Vittoria's Kitchen

Clean white walls and light gray marble countertops create a calming atmosphere in the little room.  Drawers and cabinets are stocked with cutting boards, cooking sheets, and knives of every shape and size.  Fresh ingredients are piled in the basket on the table, waiting to be put to good use.  Two ovens and two stoves allow multiple dishes to be cooking at once, generating a myriad of wonderful smells on any given afternoon. 

This is Vittoria’s kitchen.  Not her personal kitchen, but the one in which she teaches lessons to young cooking enthusiasts like myself.  When I signed up for her class on Italian vegetarian cooking, I was told it would be a group course.  But upon entering Vittoria’s kitchen for my first lesson, I found myself alone with Vittoria, her sole pupil.  At first this was intimidating, for Vittoria is a typical Florentine woman, proud and slightly aloof.  By the end of my first lesson, however, we were laughing together at my cooking mistakes and swapping stories about our families. 

At the start of each lesson, Vittoria welcomes me into her kitchen with a rapid wave of the hand and a stern, “I wait for you,” even if I am arriving a few minutes early.  She tucks her wild white hair into her chef hat and reties her apron, tightening it as an indication that she is ready to get down to business.  Vittoria has a commanding presence in the kitchen; years of experience are evident in the way she can take control of a knife or a piece of dough and force it to do her will.   And yet, Vittoria’s cooking mantra has nothing to do with coercion.  She repeatedly reminds me to cook “slowly and gently, but with energy.” 

Over the past few weeks, Vittoria and I have made some amazing dishes – gnocchi, risotto, polenta, stuffed tomatoes, and even cannoli.  We make everything completely from scratch.  Vittoria isn’t easy on me, but I must admit that I leave each lesson feeling rather accomplished!  The pear torte we made a few weeks ago might have been the best dish of them all.  I’ll never forget Vittoria squatting down looking with scrutiny at our torte baking in the oven.  She tugs on my apron so that I join her, both of us now eye-level with our fragrant creation.  She turns toward me, smiling, and shakes my hand enthusiastically saying, “Best compliments. Perfetto!”  Might be one of my top ten proudest moments.   

For me, cooking has always been a relaxing pastime.  And with the fast pace of my days here in Florence, I treasure the hours I spend with Vittoria in the kitchen during my weekly cooking lessons.  The peace and quiet of Vittoria’s kitchen gives me a chance to reflect and recharge every Wednesday, thus serving as my reminder to live the way Vittoria cooks: “slowly and gently, but with energy.”  I think I’ve found a new motto, both for cooking and for life.    

All About Atmosphere

This past weekend I took a train from Florence to Milan to stay with a friend from Boston College who is studying there for the semester.  There were three of us visiting him, all BC students studying abroad in various parts of Europe.  Needless to say, the four of us had an incredibly fun weekend together.  We saw all the major sights in Milan, including the famous La Scala Opera House, the world’s oldest shopping mall, the Sforza castle, and Milan’s own elaborate duomo cathedral (below I am pictured in front of it with my nutella waffle).  

In Milan, I had my very first aperitivo experience.  Aperitivo is a study abroad student’s dining fantasy: 8 euro gets you one drink of your choice along with unlimited access to sizable buffet featuring several varieties of pasta and pizza, cold cuts with bread and cheeses, numerous delectable side dishes, and so on.  It is very common for Italian restaurants to offer aperitivo specials a few nights a week, and on such evenings, American students notoriously take over the restaurant, managing to fill their plates four or five times.  We were no exception. 

And while aperitivo was certainly satisfying, I think I can safely say that the highlight of the weekend was our day trip to Lake Como on Saturday.  No I didn’t see George Clooney…sigh.  Regardless, Lake Como might be the most beautiful place I’ve ever been.  And I think I’ve figured out why I adore it so much.  Lake Como is like Lake Geneva, Wisconsin meets Telluride, Colorado; thus it combines my two favorite places in the world.  Then add in the Italy factor, and it doesn't get much better!  Sprinkled randomly around the lake are quaint little towns like Varenna and Bellagio, the two we visited.  There is wonderfully little to do in these towns other than relax and enjoy the views.  It is impossible to be there and not feel amazed at the beauty of creation. 

After taking a ferry from Varenna to Bellagio, my friends and I had a leisurely meal at this restaurant right on the water (pictured below).  We enjoyed dessert and cappuccino while we watched the sun set over the breathtaking blue lake and snow-capped mountains.  I have come to find that sometimes what you are eating is not nearly as significant as where you are eating and with whom.  And while our food was delicious, this was one of those times.  My friends and I were speechless, exchanging looks that conveyed our mutual feelings about this experience: pretty darn awesome.   

Appetite for Adventure

Last weekend, I had the pleasure of traveling to Interlaken, Switzerland!  It was a weekend full of “firsts.”  My first time paragliding (below is a picture of me taking off), first time attending a chocolate tasting, first time dining at Hooters (they have one in Interlaken, who knew?), and most notably my first time skiing in the Alps. 

Skiing in the Swiss Alps was a dream come true.  I only skied one day, but it was by far my favorite part of the trip.  The conditions were perfect – blue skies, spring temperatures, and minimal ice.  Run after run, I was dazzled by the beauty of my surroundings.  It almost didn’t feel real.  Since I’ve done so much skiing in Colorado, people keep asking me how the Alps compare to the American West in terms of skiing.  To be honest, I can’t really give a good answer since I only skied one day in the Alps.  But that one day was truly great! 

Despite the fact that my friends and I went to Hooters not just once but twice, I made the effort to experience some traditional Swiss cuisine as well.  The dish I ordered has a name, but it is in German and involves roughly fourteen syllables so I’ll spare you the trouble and just describe it instead.  Picture a sizzling plate of small dumplings covered in a Swiss cheese sauce and topped with broccoli, accompanied by warm and crusty garlic bread.  Might sound like a random combination of tastes, but it was to die for, especially after a long day of skiing. 

All in all, my trip to Interlaken was a success.  It satisfied not only my appetite for food, but for adventure as well!  

Duomo Debacle

The Duomo of Florence is probably the city’s single most recognizable structure.  I was extremely excited the day I moved into my apartment on Via dei Servi, which places me less than two blocks from it.  A colossal and breathtakingly elegant work of architecture, the Duomo is impossible to miss and hard to forget once you’ve seen it.  But the Duomo is more than a building.  It is a Cathedral that has been carrying on the tradition of the Catholic faith for nearly six centuries.  Although I am not a Catholic, my Christian faith is very important to me and so I decided to attend a Mass at the Duomo my very first week in Florence, thinking this would be a most meaningful and memorable experience. 

I entered the Cathedral and chose a seat in the back.  From my small wooden pew, I looked up.  The beautiful paintings adorning the inside of the dome seemed as though they were miles above me.  The Mass proceeded as usual until it was time for the Eucharist.  Since I attend a Jesuit-Catholic university back in Boston, I am familiar with the general proceedings of Mass.  I am aware that Lutherans like myself are not welcome to partake in Communion at a Catholic Mass, however this time I decided that I was going to do it anyway.  I just wanted to experience the holiest of meals at the Duomo in Florence.  So I stood and waited my turn until the Italian priest offered me the body.  I took it, turned around, and began to walk away before I had eaten it.  For some reason I thought I was supposed to eat it back at my seat, but I was severely mistaken.  I was halfway back to my seat when the sacred silence was interrupted shouts of, “Scusi! Scusi!”  As I looked over my shoulder, I was horrified to see the Italian priest running towards me, the pitter-patter of his fervent leaps making loud echoes throughout the world-famous Cathedral.  Upon reaching me, he angrily barked at me in Italian, something along the lines of, “Consume the body!”  I hurriedly shoved the wafer in my mouth, my wide eyes filled with terror and embarrassment. 

The rest of the service was a blur; I could focus on nothing besides my utter humiliation mixed with a slight resentment toward the Catholic Church’s fanatic obsession with ritual.  Nevertheless, a few hours later I was laughing with my roommates as I told them the story.  Of all the meals I will eat in Italy, none will be quite so comical as my Communion meal at the Duomo.  

A Birthday to Remember

I’ve been in Italy for over a week now, and one observation I’ve made about this country is that everything is slower here.  Including the Internet.  And while it can be slightly inconvenient and frustrating at times, I think a slower lifestyle is overall a much healthier one.  Italians take their time in everything they do, but especially when it comes to meals.  They rarely take food to go.  Many coffee places don’t even have to-go cups.  If you are going to eat or drink, you are also going to relax.  The Italian culture forces you to slow down, take a breath, and enjoy the present moment. 

I’ve already had several wonderful dining experiences in Italy – I’ve sampled all the staples including pasta, pizza, cappuccino, gelato, wine, and so.  But the meal I want to feature in this post is my birthday dinner, a three-and-a-half-hour affair that I will never ever forget.  Three of my good friends from BC are also studying in Florence, so we made a reservation for four at a little place called La Giostra.  The restaurant is very traditional Italian, priding itself on its personalized service, intimate atmosphere, and impeccable cuisine.  The first few pages of the menu explained the history of the restaurant and the family who runs it, as well as the 400-year-old building in which we were eating.  The restaurant owner insisted on the motto, “slow food is the best food.”   I sat there thinking to myself, I think I’m gonna like this place. 

Moments after being seated at our table in the back corner of the restaurant, my three friends and I were each given a complimentary glass of champagne.  Next came the appetizer platter, also complimentary.  It was huge!  Bruschetta, roasted peppers and mushrooms, slices of classic Italian cold cuts, stuffed zucchini, you name it. 

We also ordered a bottle of Chianti, seeing as it was my twenty-first and when in Florence…

Then we chose four main dishes to split family-style – the ravioli with spinach and ricotta, the penne with a gorgonzola and pear sauce, the seafood risotto, and the fillet drenched in balsamic sauce.  Every bite was amazing.  My mouth is honestly watering just writing about it. 

Couldn’t skip dessert!  We ordered the tiramasu and this special vanilla ice cream with fresh berries on top.  Great way to end the meal. 

While I was in the bathroom, my friends told the waiter that it was my birthday.  A few minutes later, he brought out a huge chocolate cake with candles and all the waiters sang to me!  Then they took the cake away…and never brought us any of it.  We found this absolutely hilarious.  Not that we needed any more food at this point, mind you, but who brings you a cake to make a birthday wish and then never lets you eat any?  The Italians, that’s who. 

Unfortunately I didn’t have my camera with me for this occasion, but you’re going to have to trust me when I say that everything about the evening was just beautiful – the food, the setting, and the company.  Ringing in my twenty-first in Florence was memorable to say the least!  I’m a very lucky girl.