Cuciniamo, Finalmente!

---

We met first at the local cafe for a "stiff one" to start off our first cooking experience. We were pleased to find out an Australian couple, Barry and Susan, would be joining us for the day. They were great folks and added a bit of balance to the group. Plus Dave and I were excited to talk with them about their country, which we'll be visiting next year.

After coffee, we proceeded to the smallish market to buy fresh meat and produce, then back to the school to have our first pasta making lesson and prepare the rest of our lunch: mussels in wine, "Mexican hat" pasta, with cherry tomatoes and ricotta,followed by whole grilled Bronzino fish and braised sweet pepper, and finally melon for dessert. Home to recover for 3 hours, then returned to prepare dinner: bruschetta, 4 types of cheese, the cavatelli pasta we made that morning with tomato sauce canned by a previous cooking class, chicken with green olives and sage, roasted potatoes tossed in breadcrumbs, and for dessert a rolled crepe, stuffed with sweetened ricotta. In between were "chalk talks" on local wine, olive oil production and use, the variations in regional ingredients, making cheese, etc. Needless to say it was a very full day--and very full is the perfect description of how we felt by the end of it!

Sharon: GOOD THING-- Finally getting to cook and eat--the mussels at lunch were the best I've ever had! BAD THING-- "Interesting" dynamics between the members of the class...

Sandy: GOOD THING-- Making (and eating) Mexican Hat pasta. BAD THING-- my pants already don't fit!

Dave: GOOD THING-- The addition of Susan and Barry from Australia to the group for the day. (The fact that they turned out to be lawyers, too,was an added plus!). BAD THING-- Being frustrated by the bad Internet connection, although we've received promises that it will be fixed...

---

Photos

Where We Start Each Day
Barrista Antonio helps us start the day off right!

Market scene.1
The building is filled with proprietors of meat, poultry, produce, cheese and salumi, and bread.

Poultry Seller
Types of meat are purchased from separate vendors--one sells poultry, one beef/pork/lamb (all of which is imported from the north), and another horse(!)

Giant Loaf
Purchased for our next several meals

Shrine On Building
St Jerome--patron saint of dogs?

Where We Cook
Was once the stable of the palazzo

Sharon Making Mexican Hat Pasta
Using top of empty wine bottle to help shape each one

The Fruits of Our Morning's Labors
Cavatelli and Mexican Hat pasta

Excellent Fish
And even better with a healthy portion of olive oil poured over it, as we learned almost everything is...

Silvestro Explains It All To Us
Wine chalk talk

Dinner's Creative Napkin Folding
At each meal there is a different and beautiful presentation by staff member Giorgio

Dessert at Dinner
Diti dei Aposti, literally "fingers of the Apostles", but actually crepes filled with sweetened ricotta

Comments

[Linda]

A little SNAFU, we hope!
You may have to drink a little more wine & hold good thoughts for us. I just saw an article today where the Royal Princess had to cancel a Mediterranean cruise (in Naples) on the 7th of a 12 day cruise, & the next one completely, because of electrical/power problems. This has not been in the news----I just happened upon it on a FB Roll Call for our cruise. They are supposed to sail again on the 27th out of Barcelona (12 days ending in Venice) which would be the cruise backing up to ours. Not too worried about the first part of our cruise, but it's the 8 days crossing the Atlantic that could be problematic if we got stuck. We will also already be in Switzerland, if they have problems on this next cruise & would have to cancel ours. Needless to say, we have NOT told Mom about this!! Hold a good thought---this may be more of an adventure than us old folks can handle! For certain, my alcohol is packed, so guess we'll be OK!