The adventures of Kate in Italy!

Kate · Posted: Fri Mar 04, 2005 10:43 am Post subject: The adventures of Kate in Italy!

For those of you not subscribed to our newsletter I thought I would start this thread to let you all know what's happening here. I think I'm finally adjusted to the time change and caught up on sleep. Now all I need to do is get used to the italian key board!
Guido's Dad greeted me with a wonderful lunch of saffron scented risotto, followed with roast turkey breast and potato's. It's difficult to describe the meditterean flavors of the food here, but I'll try. Everything here is fresh and the Italians decide what they want to eat each day and shop for it. Guido said once that he and his Dad go to one of the large markets about once a month and stock up on wine, water and staples. My first night here Guido made bresaola di carpaccio for dinner and the arugla was so fresh and green, the bresaola was wonderfully fragrant and delicious..with a squeeze or sorrento lemon juice over it.If you have never tried this dish I suggest that you do because it is a delight of flavors and freshness. Everywhere you go here you are welcomed with wonderful smells, fresh bread baking in wood fired ovens, espresso being made. I love Italy...

Ciao.....Kate
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guido · Site Admin Joined: Oct 18, 2004 Posts: 381 Location: Italy

I think my chef got too much chardonnay Rolling Eyes

It was a carpaccio of bresaola, not a bresaola of carpaccio Very Happy

ciao!
Guido
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In vino veritas!

Kate · Posted: Fri Mar 04, 2005 4:57 pm Post subject:

Ha ha.....hic. Well sweety you kept filling my glass

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A closed mouth gathers no feet.

Kate · Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2005 2:15 pm Post subject:

Today is Sunday and we awoke to the sound of the church bells in the piazza. I love to stand on the balcony and watch the piazza come to life, shop owners setting up for the day and the people going to the bar to get pastries and coffee. Guido and I went shopping for the ingredients to make clam chowder for lunch. Papa cooks so many nice meals for me I thought it would be nice to give him a day off. Papa is always asking about dishes that are typically American and Guido had remarked once that he thought his Mom would like clam chowder. It was interesting hearing their reactions. Papa commented that he didn't taste any one flavor over the other and I explained that this is typical of that type soup, where all the flavors meld together. In Italian cooking the flavor of the main ingredient, be it fish or beef is the dominating flavor. I think they liked my chowder...gulp haha.

Italian food stores are fun and I love looking at all the different foods. Apples are sold unwaxed andf you have to wear a glove to touch the unwrapped fruits and vegetables. The deli counter is just amazing, all the different types of meats and cheeses. One of my favorite Italian cheeses is scamorza, a smoked cheese that is served melted in a pan with bread. The type of smoking is very different ftom American smoked cheeses, and the melted cheese has a meaty almost bacon flavor that is delicious.I normally don't like smoked cheese but I love this one.
One thing you don't see in Italian markets is a lot of frozen food. There is one small area that contains a small variety of frozen foods and ice cream and desserts. Iìm craving a sweet....hmmm may have to stop by the bar on the way home....
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A closed mouth gathers no feet.

Kate · Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2005 12:03 pm Post subject:

Since I've been here Guido and I have been on the look out for bombolone but no luck yet. Bombolone are a little fluffy donut like delight that's filled with cream, chocolate or jam. The lady at the bar explained that they don't sell to many because everyone is on a diet. But the case is brimming with croissants filled with all manner of fruits and creams, tarts, cookies, meringues...you name it. I settled for a piece of pandoro when we got home. Pandoro is a traditional Christmas cake and like most of the cakes here it is a yeast cake, more like a danish. Pandoro means golden cake and it's delicious, moist and buttery, with only a dusting of powdered sugar on top. It was so good that I had a piece for breakfast this morning instead of the usual biscuits. I made muffins for Guido as soon as I got here so he has been enjoying them for breakfast. Waking up is a treat because of the wonderful cappucino I know will be waiting for me. Thats one of the things I really miss when I leave, our morning coffee routine. I have a little cheapo espresso machine at home but it's nothing compared to Guido's Gaggia. That machine makes absolutely the best espresso and cappucino I have ever tasted.The espresso is rich and slightly thick with a nice layer of creme on top and not at all bitter. The cappucino comes out creamy and smooth. I hope to have my own Gaggia by the time Guido moves to the states this summer......
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A closed mouth gathers no feet.

Kate · Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2005 10:30 am Post subject:

Today is Wednesday and it's market day in Anzio. At the end of Guido's street the vendors have set up their stands with a hugh array of fresh fruits and vegetables, clothing and household goods and odds and ends, One man drives a converted motor home in and sells meats and cheeses.
The weather today is gorgeouse with barely a cloud in the sky. The sound of electric pruners and chain saws fills the air as people start cleaning up their gardens in preperation for spring. Guido has just announced that we will have cotechino with pureed potatoes and lentils for lunch...this will be my first time trying this dish so I will report on it later. Last night Guido and I went to the big market to buy hot dog buns (pannini) and tomatoes for the hot dogs I brought over with me. They don't have american styly hot dogs here, but they do have them made from all pork and Guido brefers our all beef dogs. We picked up some paprikah dusted potato chips and beer to go with the hot dogs. They were great. Speaking of food shopping, I'm totally amazed at the prices here. The day I made the clam chowder we bought a bunch of celery, a bag of onions, milk, heavy cream, a big container of mushrooms, a bottle of vitamins, 2 thick slices of bacon and about a half pound of good salame. Now the vitamins were 5.50 euro's. and the total bill was.....16.80 euros. Thats about 20 in US currency. I was amazed at the quanitity of food we bought for that much money. At meals Papa brings out these hugh chunks of parmesan that would cost a fortune in the states. Whern I go to the market at home, I walk out with one medium sized bag of groceries, regular stuff like milk and eggs etc...and my wallet is lighter by $30.00....I just have the feeling that us American's are doing it all wrong.
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A closed mouth gathers no feet.

Kate · Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2005 1:28 pm Post subject:

Iìm in a food coma. Papa made tortellini in brodo for lunch, followed by the boiled beef and chicken used to make the broth.To acompany the meats Papa serves "mostarda di cremona" which is candied fruits in a mustard sauce. It smells terrible but is really delicious amd provides a nice contrast to the mildy seasoned meats.
As I said last week I would let you know how the cotechino tasted. It was good, with a mild creamy mouth feel. It's not something I would want to eat often but it was nice.
There is always bread on the table here and I get in trouble with Mama for eating it with the pasta dishes as that is usally not done in Italy despite what most American's may think. Now it's ok to eat it with the second course, and why that's ok beats me...but what Mama says goes haha. The bread here is so good, especially the white pizza. It has parmesan and salt on top and the smell is just heavenly.
We didn't get to go to Rome today because it was raining to hard so we will try for tomorrow. I look forward to having tramizzones for lunch. These are wonderful sandwiches that are sold in halves. The bread is a very large square and has a light but dense crumb. The fillings are varied and all are artfully arranged to make the cut side of each half attractive.

I'm now facing the last part of my trip with dread. Going home will be both happy and sad. I miss my daughter and my kitty, but leaving Guido behind is always hard. I can't wait until he moves to California with me. Until then I dream.....
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A closed mouth gathers no feet.

Kate · Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2005 1:46 pm Post subject:

Today is Saturday, March 19th and it's Fathers Day in Italy. I made buffalo wing for lunch as something new for Guido and his family to try. I toned the heat way down because Mama doesn't like hot food. When it came to the blu cheese dressing though well that was a challenge. Sour cream is something else thats rare here and blue cheese...forget it. I ended up making a form of creme fraiche with heavy cream and using plain yogurt as the culture since buttermilk is also not available. We used gorgonzola cheese and the dressing came out wonderful! Mama was hiding the remaining dressing in the fridge last time I was in the kitchen. Lunch here is fun, with everyone laughing and teasing. Bottles of wine are passed around and Mama picks on Papa if he fills his glass to many times.Guido has to translate for me but to me laughter is contagious in any language and so I laugh right along.
Guido's brother Fabio surprised us Thursday evening when he called and said he had some unexpected shore leave. After lunch Mama brought out trays of pastries filled with jam and custard and we each ate two of them. Thank heavens I didn't eat a lot at lunch because after the pastries I was ready to pop. Fabio decide to tease me that there was pasta and steak and all sorts of stuff next. They all laughed as i got this perplexed look on my face.

Last Tuesday we went to the Sistine Chapel. That was for me the realization of a life long dream..to stand within the walls where Michaelangelo spent his life creating his masterpieces. I was moved to tears a few times at the beauty and the effort. There are no lights, only a few small windows by which the artist had to work. Perhaps this is the reason the paintings are so beautiful. I was reminded of the poem "The Builders," by Longefellow with one line that reads "Standing in these walls of time". Thats what I felt in the chapels, the time, lives devoted to one goal so that centuries of manking could enjoy. We walked through the Roman forums after the Chapel, and again history surrounds me. Every where you turn in Italy there is history. between two newer building, a castle sits, or part of one. Buildings marked with bullet holes and other signs of wars long past.Italy adaps to it's past, preserving and keeping room for that which must stand as a reminder.
My trip is coming to an end. More memories, expierences and joy. I know this won't be my last trip here, but leaving is always hard.

Ciao....Kate
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A closed mouth gathers no feet.

Kate · Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2005 3:58 pm Post subject:

Today is my last day here in Italy. I'm sad to be leaving but it will be nice to get home and see my daughter for Easter and my kitty. My dear friend Nina has been taking care of my kitty for 3 weeks and she is ready for a break. ZoomZoom can be a handful and is quite demanding at times. I'm sure she thinks I've gone off and left her by now.
I spent the morning packing while Guido came to his office. I stood on the balcony and watched the piazza and tried to absorb as much of it as possible. We have had evening "seranades" from the church across the piazza. The choir is practicing for the Easter celebration, but they forget to turn off the connection from the mic to the bell tower, so we get it in stereo.
Papa prepared a wonderful lunch of tortellini stuffed with parmesan and proscuitto in a cream sauce, followed by fresh sauteed spinach and steaks and my favorite foccacia bread.I must admit I am spoiled here.Guido brings me a cup of cappuchino in bed each morning, with a smile on his face and a cheerful buon giorno.
There is one thing I have noticed here is that the Italians don't return a smile. Now I always smile at people I meet, so they must think I'm nuts. But the people for the most part seem contented and happy.My goal for my next trip here is to speak and understand the language .
Guido will be coming to California in late July for a vacation . Italy shuts down in August he says so it's a great time for him to come. We have done research on his visa and know what type he needs to apply for, so not sure if that will be the move yet.
I have much to look forward to in my life and for that I am greatful.
I hope you have enjoyed my little diary here. I love releiving the memories.

Arreverdeci Roma....ti amo
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A closed mouth gathers no feet.

Leroger · Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2005 5:43 pm Post subject:

Kate..

Thank you for the great food discriptions, damn it girl i wish i was going to vist there,, as i do love to eat,, just ask Lorraine,, lol,,

huggles

Lee
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Always enjoy the moment, this minute will never be here again, Lee