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Published: September 27th 2013
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Breakfast
Elisabetta was concerned we weren't eating enough of the food she'd been bringing us for breakfast each morning, so her solution was to bring us even more than usual-- and we had already put the cheese and meat she brought in the refrigerator before this photo was taken... Morning prep began with making yet another type of pasta--this one with the much tamer name of orecchiette or "little ears". We were taught by the charming and incredibly patient Giuseppe and joined in our efforts by a friend of Silvestro's, the incredibly beautiful Ortoalisa, who is not only an expert orecchiette maker, but also a mother to a 7 year old, a marine biologist and university student!
The Biagi sisters dominated the rest of the class at this one, though most thought Sandy's were a tad better... We followed this with preparing the ingredients for lunch's first course: pepperonata, a dish made from thinly sliced bell peppers "sweated" to softness then dressed with olive oil and tossed with breadcrumbs. We also made the broccoli rabe sauce for the orecchiette (2nd course). Then onto the braised rabbit with Vin Cotto, our 3rd course. Next we made the batter for a type of biscotti, then we finished the morning by preparing the ingredients for chocolate gelato, which was to be our dessert tonight.
Exhausted and stuffed after lunch we returned to our rooftop accommodations, where we were still a bit stymied by our unit's new modem, which still gives us
sluggish and inconsistent internet. Some gave up and napped, others blogged away, despite it taking twice the time ;-)
Back to the school for dinner prep, which began with making a panzanella salad using the local "hard tack", a kind of dried barley biscuit that is soaked to soften before using, called frisa. Then we moved on to making sausages from scratch-- lots of laughs and double entendres--along with grilling radicchio and a prepping a simple salad of arugula dressed with olive oil and salt only. The theme of the evening was basic farm/"country" food, so we drank a wine that complimented this because it had been made in a centuries old and very basic manner--in fact, it had been aged in concrete! The only downside was that the freezer was left ajar, and our gelato never set up, so we'll have to save it for another night. (But that's OK, we just stopped and got some a a gelateria on our walk home!)
Tonight we had no guests and the group jelled a bit more than usual, with the conversation and wine-drinking lasting until nearly 11 pm. We thought we were night owls until we stepped out
onto the busy streets, where wine bars, beer stands, restaurants and gelaterie have tables full of people spilling onto the streets--the same streets that look completely abandoned when we walk over to the school every evening at about 5:45. Now music and conversation fill the narrow streets, and in the piazza, everyone from babies to octogenarians are hanging out or strolling around. And this is 11pm--on a weeknight!! Ah, Italy, we're going to miss you when we go home...
Sandy: GOOD THING--Having success with orecchiette making and picking up good prep and cooking techniques. BAD THING-- The thought of putting my bathing suit on during our trip to the coast tomorrow.
Dave: GOOD THING-- Eating the freshly made sausage. BAD THING--Not getting to eat the gelato.
Sharon: GOOD THING-- Making orecchiette that were almost as good as my sister's and making sausages. BAD THING-- Fighting a cold and lots of dang mosquito bites...
*Silvestro to Sharon during dinner...
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David
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How about a photo of the beautiful Ortoalisa?
That's it.