Che Pazzesco!

Napoli: people say you either hate it or you love it. And they are totally right. It is an absolutely crazy city that doesn't believe in traffic laws or pedestrians. The people there have the attitude of "what you get is what you see" and the streets are entangled with each other to create the most confusing city for any visitors. It's dirty and everything is dirt cheap. So...why would anybody love this city?

Well, for one thing their pizza is by far the best! It's a simple pie...usually nothing too complicated. Yet, it focuses on what makes a pizza a pizza. For a pizza to be a true Napoleatano pizza it has to meet certain requirements such as being cooked in a woodfired oven. John and I ate pizza two nights in a row because it was so good (not too mention extremely affordable?). The first night we stuffed ourselves at a place called Borgo Antico with bruschetta, pizza (1 whole pizza for each of us) and a bottle of wine. After hour and a half of being lost, roaming the streets of Napoli, we made it to our hotel room stuffed and exhausted. After that, getting lost seemed to become a habit of ours.

The second night we went to a famous pizza place in Napoli that I had heard wonderful things about. Da Michele's only serves two kinds of pizza because they are just that good. The marinara pizza was simple: sauce, oregano, garlic. The margherita, a pizza legend in Napoli, was just as good: sauce, buffalo mozzerella and basil. The place is really just a whole in the wall. It's not romantic at all because you're seated next to strangers at wooden tables lined up like a cafeteria. Pizzas are flying in and out of the woodfired oven, as the waiters and pizza chefs yell at each other for the next order. Before you know it, a pizza pie is plopped down in front of you and with a fork and knife, you're almost expected to eat the whole thing (and we did...). Yet, despite the unformal, uber-casual setting, the people (even the locals) still line up outside, waiting for a table or their pizza-pie to go. And the service is prompt...we probably were seated and done eating in less than hour. Let's just say the guys at Da Michele's know how to do pizza and know how to do it well.

Okay, so you're probably thinking to yourself, "Will this girl please stop talking about pizza?!?!". Well...yes. Although I do secretly hope that I made your mouth water for a big slice of cheesy pizza, there are other things I want to tell you about and they have nothing to do with food.

Did you ever wonder what it was like to live 2,000 years ago? The ancient ruins of Pompeii seem to give us some idea. Art, in many different forms, is everywhere. The city was built out of stone and a special form of uber-strong concrete. Intricate mosaics line the floors of many houses and the remnants of brightly colored frescoes still remain. The coliseum and the political buildings are by far the coolest architecture of the city. You can almost picture the roman people sitting in the stands of the coliseum, screaming with delight as they watch some fight between men and animals take place. The coolest part about Pompeii (in my opinion) is the mosaic art. Tiny little pieces of colored tile put together to form a picture that might as well be as clear as a photograph.

The rain was so bad in Napoli that after our morning in Pompeii, we decided to skip going to Capri :/ (which was our original plan) and just got back to the hotel to rest up and get dry.

The last day of our trip was spent waiting for train after train! Trying to get to a small town in Calabria called Soverato (this is where John's family was from) was by no means easy...We had to switch trains at least three times! Still, once we arrived (around 4 in the afternoon) we were at peace. Soverato is a quiet little town that is located on the coast of Italy, facing the adriatic sea. It's the kind of town that you would want to grow up in, where everyone knows everyone, but there's enough to do that you wouldn't get bored. We went and sat by the sea, picking up seaglass as we walked and enjoying the beautiful, tranquil scenery.

Our trip came to a quick end when we had to catch our overnight train back to Firenze at 8pm. Let me just say, this was not a fun train ride. After 10 hours of sitting in a stuffy train cabin, unable to stretch our legs or sleep soundly, we were very glad to be off that train and I was very glad to see the Duomo: home.

*Unfortunately, I can't upload any pictures from this trip because my memory card for my camera is broken :(

eUrOcHoCoLaTe

Imagine Oktoberfest...only instead of beer gardens, there are tents full of CHOCOLATE!

Eurochocolate is a chocolate festival celebrated every year in a small city called Perugia. Yesterday, my 2 other roommates and I decided that we would hop on a train and check out this festival of deliciousness. Of course, we were not expecting it to be such a big event. As we we were nearing the city center (which is located way up high on top of a mountain), we began to see more and more people walking down with bags full of chocolate delicacies. Escalators took us up the rest of the way, where we were jostled by thousands of anxious chocolate seekers.

There many different european chocolate brands present, and even more types of chocolate treats: milk chocolate, dark chocolate, hot chocolate, chocolate with nuts, chocolate shaped into hammers, chocolate spreads, chocolate covered fruits, chocolate sculptures, chocolate kebabs, crepes with chocolatey nutella....are you getting the picture? It was a chocolate lover's dream and let's just say I was in heaven.

After treating ourselves to creamy hot chocolate, chocolate covered apples, and crepes con nutella our chocolate cravings were more than satisfied. It was a chilly evening and we had to catch a train back to Florence, so our Eurochocolate adventures had to end there. If you're ever in Italy during this time, please go. It is like nothing else you will ever see.

Lindt Chocolatier, passing out free chocolate!

Me, Chill & Meg. Top of Perugia.

Meg with Crepes con nutella :)

Why Italy?

Some of you may be wondering--why Italy? Why did I choose to come here? I must admit I have asked myself this questions several times already. Of course, who wouldn't want to come to Italy?! Still, I feel as if this question deserves a better answer.

Coming here for me meant having the opportunity to follow my passion for Italian food, as well as Italy's rich history and culture. It meant "il dolce far niente". Living life differently. Slowing down. Savoring every bite. I recommend to all of you: slow down. Stop being so busy just for a moment. Look around you and savor what it is that you love. Il dolce far niente, il dolce far niente.

Our time here in Italy is almost half-way through. Sometimes, I have to slow myself down and really just enjoy where I am. It is easy to get caught up in thinking about next week's travels or what we should do the next day. Of course I know I cannot slow down time, but I can most certainly make the most of it...

Just in case you're wondering what you should make for dinner this week, I'd figure I would share with you an Italian dish we made a few weeks ago in my Food and Culture class. It is a perfect meal for a cool, brisk Fall day.

Ossobuco alla Milanese con Risotto allo Zafferono

(Veal Shanks with Saffron Risotto...Milan style)

Ossobuco

Ingredients:

4 thick (3/4 inch) slices of veal shin (shanks)

All purpose flour (for dredging)

salt & pepper

1/2 cup vegetable or olive oil

1 onion, finely diced

1 carrot, finely diced

1 celery stalk, finely diced

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 cup dry white wine

2-3 cups chicken/beef broth

3 tbsp flat Italian parsley

1 tbsp lemon zest

2 anchovies (optional)

Directions:

Trim the fat just around the edges of the veal shank. Lightly salt and pepper and dredge the veal in the flour until lightly coated.

Heat oil in a large pan. Place the veal in the pan and brown just the outsides of the veal, not cooking all the way through. Remove veal and set aside.

In the same pan, add the finely chopped onion, carrot, and celery. Season with salt (this will help dry out the vegetables when cooking too). Saute until soft and translucent. Add tomato paste and mix well. Return the veal to the pan, add the wine and reduce by half. Then add 2 cups of broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer until almost all the broth is gone (about 30 minutes). If mixture becomes too dry, you can add more broth. The vegetable mixture should be a thick consistency and not soupy. The meat should be cooked all the way through and you may even notice the tiny hole in the bone of the meat. This is why the dish is called "ossobuco" which translates to "bone hole".

Risotto allo Zafferono

Ingredients:

1 onion, finely diced

12 oz Arborio or Carnaroli rice

6 cups of chicken/vegetable broth

2 oz butter

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 small package of saffron

1 oz butter

3 oz grated parmesan cheese

salt & pepper

Directions:

In a large pan, saute the onion with 2 oz of butter until they are soft and translucent. In a separate pot, heat the broth. Add the rice to the onion and stir to coat the grains well (toasting them). Pour the wine in and let it evaporate.

Gradually add the broth by using a ladle. Each time you add more broth, let it be completely absorbed by the rice, stirring it as you go. Season with salt. Once you have added half of the broth, add the saffron to the broth and continue to ladle the broth into the rice. When the rice is done, turn off the heat (the consistency should be creamy, but the rice grains should still be firm or "al dente"). Add the rest of the butter and the grated Parmesan cheese (this last part of adding the butter and cheese is called "mantecare" in Italy). Serve immediately.

I don't know why, but I have fell in love with this dish.

Il Dolce di Firenze

Il Dolce Far Niente. So far, I have not really explained this phrase which has so much meaning not only in Italy, but in my own personal life as well. In english, this phrase translates to: the sweetness of doing nothing. It is in some ways a way of life which many Italians follow in some form or manner. Despite the "hustle-and-bustle" of central Florence, il dolce far niente can be found in little ways. Early mornings in Florence are taken slowly. Unlike New York City, Florence doesn't really wake up until 8 or 9 am. Breakfast, which usually consists of a croissant and cappuccino, is never eaten "on-the-go", but rather Florentines slowly sip their caffe' at the bar counter and usually enjoy their small meal with a friend. Lunch and dinner are also eaten with care. Italians take their meals seriously, savoring both the taste of the food and the good company of a friend.

I didn't have to travel far to discover this little taste of sweetness this weekend. Friday night I was invited into the home of a true Italian family. My boyfriend, John, is living with a host family this semester and so I had the honors of joining them for dinner. They are a small family of three, with three-year-old Giaccomo ruling the house. Walking into their small apartment, I was surprised at how real they were. They did not try to make a fancy impression or put on any airs. No, I was immediately greeted with "Ciao! Ciao!" and offered a place at the small kitchen table with a plastic cup of wine. Giaccomo was watching The Land Before Time (in Italian, of course) and even he would not break his gaze on the TV to stop and say hello to me.

The dinner was of course delicious. Il Primo was a sort of ravioli shaped like little purses and stuffed with a spinach and ricotta filling. There was no sauce, but it didn't need it--the parmesan cheese sprinkled on top was enough. Giaccomo stole most of the coversation of the first course and by the time we were ready for il Secondo, he has throwing a fit, insisting that he be allowed to watch more Land Before Time. Babbo and Mamma conceded because, like I said before, Giaccomo rules the house.

Il Secondo was just as delicious as il Primo: grilled zucchine, roasted peppers, and sliced tomatoes with melted Tomino cheese (similar to Brie). Strangely enough, we talked mostly about le zanzare, or mosquitos. Italians don't have window screens so mosquitos are a huge problem in the house. I myself have been eaten alive by mosquitoes since I have been here. Towards the end of the meal, la Mamma was up on her feet, jumping and determined to swat a giant zanzara with a rolled up magazine. Of course, we talked about other things than just mosquitoes. We spoke mostly in Italian which was a little bit difficult for me, but it didn't seem to matter to them how bad my Italian was. The meal ended with a bowl of gelato and grilled peaches. Giaccomo, who does not like gelato (!), ate a few wads of proscuitto crudo for his dessert. Then it was off to bed for him, and time to say good night.

Recap: Week 5

After re-reading some of my old posts, I realized just how many grammar mistakes and typos I have made. So, I am just going to apologize now for any illegible postings. It is difficult to say everything I want to say in a timely fashion without some mistakes. Please don't judge me!

This past week has been a relatively simple one. It is now that I finally feel settled in, finally feel like Via Martelli 3 is my home. When I see the top of the Duomo peaking over the buildings on my way home, I do not feel the same surreal amazement that I did the first few weeks I was here. Instead, I think to myself: only a few more blocks, and I will be opening my front door. Even though sometimes I still do get lost trying to take a new way home, I always have some vague idea of where I am and it is when I see the big red dome again, that I am reassured that I have found my way home.

Not only does my little apartment feel like home, but we have all pretty much figured out the Italian way of doing things. We now know Grana Padano cheese is way cheaper than Parmesan and tastes exactly the same. We now know that if you want good bread, you have to go shopping early in the morning or else it will be all gone or stale. We now know that you have to distinguish between Acqua Naturale (regular mineral water) and Acqua Frizzante (sparkling water) and the house wine is always the cheapest wine to order (and never bad!). We know that you can't expect to go out to dinner before 7:30 and that ordering a Cappuccino past noon is a big Italian no-no. Meaghan finally figured out what baking soda is called in Italy and we discovered that you simply cannot find cheddar cheese in any Italian grocery store. These are only a few of the many things that we have simply learned to adapt to...

This week I accomplished many things: I finished my first real painting in my painting class. I learned how to make simple, yet delicious, seafood spaghetti in my Food & Culture class (which also included learning how to clean and dissect calamari, squid, mussels and clams). In my Religion & Women's class I learned that there are many open doors in Florence that I have yet to explore. And in Ethics, I was reminded that happiness is not just about momentary pleasures and that the simple things in life are what truly make me happy.

This is all for now. Tonight, I have been invited over to dinner at John's host family's home. I am a little bit nervous about speaking Italian with them, but I am also very VERY excited about experiencing my first true home-cooked Italian meal. Wish me luck and arrivederci!