originally from Italy, now living in Canada and running culinary cultural tours to Parma and Modena and Umbria. These are very unique culinary cultural tours and Sonia and her business partner, who is also in Italy, get you into places that we don't normally get a chance to visit.

And it's all based on and curated around their passion. For independent family businesses, the artisans and the craftsmen. We talk a lot about what's happening in Italy right now. Family cheese business that's been passed through the generations for over 500 years. And speaking of cheese, Sonia shares with us a favorite recipe of hers that will soon be a favorite of mine.

And let's just say it's two parts Parmigiano Reggiano. So let's get right to it. I hope you enjoy this episode.

Welcome to the show, Sonia.

Sonia Bozzi: Paula, hello there.

Paula Mohammed: So great to have you here. I'm going to give a quick introduction.  Sonia Bozzi is a passionate entrepreneur whose career spans ventures in hospitality, food, and culture across Canada, Mexico, and Italy. She co founded Cultour Italia, offering immersive culinary and cultural tours that explore the richness of Italy's lesser known regions, blending food.

History and tradition with a commitment to quality and authenticity with a background that includes managing a family owned bistro, launching a gelato business in Mexico city and creating iconic hospitality establishments in Vancouver, Canada. Sonia has built a reputation for crafting unique experiences rooted in culture and cuisine.

Fluent in multiple languages and a lifelong advocate for entrepreneurship. Sonia loves bringing. people together through the shared joys of food, travel, and discovery. So it's no surprise why Sonia's here with us today and  why you and I've connected. So just, to be fully transparent, Sonia and I were both at university together, but didn't really, socialize that much back then and have recently reconnected by this shared love of exploring culture through food.

And especially when I discovered the tours that you're doing, which we'll get into a little bit more. Share with our listeners a little bit about this connection, and the role Italy plays in your life.

Sonia Bozzi: yes, absolutely. I was born in Italy in a small town in the Alps, 30 minutes from the Swiss border. And then my parents immigrated in 78. And then we used to go back for holidays and to see family. I love Italy and I feel, I love Canada. I love living here. I don't want to live anywhere else, but I love going back to Italy and I feel like I'm most myself when I'm there.

It's like the people get me, I'm not too loud. We, we can nerd out about food or,, we're sitting at lunch already talking about what we're going to have for dinner and nobody look at you like you're  weird. 

Paula Mohammed: What was the region that you were born or where is your family from?

Sonia Bozzi: So the province is called Lombardia. So it's north of Lake Como. Into the Alps. 

Paula Mohammed: You go back regularly. I love what you said there about it is where you feel most at home. Is that where your love of cooking has come from? Did you have those romantic stories of cooking with your Nona, things like that, sitting on the countertop?

Sonia Bozzi: Not cooking with, but actually eating with. When we lived in Italy, my grandparents had built a hotel that subsequently my parents operated. My grandmother would be,, often in the kitchen cooking if the chef left. During the season or didn't show up for the season and so I would after school I would go in to see my grandmother to say hi in the kitchen and she would Take me into the big walk in cooler and hack a chunk of parmesan cheese Off the wheel and give it to me as a snack.

So I have a lot of food associations growing up

Paula Mohammed: You and I come from very different cultural  backgrounds, but that's exactly what, Inspired me to start in my kitchen and is the love of eating together people often say, Oh, Paula, you're an amazing cook, or I bet you're a great cook.

And I was like, no, it's not actually the cooking part. I enjoy cooking. I find it relaxing, but it's those memories of sitting around the table or barbecues in New Zealand with all the family together. And it's like this warm, cozy hug. Of people that love you

Sonia Bozzi: Absolutely. I have to say one of my favorite things is having good friends and family around the dinner table. That to me is time well spent and even more so I love dining outside. The weather doesn't always help here. I love that. So same, lots of memories as a kid, cooking with my dad, actually, that we did do together and then eating.

Paula Mohammed: How old are you when you move to Vancouver or to Canada

Sonia Bozzi: just turned seven.

Paula Mohammed: And when you go back to Lombardia or to Italy in general now, do you find  the same sentiments that you had being there as a child, exist there now, you still feel you're mostly yourself when you're there

Sonia Bozzi: yes. You know what? Absolutely., I guess my love of food has led me to find other foodies, most of my friends love food. I don't think I don't have any friends that don't love food. Granted to varying degrees., I have good friends in Italy and France. We gather to eat. But even like the shopping is an adventure.

I remember, I had friends in Milan I was staying with, and we went to see a butcher in the hills outside of Milan to pick the meat for the grigliata that evening, which would be like a barbecue. If the butcher got a sense that you really appreciated food, he would crack open a bottle of wine and start chatting with you about his products.

And then we got to walk in the walk in cooler and there, you could pick. the salami you wanted,, he'd let you choose. So even just the shopping is an experience, it's not just the eating,  and nothing about it is rushed, like it was a whole day event.

Paula Mohammed: I want to come back to Italy and of course the tours and food and all that great stuff. But before we do, I can't continue this podcast episode without hearing more about your entrepreneur story. Tell us a little bit more about the end of university from that to selling gelato in Mexico to starting a Cultour, culinary tours.

Sonia Bozzi: I think if I were to go back, I would do things a little differently in terms of my educational, path, after you and I left UBC, I went on to Ottawa and I did a master's in international affairs thinking I wanted to join the diplomatic service, which I didn't, as it turns out.

When I came back to Vancouver, I needed to find, employment, and I wasn't quite sure what I wanted to do. And as it turns out, my dad had a venture opportunity for me. He said, look, There's a gentleman from his hometown back in Italy who was moving to Mexico City to set up an Italian gelato shop.

And he said, do you want to go and help him set it up? And I said, sure. Beats  looking for a job. So I literally was home a month. I packed my bags and moved to Mexico City. And I helped, this Italian partner and a Mexican business partner. Start, a gelato shop that ended up, growing fairly significantly.

Long story short, I didn't want to live in Mexico City, so I left after a number of years. Came back to Vancouver, and I needed, again, I was looking, okay, so what am I going to do now? Then, sadly, my dad got ill from cancer, passed away very quickly. From diagnosis to death was Six weeks, which was like a crazy whirlwind.

And so all of a sudden I found myself, holding the bag for all the family interests, which fortuitously included a pub in Whistler, which was Citta's, Citta Bistro, which sadly is no longer. 

Paula Mohammed: Iconic, iconic place people who are from Vancouver, Whistler are going to be fondly remembering cheetahs right now.

Sonia Bozzi: yes, I think many people had  many good times there, but that situation was I inherited, so I inherited my dad's business partners along with the various ventures, right, there was some in real estate, there was this pub in Whistler, and at the time I was 29 and all these, business partners were, men in their early 60s.

There was a disconnect, right? It's not who I wanted to relate with or,, have a daily interaction with from a business perspective. So I started thinking about, no offense to them, it was just, They were, they're super nice people. I'm just saying it wasn't how I wanted to spend my time.

I started thinking about creating, another concept that it was of my own design with a partner of my own choosing. And that ended up being Chill Winston down in Gastown, which we sold in 2018.

Paula Mohammed: Good timing.

Sonia Bozzi: Yes, oh my gosh, perfect timing. And then with my same business partner Jordan in that venture, we created Gilt and Company, which is a live music venue also in Gastown.

And we're coming up on our 15th birthday on  that. 

Paula Mohammed: Wow, congratulations.

Sonia Bozzi: thank you. Thank you. Yeah, it's fun. From there, not to draw this out too long, I, again, for the, my love of, good ingredients, quality products, tasty food. My grandmother had a delicious, biscotti recipe. And any biscotti I'd ever tasted, like, I didn't think was as good.

Lots of friends, also really, really loved them, right? I thought, okay, well, how about producing, a delicious biscotti? And probably a little bit too Spontaneously, I jumped into food processing and realized then that I actually really didn't like it,, is a tough slog on so many levels. And so I was thinking, Oh my gosh, I don't want to do this for the next 10 years of my life.

I, had the good luck to be able to sell that business, just two years after I started it to, um, a gentleman in Vancouver who has. In food processing background, so he has yet to  start up, start the production up again, hopefully he'll take it where, I had wanted to, but wasn't prepared to put the time into it.

Um,

Paula Mohammed: can I just interrupt for a second? To recognize that you don't want to be in the food processing business. And for those listeners that aren't in British Columbia, it is not an easy, venture do it here, but then to be able to have got it to a place like for me, it would have been yet realized that okay, know when to stop, fold it, shut it down, start something new, but you obviously got it to a place where it had this value and you could sell it I don't think people, people may not realize what might have to do another episode on your entrepreneurism and because you are a lot of lessons.

I think that you can share with people. What I want to say though, specifically, is I hope he keeps the label. I love the label of, and the name of those biscotti. Can you describe it just a little bit for our

Sonia Bozzi: yes, yes, absolutely, it was called Bozzi Biscotti, which is my last name, and it wasn't  because I had any ego around having my name on it, but it was a nice nod to my grandmother without calling it, Nona's Biscotti, which has been used. And then I wanted to combine something traditionally Italian and, something that was more Canadiana or specifically BC.

We had a designer draw a bear. Riding a Vespa and so that was the logo on the packaging and people did really love the logo and actually funny story, the gentleman who, um, ended up buying. The business, his wife is from Italy, and she really liked the branding. I think that was a fun little connection that helped.

Paula Mohammed: Love it. Okay, so we go from Bozzi's biscotti to,

Sonia Bozzi: Culture Italia. So, I'm pausing because I continue to be a bit stunned that it took me so long to figure it out. I love food. I love, good drinks like nice wine or an interesting cocktail. I'm passionate about design and  aesthetic. I love hosting, talking to people, exploring places, conversations, curating and designing boutique culinary tours ticks all those passion boxes for me.

So really, that's where it finally, the, the light bulb went on and I'm like, oh, I should try this.

Paula Mohammed: How do you even start curating a tour like that in another country? Tell us the regions that they're happening in and how you are getting this off the ground. I'm really interested too, in how you develop those relationships. Cause I know, the crafts people and artisans and independent family owned businesses is something that you're very passionate about.

What role does that play in this as well?

Sonia Bozzi: I have a good friend back in Italy from my hometown in the Alps, who is, has been in hospitality her entire life, and she is deeply passionate about hospitality, and she's very well connected in the food and wine world.  Over the years, we actually connected, I don't know, probably about six or eight years ago, by happenstance, and stayed in touch these past years.

we started talking about, she actually was interested in bringing people to Canada and showing parts of British Columbia that she had explored and loved and wanted to bring people here. And then I guess that just morphed into saying, why don't we actually bring people to Italy instead?

We drew on. Experiences and places that we thought were worthy of showcasing. We definitely apply our values to what we seek and put into a tour. Those values and passion are around what you already mentioned, which are small producers, independent businesses, family, businesses, and really quality products.

Both you and I love, and so many others love to eat well, that means good ingredients, right? And  many of the good ingredients come from family run businesses that have been in operation for hundreds of years. And the recipe and thankfully the passion gets passed down from one generation to the next. We focus on those. 

Paula Mohammed: I love what you said. Bernadette, is that how you pronounce your name? Bernadette

Sonia Bozzi: Benedetta.

Paula Mohammed: Benedetta, her passion for hospitality. So I think oftentimes, especially in North America, we think of hospitality as, serving somebody like in the hospitality industry, but. Hospitality is really about inviting and having someone come into your space and allowing them to experience your life, your world, your food and conversation.

My question is going to be, how does that happen in these? Tours, but before you answer that, can you just tell us, about that tour.

Sonia Bozzi: Yeah. Emilia Romagna is the province. And Parma and Modena are two of the significant cities within that province.  And it is. The one of the agricultural and food production belts for the entire country, and lot of the places aren't known like they're not tourists don't go there. So there is so much to explore.

Paula Mohammed: that is just delicious and rich in culture and history. 

Lot of times people think of tours as big groups going from and the places and every tour does the same thing.

Paula Mohammed: And I think what makes yours unique is that focus on hospitality. How did you achieve that?

Sonia Bozzi: We chose the region, because it's not over touristed. Because we figured lots of people can go see Rome and Florence and other places on their own. We, choose places where local Italians love to go. So kind of being on the inside. And we also chose that area because it has such delicious ingredients.

are famous as well. So  parmigiano reggiano, parmesan cheese, prosciutto di parma, there's different types of prosciutto, balsamic vinegar from Modena. And these are some of the quintessential Italian ingredients. And they all come from this area within like a hundred kilometer radius.

So there's so much to explore. And these are products that date back to the Roman times with, with very little adulteration to the process or the recipe,, and they're clean, clean ingredients. For example, the parmigiano reggiano is just milk, salt, and rennet.

The prosciutto is just the ham. And salt and air., love, love the pureness and just the quality of them. Back to your question about hospitality is. It's like bringing an extended family on a trip that we would want to do.

Paula Mohammed: Love that. Yeah.

Sonia Bozzi: We limit it to maximum 12 people so that we can have a  more intimate experience.

We can go to places where otherwise you wouldn't fit, right? So we cover anywhere from having lunch. at a grandma's house where she makes homemade tortellini and parma to, yes, a michelin starred restaurant in Albana. We're, along with the tour the whole time, being a cultural liaison and translator where necessary, but really it's about, hey, this is the trip.

I love doing, I'm taking extended friends with me is really the approach around how we see hospitality.

Paula Mohammed: If I was on that trip, it's not just about experiencing it with the, with the artisans and craftsmen and the small businesses that are welcoming us into their homes but it's also the hospitality that you and Benedette bring to it as well.

I have never made that connection before, but I think that's what really probably sets you apart from other tours is exactly what you said. You're welcoming people to come on your  trip and experience it from your, perspective.

Sonia Bozzi: Yes, and hopefully, what we like translates to enough people, right? So this isn't meant to be through an egotistical lens, right? But just we think we have a sense of taste and design and culture and a love of food. We curate that into an experience that people can have. It's as if they were coming along with a foodie friend.

They're going on a trip to Italy with a foodie friend.

Paula Mohammed: You, um, also described these tours, something that really resonates with me as slow travel tours. Can you talk a little bit about why you did that?

Sonia Bozzi: Yes, absolutely. Part of it's a little bit about pride of Italy and wanting to showcase it as a antidote to what I hear. When people travel to Italy and they say they've had horrible food or they go and in a week they've seen 15 different places. It's like you've seen nothing, you've tasted nothing, you've checked a bunch of boxes, but  what have you actually gained other than some bragging rights to say you've seen all these places or tasted all these things?

That actually really bothered me as somebody who I guess. Is, you know, partially Italian and proud of that heritage. And so I wanted to showcase it in a more authentic way. So slow tourism, mean really it's a movement that came out of the 1980s in Italy, tied in with the slow food movement, which is all about Local ingredients, supporting traditions,, planting seeds, and plants and raising livestock that are characteristic of that region.

It's really about taking care, of tradition and what works in an environment. That really speaks to me, I love that. Benedictine, I feel there's no need to cover. A vast geographic area, like within 100 kilometre or 100, 200 kilometre radius. There's so much to explore because, you go to a valley over and there's different  wine and there's different food and there's different dialects and there's even like just different cultural nuances.

There's a really great opportunity to not spend a lot of time in a van moving around, or trains or going to airports and really just spending a day exploring this hillside and then, and then., just traveling 60 kilometers and talking to the farmer there and, getting his family's story.

The focus is really on just explore locally, connect with the people, and deepen the experiences.

Paula Mohammed: It's something you talked about actually in the beginning of this. Chat is why you love, going back to Italy cause it was a sitting around talking at lunchtime, what we're going to have for dinner and then going to the market and then coming back and then cooking and then the sit down and eating.

It's not rushing out to the grocery store to grab something and then feeling stressed and having to throw it all together. And I think so many people aren't comfortable having people over because they are worried about how their food's going to  be judged or perceived or if it's perfect and it's interesting because I, I just did an interview with a woman from Goa, Lara and we talked about this as how 

in her culture Goan and,, she's from Bombay, but it's not about the quality of the dish you've prepared. It's the experience of connecting with people around the table and inviting them in it also reminds me to talk about traveling. So backpacking in 1991, I'm sure, did you, I'm sure you had a backpacking stint in your, yeah.

Sonia Bozzi: absolutely. Yeah, with the Canadian flag sewn on the pack, right? Yeah.

Paula Mohammed: and our Birkenstocks,

Sonia Bozzi: Yes.

Paula Mohammed: maybe a tie dye shirt throw it in there as well. My good friend Deena and I did this in 1991, took a break from uni and went backpacking for six months. And that is a luxury, right? You have no money, but the luxury of traveling for six months. And I think West Coast Canadians are more, of that mind to take it easy and slow it down a bit.

We did, and we, what we loved is  we didn't have an agenda necessarily. So we ended up staying a month in a little Island of in Greece that we weren't planning to, and then ended up in Turkey, which wasn't our plan.. I'll never forget this one. Moment, I think we were in the Alps actually, and we met a fellow and he was from the States he wanted to join us because, it was cheaper to share accommodation and he had bragging rights because he's first question, how many cities have you visited?

How long you've been traveling for? And it was this for him, the quality of his trip and, kudos to him, I guess, if this is what. His, what he wanted from his travels was how many countries and how many cities he could check off his list, but he didn't know them, you know, he didn't have a connection to the people.

He didn't understand the culture, even back then in our early, early twenties, you know, Dean and I recognize like, that's not what we want. We want this slow experience. 

I think people are so much more mindful now  of living in the present. We all know that, savoring and enjoying something and really being in it and immersed in it, like the Italians have been doing forever, creates all this warm, wonderful feelings and just helps us, flourish and have all this, these great feelings.

A tour, like what you're doing is allowing people the time to savor it with also with locals, and who can speak the language and bridge that gap for them. 

Sonia Bozzi: Yes.

Paula Mohammed: \ one of my questions for you is, uh, different cultures have, their thing.

I learned recently about Susagad, which is in Goa. Kind of this laid back, enjoy peaceful feeling, Hygge I think it's the

In Japan, to have purpose, ikigai, is there an Italian version of that?

Sonia Bozzi: I think what's been captured in the movies is really la dolce vita. And it, and it's so stereotypical, but it's true. Like  people enjoy each other's company and. The focus is on sharing the time and sharing a meal or a glass of wine, and not rushing, right?

The family dinner on a Sunday is, it's a thing, it's a tradition. Gathering the family around the dinner table is where you swap stories, is where you make decisions, it's where, Maybe you share plans or ask permission for something, at a personal level and a professional level, depending on how much, family and business might be intertwined, which in Italy is a lot, because.

Most businesses in Italy are family businesses.

La dolce vita, or il dolce farniente, which translates to, the deliciousness of doing nothing, 

Paula Mohammed: think I might have Italian in my blood. I do enjoy, I love going to Italy and I haven't had the opportunity to go back in a long time, but um, you might have to save me a spot on this  tour,

Sonia Bozzi: But you know what, I'd like to throw in that, for example, like sort of this deliciousness of doing nothing. It's extra pleasing if you are, let's say, sitting somewhere with a nice vista, and it could just be a tree or an olive tree or some garden roses, and maybe all you have is a glass of wine, but it's a nice glass of wine.

I'm not saying expensive, I'm just saying like a good quality, right? Or you're nibbling on a piece of parmigiano reggiano, right? Doing nothing doesn't necessarily mean being completely inactive. It's more about This, Yes, you used the word purposeful and, and slow enjoyment that enables you to take it in,

take in the scenery, take in the whatever, the company, your emotions, just feeling it in the present. And I think that just really contributes to well being, which in Italian would be called benessere.

Paula Mohammed: say that again,

Sonia Bozzi: In Italian it would be called benessere, to  be well.

Paula Mohammed: benessere, is that used quite a bit that term? 

Sonia Bozzi: Yeah, yeah, it is, it is actually.

Paula Mohammed: Now there's such a shift in our North American culture to become more mindful, to meditate, to slow down, to enjoy the moment, 

Sonia Bozzi: Yeah, and I guess the Italians, you know, there's different ways to meditate, right? And you can do that while sitting somewhere pleasant and, consuming something delicious, but that is savored. I should say instead of consuming, because that's actually has more of a negative connotation, is savoring something delicious.

That in itself can be meditative,

Paula Mohammed: If somebody is now interested and wants to find out about how they can join you, how does one make that happen?

Sonia Bozzi: yes, thank you for that. We, so we have a website which is CultourItalia.com and we're also on Instagram, same, at CultourItalia or through  me personally on my LinkedIn.

Paula Mohammed: I'll put everything in the show notes there as well. When does the Parma and Modena tour, is that something that has a set schedule or do people approach you and say, Hey, I've got some friends, you know, is this going to win? Can this this running?

Sonia Bozzi: We set some dates in the spring and in the fall, because we have to block rooms and a few other things that are, more exclusive access. And so we really have to. Program that, and I'll just throw in, for example, one of those is, Alma Academy. So that is the premier culinary school in Italy, which is just outside Parma, where students from around the world go for professional culinary training.

We have access, thanks to Benedetta's contacts, for a half day culinary class there with two other chefs. That requires quite advance notice. We do some bookings, but then, yes, like, if you were to say, hey, I want to put my own group together, because I've got, whatever, 10, 12 friends, then we can chat about  what dates work for you, and with enough advance notice, then I can You know, do my best to secure bookings or make it work.

Paula Mohammed: Through in my kitchen we had a host, Melissa, who is from Umbria. She talked a lot about how Umbrian cuisine is very different from other regions.

If we go back to Lombardia, because that's an area I'm not too familiar with, how would you compare with Lombardia? Umbrian cuisine and the cuisine from where you grew up, I think probably most of our listeners are familiar with Umbria just in general how it differs

Sonia Bozzi: Yeah.

Paula Mohammed: region to

Sonia Bozzi: To clarify, Parma, Modena are in the Emilia Romagna region, and then Umbria is just below that. So that's another region. And it's been you know, described as Tuscany's wilder cousin. Which I think is actually an apt description, Tuscany has been incredibly well marketed and so it's quite busy, with lots of tourists and travelers, whereas Umbria is just getting discovered now.

And so in Umbria, for example, gosh, you would get, a different type  of prosciutto than you get in, around Parma area. Obviously there's different varietals grown for wine. There's different cheeses, right? Each region has its own cheese and then there might be a different focus on whether it's cow cheese, sheep cheese, or goat cheese.

Depending on, well, what's the terrain like and, what thrives there. So further north, there's a different lushness and richness. So you get cow, more cows,, as you head south and it becomes a little poorer or the environment's a little harsher than it, it shifts to sheep, goats.

And so then you have different cheeses, Lombardy, the province I'm from is. It's tucked up against the Swiss border, they're interesting, and actually you get polenta, so the cornmeal that you now see in fancy restaurants, but it's actually an absolute,, peasant meal, right? It came from the sheep, or, the cow herders would have polenta and cheese.

as their meal. And buckwheat also

Paula Mohammed: Oh, interesting.

Sonia Bozzi: yeah,  so it's delicious. We have like buckwheat noodles. Anyway, those are just a couple examples.

Paula Mohammed: Sonia, I've been on a hunt for buckwheat noodles were the first ingredients, not wheat flour. Do you know where we can get those here in Vancouver? 

Sonia Bozzi: That's a good question. I'm not sure, possibly Bosa, Bosa

Otherwise I'll have to put some in my suitcase on my next trip and bring some back and then we'll have a buckwheat based dinner. How about that?

Paula Mohammed: That's a perfect segue into the recipe that you've brought with you today. Tell us about the recipe that's going to be in the show notes and why you chose that.

Yes. In Italian, it's called fonduta di parmigiano, or we call it a parmesan sauce, and I love it for a number of different reasons. It is two ingredients, super simple, super versatile, and it highlights You know, the case for a quality ingredient, that if you just spend the money on a quality ingredient, that's, you don't need a whole lot else.

It's just a sauce that  is two parts cream to one part parmesan cheese, or parmigiano reggiano. You heat up the cream over a double boiler and then you, you whisk the cheese in there until it becomes kind of like a nice velvety sauce. And then you can put it over pasta like or tortellini or you can be creative with it like it's so versatile.

You could drizzle it over asparagus or over scrambled eggs or sunny side up eggs, whatever. On chicken, you could use it as a dipping sauce.

My grandmother in New Zealand she would do cauliflower, steam it, a head of cauliflower, and then make a White sauce. To go over top and we would add lots of cheese to it. So I bet this would be delicious over cauliflower.

Sonia Bozzi: Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. Or if you made little homemade, home cut fries and then you could dip those in there, like baked, right? 

Paula Mohammed: I know you have a passion for wine as well. What wine would you pair with this? What varietal?

Sonia Bozzi: Actually, sparkling goes really well with parmigiano. Anything that  is grown locally the region pairs with the food of the region as just a general, tip. Right? There's sort of a symbiosis that just works, generally.

Paula Mohammed: I'm gonna do sparkling with, and make that sauce with some,, tortellini. And, think of you, Sonia, and a trip to Italy in my, in the near future. I'm going to savor it, savor the moment, um, just coming back to the traditions 

the Dolce Vita.

Sonia Bozzi: la dolce vita. Yeah.

Vita. Is that still prevalent in, uh, the different regions of Italy that you visit? Are you seeing that coming through with the next generation? Are they interested in carrying on the traditions, especially the culinary recipes and, dishes? Yes. 

I am seeing that, and thankfully, because what I'll say is, so for example, like the Parmigiano Reggiano production. We went to visit a family owned  production facility. They have their own land, they have their own cows, and they make 14 wheels of cheese every morning, every day.

Sonia Bozzi: It is Relentless, back breaking work, and there's no stopping., it's, you know, the cows need to be milked, there's a time and a process, and everything has to keep functioning. It's really tough., in this family, I think it's eighth generation that's been doing the work. It is hard work, so I think people, they really have to be passionate about doing it, and I think they're very proud of their family tradition, so thankfully I do see that being carried on, and also with younger people, maybe that have gone and studied something abroad, or coming back and opening up their little restaurants, or a farm, or a vineyard, and from a lifestyle approach and then a heritage approach and that's happening a lot in Umbria as a matter of fact, where, um, we do have another trip there.

We've just primarily talked about Padma  and Modena, which is great. Part of our passion, I mean, I want to be able to keep eating really good products, whatever they are, so that means I need to support. these independent producers that work really, really hard, and I think their benessere or their dolce vita comes from the end of the day and really enjoying their products shared with people and also, consumers and customers that appreciate their work and appreciate the value of what they're producing.

And so that's also what Benedetta and I are really passionate about is. Is showcasing quality and, taking people to visit these places so that there's a better understanding of value behind a product. When we look at the price tag at the store and we're like, Oh my God, that's so much money.

It might be in terms of the actual amount of dollars, but if you understand, or if one understands what went into it. then it has a different value. And then  hopefully, one is more likely to, buy it and value it differently, appreciate it differently. 

Paula Mohammed: And with the recipe that you provided, uh, fondue to the Parmigiano,

Sonia Bozzi: I love it. We'll start you on Italian lesson soon.

Paula Mohammed: Something that you said is going to stay with me is by quality and it's two ingredients by a really good. Parmigiano Reggiano from a artisan, simple is always best and good quality.

So that makes a lot of sense of what you're saying okay. 

Sonia Bozzi: If I could just throw in one thing. I also think if something is high quality, it's more satisfying and it's more satiating. So I think you actually end up ingesting less because it's satisfying, right? I know when I eat something that is either a little bit insipid or just the quality of your ingredients aren't great, it's almost like you need more because you're looking for that satisfaction, but it's never going to come because it's not intrinsic to what it is you're consuming.

Whereas if you have a really delicious. Ingredient. It's satisfying. And then I think you consume less.

Paula Mohammed: You're  savoring it. It's a. The whole slow eating. You're enjoying it. It's making you take pause because it's like, whoa, this is really good.

Sonia Bozzi: Yes.

Paula Mohammed: a, such a good point. Great point. If you could go, not if when you go back to Italy, and if there's one thing you want to eat when you're in Italy, what would it be?

Any

Sonia Bozzi: Oh my gosh.

Paula Mohammed: I know. I'm making

Sonia Bozzi: so restrictive, Paula.

Paula Mohammed: Give me one

One dish or one dish, your choice.

Sonia Bozzi: I like a simple pasta with just tomato sauce. But it's, again, really good tomatoes. And a really good olive oil. And then fresh basil from the garden. And some really delicious freshly grated parmigiano and it's, you know, it's simple and it's just tasty.

That could, that could be my last supper.

Paula Mohammed: Thanks for bringing up your tour to Umbria. I focused on the Parma Modena tour because it's also described in on your website as a gastronomic  superstars and, really caught my interest, but tell us a little bit about the Umbria tour.

Sonia Bozzi:, we're actually doing two tours this fall that launched that itinerary. And there we, we go to and, spend time with a, friar, actually, who is going to, educate us a little bit on the history. And the focus is really, cultural, it's not religious., we go truffle hunting.

Which I think is going to be just tons of fun. And then with the truffles, we find come back and make lunch at the farmhouse., there's a vineyard tour. A number of them actually. And again, like a private and then a private dinner at one of the vineyards. We go to, a ceramic producer that, here it's a family that has been producing ceramics for 500 years.

Like, could you even imagine, and they're hand painted and anyway, they're too, so we go for a tour and we get to see some of the ancient uh, furnaces, or I guess the kilns. a, it's a, we always  blend some history, some culture of the area and then food and wine of the area for sure.

So that's just a little glimpse into that.

Paula Mohammed: One more time, Sonia, for people who want to learn more about you, find out more about the tours, follow you. What's the information? And I'll also put it in the show notes.

Sonia Bozzi: Yes, thank you so much. So our website is Call tour italia.com, so CUL tour italia.com. And on Instagram, it's same Cultur Italia for the Instagram handle or LinkedIn for my name. Sonya. Boxy.

Paula Mohammed: It has been delicious chatting. with you. And I can't wait to make the recipe. Really appreciate you sharing, about your background. 

It's always so fun to see you and really appreciate you being here. It's your very first podcast. You did great. I put you on the spot and,, you rocked it. It was good.

Sonia Bozzi: Thank you, Paula. This was a lot of fun. I feel like next time we need to do it around lunchtime or something so we can eat  after.

Thank you for having me.

Paula Mohammed: Well, that was really fun. One of the types of conversations that I just love to have a little bit entrepreneur story, a little bit food, a lot of culture and a lot of La Dolce Vita. Hope you enjoyed that as much as I did. If you are traveling to Parma or Modeno or Umbria or happen to go on Sonya's tour, 

Let us know how it is.

if you'd like to hear more podcasts on Italy, check out season one, episode two, where I talk with Melissa Fiourucci all about Umbria. The title of the episode is Chewing the Fat with Melissa Fiorucci an Umbrian Story. And then after that, season four, episodes one and two is Living La Dolce Vita with Paola, all about Puglia.

Look forward to catching you on our next episode. In the meantime, happy cooking, happy travels. 



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Paula Mohammed

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