Cioccolato

Margherita just made the most delicious little chocolate cookie.

Essentially it is just chocolate, panna (creme), and panettone. Rolled into a little ball.
Delicious!
 She is also starting to make all of my favorite food because she knows that I am leaving soon. We only have a few days left together :( It is such a strange thing to think about!

Just thought I'd update with a little information. I've been so busy lately and haven't had much time to update this blog.

Well, now back to my paper about how Classical Mythology relates to Disney princess movies.

A dopo!
Ciao ciao

The Art of the Kitchen

During dinner tonight, I told Margherita about an Italian movie I watched in class today. I don't remember the title but it was about a man that goes to a cooking class to learn how to make chocolate. It was such an interesting film because it shows how chocolate is more than a few ingredients thrown together-- it is a true science.
Margherita brought up this point. To make good chocolate, you need love. The same as cooking and baking in the kitchen. Success comes with love and patience.

On another note, Happy last day of November! This month has truly flown by and it is surprising that we only have three weeks until Christmas! Margherita has started to buy an assortment of panetonne and pandoro for me (I think she comes home every day with a new one-- she wants me to try every different one from every bakery possible). These are traditional dolci of Natale. Panetonne is from Milano. It is a bread filled with raisins and dried fruits traditionally. Now there are many different versions. Some are filled with chocolate, liqueur or nuts. I found a grande panetonne at a popular chocolate shop, Vestri, that was covered in chocolate and hazelnuts. Yum! Margherita won't buy those though, she only likes the traditional panetonne. Pandoro is another traditional dolce originating in Verona. This is much different, with nothing inside and made with a lot of butter. They are extremely delicious. You can find fresh ones every day at about any pasticcheria (bakery). Or supermercato actually. They are everywhere.

Sorry this is such a bad picture, but on the left is pandoro and on the right is panetonne.

But, overall message of the day? Fill your life with love and your kitchen will be blessed with delicious food.

Happy Thanksgiving (?) !!

Well first of all, I'd like to wish all of my family and friends a wonderful Thanksgiving! It is such a great day to celebrate with loved ones and recognize everything we have been blessed with. I am so lucky to be surrounded by such wonderful people in my life. Although I can't spend the holiday at home, everyone is in my thoughts and prayers today!
Unfortunately, Italy knows nothing of Thanksgiving and all of its wonderful delicious traditions. HOWEVER I did find a pumpkin pie in one of the American bakeries today-- its called Sugar and Spice and was on my way back from my presentation today. I just had to get one and share it with my friends. It was delicious. That made my day!

This morning, I had to give a presentation to an Italian high school. It was a presentation in English to help them learn. I had a blast. The teacher was so sweet and the students were so quiet and actually listened to me. I went to the Instituto del'Arte and it is gorgeous. Those students are so lucky. Italy has normal high schools, where students learn a little bit of every subject, but they also have specialized schools. This is a specialized high school, where the students learn only subjects in art. It is very different than American high schools.

Tonight, Margherita wanted to celebrate Thanksgiving with me! I was so shocked because I knew that she had no knowledge of the holiday. But she decorated the table very nicely and brought out champagne. We toasted to Ringraziamento (Thanksgiving) and she wished me a happy holiday! I think she also wanted to feed me like it was Turkey Day, not necessarily the kind of food but the quantity. Let me start from the beginning: 

1) Spinach and ricotta cooked together. Topped with fresh tomato sauce (always made from scratch)

2) A typical Tuscan dish (piatto toscana) made of Tuscan bread (Tuscan bread doesn't have any salt in it) mashed with cabbage, zucchini and onions. Topped with fresh olive oil. 

3) Lamb, slowly cooked in the oven for 7 hours, with potatoes that were cooked with the juice from the meat. Also, cooked artichokes (they are in season now!) with garlic and rosemary, roasted cauliflower and roasted green beans. 

4) A special cut of pork that is stuffed with herbs. Delicious-- you can find this on the street and the vendors make wonderful paninis with this. 

5) Tripe (not my favorite, I can't handle the squishy consistency) topped with cheese. 

6) Clementines and a pear 

7) A traditional Italian dessert for Natale, called Panettone. It is a sweet bread made with raisins. Don't worry, she didn't bake it. You can find them at all pasticcherias and supermercatos-- they are everywhere in all shapes and sizes! But she served it with a homemade crema made with oranges. She tried to serve me another dessert but I told her I would have to wait until tomorrow. 

Oh, and also she served fresh bread (from a forno--bakery) with fresh olive oil. 

So, although I am miles and miles away from home, I was still able to celebrate Thanksgiving. Margherita truly made it a wonderful holiday. 

Also, I loved Skyping with my family! I love you all so much. 

Ciao, a dopo. Buon Ringraziamento!

Breakfast??

This morning I woke up to find my breakfast dishes out (Margherita usually leaves them out in the morning) and this delicious dessert that she made last night-- Sachertorte. It was delicious, of course, but I can't believe she wants me to eat that in the morning! She loves pushing sweets on me. I'm not complaining but its hard to start the day out with a wonderful chocolate-y dessert.

This is another dessert she made the other day... it was a pear tart with amaretto. YUM. Since it is winter now, she loves to bake and spend even more time in the kitchen. Last week she wasn't feeling well but still baked this tart and then made a delicious dinner. She amazes me!



Last night Molly came over for dinner because she wanted to interview Margherita for her Italian class. It was so much fun having her over!! We had lasagna, beef with ricotta, fried egg, and prosciutto, then a whole assortment of vegetables. Plus dessert. And fresh olive oil. It was a great night and we had such a blast together!!

Margherita and Molly

Berlusconi is Gone!

So this news update is a little delayed, but after 17 years of being in office, Silvio Berlusconi stepped down from his position of Prime Minister!

On November 16th, Berlusconi officially resigned. I am pretty sure all of Italy rejoiced because no one truly supported him. Almost all Italians that I have spoken with have expressed their extreme dislike of him. Mostly because he has done nothing for this country. His time in office has been filled with scandals and false promises. Margherita always says how he makes Italy look like a joke.

Italy is one of the most confusing countries, politically speaking. There are about 6 different parties, all with different goals and ideas of how to help Italy. However none of them can unite and work together which has not only created a divided country but also one that is completely ineffective.

Mario Monti has taken over as Prime Minister. It was actually a great choice for this country. He is not affiliated with any of the political parties-- he is the Minister of Economy and Finance. Hopefully he can pull the country together and find an effective way to help Italy before it crashes and burns. Italians' hope has been revitalized and hopefully they will gain more confidence in their government.

This is such a big event for Italians-- all of my professors can't help but talk about it and show their excitement.

New Olive Oil-- YUM

The new olive oil is out! This is a celebrated time of year in Italy because the harvest of olives has ended and the new olive oil is out for sale! Let me tell you, there is nothing more delicious than fresh olive oil. You can’t cook with it—just eat it raw! It is a little spicy and the color is a lot darker than normal olive oil. Margherita received a huge bottle from one of her friends who lives in the mountains. It is amazing.

She taught me a Tuscan recipe the other day. So first, take a piece of bread (preferably fresh bread) and toast it. Then, rub a little bit of garlic on it, add a little salt and then drizzle olive oil over.

Delicious! :)

Ireland-- Part 3

Ireland was by far my favorite part of the trip. I passed out on the plane (I seriously have no recollection of the flight) but I remember waking up and looking out the window as we landed—I was the green countryside and distinct Irish cottages dotted over the region. I think I literally gasped out loud. For the next few hours I think I kept nudging my friends and saying, “GUESS WHAT. We’re in Ireland!”

            I have always wanted to visit Ireland. Not only have I heard so much about it and seen so many breathtaking pictures of it in various movies, but my parents lived there for a few months and talked about how wonderful it is. I was so excited that one of my deepest wishes was coming true!

            After we disembarked the plane, it took us a while to gather our things and sort a few details out. We then took a bus to Dublin, found our hostel and made the plans for the day. Unfortunately, we were exhausted from not sleeping the night before but were not able to check into our room for another few hours. So, we decided to brave the rain and wander the city for a while. After a little bit of trudging around, Molly went back to sleep while Clio and I wandered for a little bit. Dublin has such a different feel than the other cities. Of course, everyone told us that Dublin is the most touristy city but we still enjoyed ourselves.There are so many pubs—on every corner and every street. The people are incredibly nice and so friendly. It’s a wonder how they can be so upbeat with all of the rain they get! But everyone we encountered was open to talking to us. Plus, their accents are so fun!

            Clio and I didn’t last long in the rain—it had been a long day even though it was around three in the afternoon. We went back to the hostel to nap for the afternoon and gain some energy. I went to talk to one of the guys at the front desk, who was incredibly helpful. He helped make the trip so amazing. He suggested a bus tour around the western side of Ireland and then staying the night in Galway. At first I was a little doubtful but then realized that the real Ireland is the west coast—the countryside and green landscape. So, after helping us sort out a few details, the rest of our trip was successfully booked!

That night we ate at the Brazen Head Inn—the oldest pub in Ireland. It was delicious – I am obsessed with their brown bread and stew. We had a great night just relaxing and chatting all night in the pub, with traditional Irish music playing in the background. It couldn’t have been more perfect. Also, this pub had signed dollar bills plastered all over the walls. Ironically, one right in front of my face had ‘GO PACK GO’ written in bright green letters. I couldn’t stop laughing!

The next morning we woke up at the crack of dawn, packed a few belongings, and met our tour bus (after some difficulty navigating the streets. It’s a confusing city!) We signed up to take the McCoughly tours—a bus that takes us from Galway all of the way down the west coast and then back to Dublin. We hopped on the bus at 7:30am and arrived in Galway around 10am. The tour was amazing and showed a great side of the Irish culture. Our bus driver played Irish music over the speakers in the bus (I unfortunately didn’t get a cd, I totally forgot!). Our first stop was in the Burren, a farming region in Ireland. It was gorgeous. We completely lucked out and were blessed with a sunny day—something that never happens during November. In the Burren (pronounced ‘Burn’) we went to the McCoughly farms, where the son led us on a hike up the hills to see the entire countryside. Words can’t describe its beauty! He was great in telling us about the history of the Burren and facts about Ireland in general. One interesting thing—the Burren is one of the only places in the world where the farmers lead there cows up the mountain for the winter. The way the landscape is designed is that it is actually warmer on top of the hills than in the valleys.

  

                   After our hike, we went back to their ‘Grandma’s Cottage’ and had coffee and carrot cake. The bus continued on to a few more destinations. My favorite—of course—were the Cliffs of Moher. I don’t think I could even describe how gorgeous they are. I would have to recommend anyone to seeing them. It is something you will always remember for the rest of your life. Anyways, we had a blast there. The sun and rain were in and out – we saw gorgeous rainbows! So, we decided to hike around the top of the cliffs, something I wouldn’t suggest. There is so much rain that the path turns into mud and makes it very easy for someone to slip or fall off of the cliff. (Not saying that happened to me or anything, I would give my parents a heart attack. But I’m just saying. It COULD happen. And when there is a choice between slipping off of the cliff and getting your foot covered in mud by trying to balance yourself, choose the mud).

            We traveled around the countryside until dusk and then returned to Galway. I have to say that my friends and I had the most amazing day. We couldn’t stop ‘oohing’ and ‘aahhing.’ I decided on this trip that I had to return to Ireland. So, someday, it will happen!

            

 Anyways, we returned to Galway and made it our mission to find a hotel or B&B. After traveling for a week and staying in hostels that were not necessarily the cleanest places, we needed our own room and our own bathroom. It just had to happen. So we wandered around the city and eventually found a hotel for relatively cheap. So we booked a triple room, put our stuff down and found a pub for dinner. We had a great night—drank a Guiness FINALLY and met some Irish people. It was fun chatting and getting to learn more about the culture. I think we slept well that night—I have never slept so soundly since being abroad. We woke up pretty late and just laid in bed laughing, sharing stories from the night before. We were in complete bliss in our hotel. It felt like a little piece of heaven. 

Once we finally decided to get moving, we showered, packed, cleared out of the room and found a great place for breakfast. It was right by the ocean and the people who worked there were so sweet. Omelets for breakfast and coffee?? Best way to start the day. Together we bought the Claddagh rings—an Irish tradition that represents love, loyalty, and friendship. It was definitely a bonding moment.

            Needless to say, I think we were high on Irish life at this point. We wandered around the city, visited the Cathedral, and unsuccessfully tried to find where my parents lived back in the day. It was hard to say goodbye to Galway, but we had to board the bus for the two and a half hour bus ride to Dublin. We arrived, finished some details for our trip back to Florence, packed our suitcases, and then went out for dinner. Molly and I ordered the most ridiculous stew—Guiness and Beef stew. Don’t get me wrong- it was absolutely delicious, but it was HUGE. And so filling. Irish food is definitely nothing to write home about but it is very comforting. It is a perfect match for their rainy weather.

            We weren’t able to go out to any pubs that night in Dublin—after so much traveling and bouncing around different countries, we were exhausted. After packing our belongings, we crashed in preparation for our early morning travels back to good old Florence.  I am seriously in love with Ireland and cannot wait to plan my next trip back! It won’t be for a while, of course, but it is a country that needs to be explored with enough time. And possibly a car as well.