Italy Journal 7 - Castles, Wine & Focaccia Recipe

I have just about a week and a half left and am alternatively soaking up all the olive oil, espresso and wine that I can, and counting the days to seeing Kevin and Queso again...

I took many photos during my wine tasting trip through Tuscany, more specifically at the picturesque Castello di Brollio, home of the Baron of Ricasoli. The original Baron was the first prime minister of Italy and worked hard for the unification in the late 1800's. His house was really cool! The house is still occupied by the Ricasoli family but they use it mainly for entertaining now.

The Baron made his fortune in wine and, in addition to being a diplomat and politician, was really into the natural sciences. Through chemistry, he made the "perfect"wine which is known as Chianti Classico. (I learned last wine tasting that there are no chianti grapes, chianti is a mix of different kinds but must meet very strict standards.) The tour guide went on and on about Chianti Classico so you can imagine that we were all surprised to find out that we were not allowed to taste that one!! We did try the second best wines which were a Torricella  (08) and a Casalferro (05). Honestly I didn't love either of them, the red was very very dry and the white was super oaky. It was interesting to do the tasting,
though.

Next stop was Montalcino, a much less formal and more fun tasting in a local wine shop. Brunnello del  Montalcino is a very famous wine from this area that is aged at least 6 years before sale. It's the kind of wine that you buy now and keep for twenty years to drink for a super special occasion. There was a 250,000 Euro bottle in the shop from the 1950's! When I get back home I want to get some of this wine to save for a special occasion. 2004 is a good year to look for if you want to do the same. This is a red wine and it tasted really good - nice balance of sweet and dry - it's known as a table wine because it goes with many things.

Montalcino is the location of a medieval fortress and we climbed to the top of it. A fortress is basically a really big courtyard surrounded by incredibly high walls, with turrets to look out at the surrounding landscape. I thought it was a bit of poor planning to do the (very generous) wine tasting before climbing all the way to the top! Luckily no one fell off and we all made it back to the bus.

At last, I found some pizza that I really like. It was actually focaccia with a bunch of stuff on top - prosciutto, Parmesan  cheese, fresh tomatoes, arugula and basil. Up until today I was sure that Brooklyn had Italy beat  for pizza but this changed everything.

And for those interested, here's the recipe for the Foaccia Genovese. We made ours in a heart shape. It's very easy and delicious.

16 oz All Purpose Flour
1 Tbsp Salt
2 Tsp Sugar
1 oz. Brewer's Yeast (the block, not the powder)
1 oz.+ Really good olive oil (you will want a lot more)

Preheat oven to 428 degrees F. (This is the conversion from 220 Celsius).

Dilute the yeast in about 1 1/3 cups warm water, add sugar. In a big bowl add the flour and make a well, adding the salt and yeasty water to the center. Work the flour to form a dough. Use your hands. Knead the dough on a floured surface for 15 min. Oil a baking sheet and spread the dough out on the sheet. Allow to  rise for 40 minutes. Make dimples with your fingertips and bake for about 18-20 minutes. Top with additional olive oil and salt.

Italy Journal 6 - Pitti, Pity & Porchetta

Cooking classes have commenced, my sprained foot is healing and I'm enjoying myself in Florence. I decided yesterday to henceforth carry myself with my limp in confidence because I'm not letting a little ankle injury stop me from having a great trip and experiencing whatever it is I came here to find. Even if I am finding it more slowly…

Monday's first cooking class had me a bit worried. We were making Crepes Florentine (that's with spinach filling) but there were no crepe pans and our teacher was totally unfamiliar with the kitchen and workstations. Thankfully things improved from there, with a seafood spaghetti dish on Wednesday (during which I learned how to clean a squid) and asparagus risotto with veal milanese today. The boy from Texas working behind me made his "country fried veal" instead, with more breading than meat! The level of cooking instruction is pretty basic but I decided not to try to transfer to a different class because there are still things that I can learn (like patience and teamwork). Plus my teacher is a sommelier (wine expert) and it's fun to learn about wines, too.

Wednesday I had lunch in the tratorria underneath my apartment. It was one of the best meals I've had so far. The homemade ravioli was perfect texture, the filling of fresh spinach and ricotta, unlike any similar ravioli I've had. Every bite, every texture and taste is so fresh. You can taste the sunshine and the grass and the air. This is really food of the earth. The cream sauce was light, the mushrooms soft and tender, and little green herbs were just enough to offset the richness. And the red wine which was so good, and the bread. I love eating this kind of food. All of your senses come alive and you almost want to kiss the cranky old waiter for delivering it to the table. This is why I came to Italy.

*     *     *

Yesterday was a day off and I was sitting home with my elevated ankle feeling a little bit pitiful and it reminded me of the Pitti Palace which is around the corner from me. They have a spectacular garden so I went there –to Pitti, to escape my self-pity. It worked. The garden was probably the most beautiful physical therapy regime I could have imagined. It looks like a cross between Middle Earth – The Secret Garden – and Alice in Wonderland. I took some amazing pictures but they don't do it justice. So far the Boboli Gardens at the Pitti Palace is my absolute favorite place in Florence. And it's not even a food place! The Medici family of Italy married into the French aristocracy during the Renaissance and this is where they lived and had parties. There are secret passages through the hedges and fountains and quiet nooks, and you can just imagine fancy people strolling through very same paths and enjoying themselves. Since it is right around the corner from me, I've decided to declare it my official backyard and go back there at least a few more times before I leave.

After two hours of hobbling and strengthening my ankle, I happened upon a homemade gelaterria where I had *the best gelato yet* which wasn't technically gelato at all, it was chocolate sorbet with orange peels. Let me tell you about the gelato here. Everyone tells you it's great but let me be honest – it isn't. Most of the places that I've seen don't make it from scratch and it's way too sweet. But the few places that do it the old fashioned way are worth seeking out. So that's what I've been doing. So I don't get gelato very often because not that many places actually make it themselves. Surprising (to me anyway)!

Yesterday was a big holiday in Florence – the Festival of San Giovanni (John the Baptist), the patron saint of the city. There were all kinds of special things happening, the most special of which was an *amazing* fireworks spectacular at night. It seemed like the whole city was gathered on either side of the Arno (river) to watch them. I went with a friend and we had a picnic dinner of porchetta (juicy roast pork) panini sandwiches and wine. In Italy there is no silly law preventing civilized people from drinking wine outside like there is in New York. I bought this strange tube of mosquito repellant that looks like deodorant. It seemed to really work well as there were thousands of hungry bugs and I didn't get bit at all. We could see the bats that live by the river and I think they were eating the mosquitoes. I try not to think about the bats because they creep me out—but I'm grateful for their dining habits. Then, all of a sudden, seemingly out of nowhere and in perfect unison, all the street lights blacked out! The huge fireworks display began and lasted for an entire hour—it was the most spectacular fireworks show I've ever seen. The sound ricocheted and echoed off the buildings up and down the river and it seemed like the entire city was caught in a collective "Wow". After a short walk home, I welcomed a sweet sleep.

Italy Journal 5 - Leaning Tower of Pisa

Pisa: It's really crooked!

            Friday marked the last day of our Italian Culture week-long class. Yesterday I began a three week cooking class called Food, Culture and Society of Italy. My class time runs from 3-5:30pm so I will still have most of the daytime to see the interior sights of Florence (most of which I haven't yet) and have lots of amazing dinners. I want to tell you about Pisa – it's really leaning!

            After class, and with very little sleep due to the last minute writing of papers and presentations the night before, a group of seven of us boarded an afternoon train to Pisa. It's about 2 hours away from Florence. Arriving in Pisa, we walked through the center of town to an expansive lush green carpet of grass called the Piazza dei Miracoli (Field of Miracles) where the three main attractions sit – the leaning tower, the cathedral, and the baptistry. The city seemed a lot sketchier than Florence but I did love that there were actual sidewalks to walk on. In Florence the sidewalks are really narrow, and in many places you can only walk single-file. The buildings had a lot of graffiti, and the writers apparently do not like Pisa. I wondered if the vandalism was authored by disenchanted locals or if tourists came here and left really disappointed for some reason…

            Walking block after dreary block, suddenly I was staring at the leaning tower. It's really crooked! I took a picture and the sky was so beautiful that it looks photoshopped – but I promise it's real. My friends walked around the tiny interior spiral staircase to get to the top and I stayed outside to take pictures and to place a phone call to Kevin. There were so many people will small dogs there and I missed home. Plus, I was excited to tell Kevin that it was really leaning.

            Next I went into the Cathedral, which was suggested to me as one of the most beautiful churches in Italy. First I went into the "free" entrance for people who want to sit at the altar and pray. I lit a candle and soaked in the majesty of the place and then went back outside to enter the main entrance which cost 2 euro. Memories of a year of high school AP art history and 2 semesters worth at Brooklyn College all came back to me when I saw the artwork of the cathedral in person. One of my favorite features of this church and some others is the domed ceiling with a circular cut out (which is plugged now). The idea was to let the divine in through the ceiling, and the artists had the idea that people would look up and not just see the beauty of the coffers and frescos but of the sky. They called it an oculus – the eye of god. And there is a lot more famous art here, too.

            We didn't have time to go inside the baptistry – which is basically a round church where they baptize people. Since the area outside the piazza did not feel safe, we wanted to get back to the train before dark. We hit the train station 2 minutes before our train was about to depart and bought our tickets awkwardly using every machine in the lobby, validated the tickets at a separate machine and ran as fast as I have ever run in my life toward platform 10.

            Let me pause here to tell you about how hard it is to keep up with the 19 and 20 year old college kids that I'm hanging out with. They can stay up later, drink more, and certainly run faster. And although they are really great kids, they don't think to make sure everyone stays together. That is usually my role. I was literally running for my life as I didn't want to sit for an hour in the scary Pisa train station by myself if I got left behind. Our group split up and we had no idea if the other half of us was actually on the train until it was moving.

            We made it back to Florence in time to walk home from the train station with the biggest group of tourists I have ever seen. At least 150 people all with rolling suitcases walked in the street alongside our little group for a few blocks. It looked like the running of the bulls – but with rolly suitcases! The roar of the wheels on the cobblestones, echoing off the stone walls was pretty amazing, too. After I midnight-ish dinner of chocolate gelato I was off to bed and my friends went out to party.

Italy Journal 4 - Siena, Steak & Strange Italian men

            Wednesday morning we met for a bus tour to San Gimignano and Fattoria San Donato in Siena. Walking to the Santa Maria Novella train station, I was excited about what lay ahead. I'm very interested in sustainable agriculture and know that the fattoria, or farm, will be really interesting from this perspective. I had no expectations or prior knowledge about San Gimignano.

            The bus ride took us through a part of Florence that I haven't seen yet, to the north. There was a nice park and many more trees than can be found in Oltrano, where I am staying, on the other side of the arno (river). I sat next to Julie and it was fun to talk on the way there. One of the stories I told her was about the previous night when we were all together.

A group of us had gone out the night before for Steak Florentine and to a bar with Eddie from the school. The food was fantastic--starting with the antipasti, then probably the best steak I've ever had, free flowing wine, new potatoes bathed in olive oil and even fantastic desserts that we all shared. Later I had a really interesting experience at the bar. There was an Italian man who had been drinking too much and motioned that he was sick – I recognized the hand motion for "mal" because we learned the 'sign language' of Italian in our class. I got him a glass of water and told him to just breathe. When he came out of the bathroom he looked much better, perhaps for being paid a little care and attention, and planted a big Italian kiss on my cheek and walked off! It all happened really fast and was really funny to me.No one else saw it. I will chalk it up to being a minister and having that come out most often in the strangest of places!

I have noticed about Italian culture that they are much less wrapped up in their heads than Americans tend to be. I find myself being more present while here, just trying to stay in the moment and enjoy things to the fullest extent possible.

*    *    *

We arrived in San Gimignano and there was another pay toilet. I think it's funny that my classmates still don't know how to use them. It was the first thing I learned in the Rome train station – by necessity! They usually cost between 30 and 80 cents and are well maintained. Walking into San Gimignano feels a bit like Medieval Times, because that is when the town dates from. It is known as the Manhattan of the Middle Ages because wealthy neighbors would try to outdo each other by building higher and ever higher towers. These towers are the size of skyscrapers and were where the families lived. It reminded me a lot of the set for Monty Python and the Holy Grail and I wondered if it may have been filmed here. Throw the cow!

Onto the farm, we traveled by bus, as a hungry bunch. We were greeted by lots of rain and shuffled into the gift shop first, then the wine cellar for a brief history of the Vernattio wine that is produced here, alongside the Chianti (a blend of grapes). They also make Grappa from the skins of the grapes. I was given the opportunity to taste it and it is very strong! The owners of the farm created a beautiful spread of food for us and gave a lesson in how to properly taste wine before drinking it. My favorite part of the meal was the fresh ricotta, and the wine jam, which I purchased to bring back to New York. Other dishes included a faro salad, pickled eggplant, peppers, and onions, three kinds of salami, prosciutto, gorgonzola and parmesean cheeses and garlic bread soaked in the most delicious olive oil. Our meal was leisurely and relaxed. The wines were also very good. The chianti was not sweet at all and I liked the fullness of it.

The farmer also told us about the origin of steak Florentine. Since the cows in this region are raised for dairy, not for meat, they are kept in use until they are a ripe old age. It is these old dairy cows that provide the steak Florentine, which is a huge cut of meat cooked very rare, about 10 minutes on each side. Any longer cooking would render the meat too tough to eat.

I felt as though I could have stayed in both San Gimignano and San Donato (they are both in Siena) for the whole day, week, even month. The Tuscan air is at once perfumed and incredibly clean – like breathing in a shower for your lungs.  The Tuscan countryside is every bit as beautiful as the millions of pictures showcasing it. It was very nice to get out of Florence for the day, and made me realize how cold and urban our host city can feel in contrast to it's larger setting in Tuscany. I hope to go back again to Tuscany for a more formal wine tasting, as well as Parma and Modena. On the way home, I caught the most beautiful sunset on the Ponte Vecchio.

Italy Journal 3 - Hilltop of Florence

            We visited the Hilltop of Florence early in the morning, by way of the large flight of stairs that ascend directly to the top. On a previous night, I had visited the same place by climbing the winding road shared by pedestrians and cars. It felt much safer to be walking up the stairs. It was pouring rain by the time we reached the top and our class took cover under the awning of a café until the rain let up.

            The first stop was the Church of San Miniato, a large Romanesque building with much softer lines than the gothic exterior of the Duomo. The church is situated in a lush and verdant area with many of the typical tall Tuscan evergreen trees. San Miniato is the first church in Italy that I've been able to go inside. The cool, arid interior was a grounding feeling after the wet scurrying that proceeded it. Upon entering, I was struck by the frescos that line the walls and wondered how much history those faces must have witnessed over the many years. Every inch of the church seems to be covered in thoughtful artwork, ranging from ornate tiles to small animals painted on the ceiling beams in bright colors. San Miniato is credited with saving Florence from destruction and is often depicted holding a city in the palm of his hand. I'd like to return to hear the Latin vespers being sung, which they do every Sunday at 6pm.

            Outside the church is the Monumental Cemetery where famous and important people were buried. There is also a small herbal pharmacy/gift shop where I purchased my first piece of handmade Italian chocolate. It was delicious! I would describe it as smooth and creamy, a bit fruity but not too sweet, with a really satisfying texture that makes just a bite seem like enough. The chocolate was made better by sharing it around.

            Continuing in the rain, we sought temporary shelter at a smaller Franciscan church on the hilltop. Perhaps it was the humility of the structure, or the fewer number of tourists inside, but this church seemed to have much more heart. The frescoes were not as impressive as at San Miniato, and many had fallen into disrepair and chips. In the center aisle lay a illuminated manuscript of psalms, with intricate and colorful calligraphy and pictures. I flipped through and wondered who else had stood here and done the same.

            There was a smaller altar for lighting prayer candles, and I chose to light one for my father who is undergoing chemotheraphy again this week for his leukemia. He's been on my mind and it was comforting to be able to honor him in that way. Moved to tears, the statue over the altar seemed to comfort me, and I thought about the difference in connection and reaction to sculpture versus the two-dimensional frescos of the San Miniato.

            I rejoined the group outside and we walked to the Piazza Michelangelo once again, where I snapped a photo of the famous David sculpture – as painted on the side of an ice cream truck! It's nice the Florentines do not take themselves too seriously.

Italy Journal 2 - On Fitting In

Italian Renaissance & Fitting in in Fiorenza

            In today’s class we practiced short conversations, especially the nuances between formality and familiarity in language, for example, when to use buongiorno or ciao. We wrote paragraphs about ourselves using all the vocabulary so far, including new verbs. After a slideshow on renaissance art, we did a walking tour of architecture in Florence.

            I was tired today, partly because we stayed out late to see the World Cup last night and to hike the Piazza di Michaelangelo, and partly because I woke up at 6am to have a video chat with my husband Kevin. It felt so good to see him, and our dog, on the computer. This trip is the longest that we have ever been apart in our five years of marriage and six years together. After my usual breakfast of fruit and yogurt at home, I bought an espresso before class and needed another one before the walking tour of Il Battistero di San Giovanni (the baptistery of St. John, the patron saint of Florence), the Duomo/Santa Maria Fiore Cathedral, and the Piazza del Signore. Piazza del Duomo represents the power of religion in Italy, and the Piazza del Signore represents political power.

            During my trip I have been reading daily meditations on the life of Saint Francis of Assisi, a man who was born into riches and chose to live as a beggar, relying on the kindness of others to fully experience the divinity of his humanity.  When walking through the piazzas today, there were beggars who were posing for pictures and harassing people and perhaps due to my situatedness, I found this really vulgar.  I have not visited these structures on the inside yet, but from the outside, they are more of a statement about patriarchal power than the spirituality or humility in the outer artwork depicting the historical lives of the saints.

            Before the walk, our teacher asked us to consider the emotion that we felt looking at the statues and architecture along the tour. I have taken some art history classes and seen many of the statues on paper but it was a whole new experience looking at them in person. As a woman, I reacted strongly to the statue of the kidnapping of Persephone and some of the other more violent statues. I related that to how I have been feeling personally, walking through the streets alongside very thin models and young students who are so thin—that I’m somehow unacceptable or unwelcome because I don’t look like everyone else. I also felt this when shopping at one of the boutiques, where the largest size is about an American size 6.

            This afternoon I decided to visit the student services office and ask about stores that carry a range of sizes. Lucciana was there and told me about not one, but three stores nearby! We learned how to pronounce the Italian alphabet today, which came in handy when she sent me to OVS and called it “Oviesse”. I don’t think I would have found it without that lesson earlier today. I found a bathing suit and some other Italian clothes that are beautiful and fit great. I am starting to feel like I can fit in in Florence, just as I am.

            An early stop on our walking tour was Grom, the shop with the best gelato. I had a perfectly sweetened and wonderfully icy lemon granita which is “Slow Food certified”. Slow Food, a sustainable agriculture and gastronomy organization, started here in Italy. Grom has a strong environmental ethic and had multiple trash bins for organic and non-organic waste. Since we compost at home, this made me really happy to see. I will definitely go back for the gelato!

            Another interesting feature of the tour was the lions in the Piazza del Signore. They looked so friendly. The lion, and also the lily, have symbolic ties to Florence. Compared to the New York Public Library lions, who are enormous and very protective looking, these lions were downright cuddly. They were surrounded by smaller lions circling a column, who humorously had pigeons standing on their heads.

Later for lunch we had pizza in my neighborhood of Oltrano, half vegetable/prisciuotto and half capers/anchovies. The pizza was much more crispy than New York pizza and was served in personal size, which was still very generous and delicious. Pizza is accompanied by wine here, not soda as in the US.

Since this reflection is already somewhat personal, I’d also like to mention that as an adult student living and studying with people who are ten years or more my senior is really challenging sometimes. I have the outer impression that my fellow students are all somewhat privileged to be living with their parents back in New York and attending college at all, much less on a great study abroad trip. I did not have any of that sort of opportunity when I was their age. To listen to them complain about this or that minutia regarding class schedules not fitting in with their travel plans just seems so outrageous to me. We are here to study! I know that on this trip I will grow a lot personally through the interactions with my fellow students and with the culture and society. Italy seems to be a land of dichotomies in many ways—perhaps the lesson is the observance of how it all fits together anyway.

Italy Journal 1 - Food Shopping & Cooking

            Mi chiamo Diane. Sono Americana, di New York. Ho trentidue anni e ho un marito simpatico, si chiamo Kevin. Studio gastronomia e cibo italiana. Parlo inglese e un po spagnolo. Il mio indirizzo e via dei San Jacopo 13, en Fiorenzi. My name is Diane. I am American, from New York. I am 32 years old and have a nice husband named Kevin. I study cooking and food of Italy. I speak English and a little Spanish. My [temporary] address is 13 San Jacopo in Florence.

The lesson today was an introduction to Italy, including conversational basics in Italian, geography and basic food terms from various regions. We had a walking tour to the Mercato San Ambrogio. Since I arrived here, just two days ago, I have really experienced the significance and importance of food in Florentine society.

            Yesterday my roommates, along with other friends—a group of ten students—went to the Billi supermarket and shopped alongside the native Italians for ingredients to make our own Sunday evening family dinner. We went to the supermarket because it was Sunday and the open air markets were closed. At the supermarket, I was surprised to see so many imported foods, particularly in the produce department. Not knowing the language, it was tricky to decipher which foods were actually from Italy. After all, I didn't fly thousands of miles to get here and eat mangoes and bananas! As my husband, Kevin, back in NY, knows, I can spend hours food shopping, looking at all the ingredients and labels etc. Luckily my pokiness meant that we missed a rain shower—a blessing, considering how far the walk home would be. With groceries in tow, five of us headed back to our apartments across the Fuime Arno river and cooked an amazing meal of orchette with sautéed vegetables and cheese, along with a salad, garlic bread, and lots of wine. I chose the menu and cooked most of the food, teaching my new friends how to cut vegetables, wash salad, and make vinaigrette. It was amazing.

            Along the way to the Mercado today, I tasted a sandwich called Il Lampredotto, made of cow stomach. It tasted more like pork than beef to me, and with the texture of a fatty corned beef. It was fun to try such an unusual food. In the Mercado, I wished that I could remember more of the Italian language lesson just an hour earlier. Most of the vendors there did not speak English, but I still got along okay. The rainbows sea of fruits and vegetables was breathtaking. I purchased lacinto kale, cabbage, tomatoes, fennel, and the biggest celery I've ever seen. My roommates, Carolyn and Nicky, bought proscuitto and some cheese and we decided  share everything – tutti. Our little dinner group decided to collectively purchase ingredients to make a family meal of Parmigiana di Melanzane, eggplant parmesan, later in the week. An interesting fact about eggplant parmesan that we learned in class today is that it is not named for the cheese. Sicily, where the dish originates, has its own dialect that is unintelligible from regular Italian. The word 'parmigiana' means 'shutters', and refers to the thin stacks of fried eggplant, which resemble window shutters.

            In class we also learned about the differences  between peasant cuisine and rich cuisine, namely that the wealthier people historically ate more meat, such as Steak Florentine, and the poorer people ate more beans and vegetables. Everyone eats pasta. This sort of "peasant cuisine", making plant-based meals accented by meat and cheese is exactly the type of cooking that I enjoy most. Being in Florence, I do not miss my CSA (community supported agriculture) subscription food share because the food here is just as fresh and organic and wonderful.

            For dinner tonight I cooked my household a light meal of eggplant, garlic, tomatoes, fennel, cabbage and kale braised in white wine with garlic and pepperoncini, topped with Italian canned tuna. We had run out of bread and olive oil but it still tasted wonderful because everything is so fresh. After cleanup and homework, we will go watch the World Cup at the park and eat some gelato.

            Another part of the Florentine culture that I'm surprised to be enjoying so much is all of the walking. We walk everywhere. My apartment is a fourth floor walkup. It is steep. I forgot my pedometer at home in New York, but am sure that we are clocking at least five miles per day, if not more.  Most of my time is spent walking around in transit. The street vendors are annoying and very aggressive here, especially the men selling posters. It makes me laugh that someone would come to the Piazza Santa Croce, where we watched part of a renaissance-era soccer game reenactment yesterday, only to purchase a poster of Marilyn Monroe!

            After my third day here, I am already getting used to this lifestyle and know that I will miss it when I go home in a month.  I'm really grateful for how the program is structured, giving us this introduction to the language and basic culture before going into our subject classes next week. I came here for a class called Food, Culture & Society and it seems like I'm already getting a lot of all three even though it hasn't technically started yet.