All posts in category Food

Back Blogging (from Bologna)!

Ciao again Readers!
I had so much fun blogging yesterday I think I’m ready to get back to it (and as an added bonus I get to do it while enjoying my Rosenberg’s Deli delivery here in my hotel room – yum!).

If you’re anything like me, you may have been (metaphorically) hiding in a cave the last few years. Looking back I can more clearly see what a toll it was taking on my mental health. As I mentioned in my last blog, on an evening walk in June I had the spontaneous idea and right then on my phone bought a ticket to see the Counting Crows on October 7 in Milan. Well, as they say, in for a penny, in for a pound! I decided to go back to my first Italian School, Madrelingua in Bologna, for the week before the concert. Since I haven’t travelled in so long I guessed, correctly, that I had enough miles to make the flights free (yay!). I have to admit, I was still pretty hyper vigilant and scared of traveling and almost cancelled many times….then, in August, my Covid turn came…I was sick, but not too bad, and the amazing thing was all that fear and hyper vigilance stored up in my system for over 2 years eased up – it felt like breathing after holding my breath for years – whew! Plus, as an added bonus, I figured I had extra immunity for my trip….so off I went!

Many times during the trip and after I commented that I did more and met more people in those 9 days than I had done in the 3 years prior, and I think that’s true! As you may know from your own experience or my blog, when you fly with miles you have to take what you can – I knew there was very little chance my outward trip would go smoothly with all the transfers and short connections – but ya know what – I learned a great new skill for traveling – just assume every thing will go wrong – when it does you won’t be upset, and when something goes right you’ll be excited! True, I missed my connection to Milan in Munich, but ya know what – I got to chillax and have a delicious dinner in Munich (well, the airport) (and add a new country to my list), and when they finally found me a flight to Italy, it was going to Bologna – where I was actually trying to go (I was going to take a train from Milan)! From that point on, the trip was pretty amazing…here’s what I did, pretty much in order….

I was welcomed to my apartment in Bologna by the owner, Laura, with a plate of amazing food from a dinner party; the next day I enjoyed fresh (off menu) porcini pasta in a local place I accidentally found when all the recommended places were packed; that afternoon I walked the town for hours with Laura and her friends. On Monday I started language school full of students from all over the world – such an interesting and joyful group! Monday evening I did the 5 hour “Delicious Bologna” tour complete with interesting folks and amazing food! Tuesday school was closed for the Saint of Bologna day, so I headed to Ravenna to see the famous mosaics, which I have somehow missed all these years (and, as an added bonus, Ravenna is close to the sea)! The rest of the week included school, meals and apperativo with classmates, and a multicultural dinner with Laura, opera singers from Japan, and more delicious food and interesting company. Friday I headed to Milan for the Counting Crows concert at Teatro del Verme (and to my surprise an Italian audience that knew all the words)! To cap off the trip I had a ticket for a tour to see DaVinci’s Last Supper, which was the other thing I had managed to miss all these years. I came back from that trip reenergized and remembering how wonderful life and the world outside my cave can be……

I was so busy being in the moment that I didn’t take that many pictures, but here are a few, which follow my trip in order…. May you each get to take a deep breathe and enjoy the new year!!!

And a bit of the Counting Crows concert….

1 Comment
by Newmexicotoitaly on December 10, 2022  •  Permalink
Posted in Food, frequent flyers, Italy, here we come!, Trips In Italy
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Posted by Newmexicotoitaly on December 10, 2022

https://newmexicotoitaly.com/2022/12/10/back-blogging-from-bologna/

It’s the End of the World as We Know It, and I Feel Fine – R.E.M.

Ciao Readers!  I am happy to have this forum to reach out to you, wherever you are, say “hello” and offer my warm thoughts for you and yours.

So, I knew I wanted to say something in these strange times, but I didn’t know what. It just came to me on a long walk (one of many over the past weeks). I wanted to share my thoughts about the “silver linings” to the apocalypse. I completely understand that folks are suffering – physically, financially, psychologically – and I do not mean to diminish their suffering. But for me, I have to look ahead and try and glean the good that will come to stay out of the dark. So, in no particular order, here are some of the long-term “positives” I think will result:

U.S. Society: I think the pandemic is showing us where our societal structural fabric is weak and needs adjustments. This situation has shed (even more) light on the need for universal health care, paid sick leave, fair wages, childcare and more. It has also forced the justice system to ask questions like “should we really be keeping a 70 year-old locked up for inability to pay a jaywalking fine right now?” (which begs the question, should we ever?). On a more human societal note, I think it is making us appreciate our interconnectedness and motivating people to help others. Even the small things, like more patience at the grocery and a kind word for the cashiers, can start ripple effects of good in the universe.

Corporations: This seems like a “rubber hits the road” moment where we get to truly see if corporations are or are not good global citizens. When Amazon raised its and Whole Foods’ employees wages by 2$/hr., I felt much better about shopping with them. I am also very impressed with t-mobile giving unlimited data, Xfinity free hot spots, and Audible free books to help us all through. In contrast, when McDonalds actively lobbied against paid sick time in the stimulus bill, it reinforced the fact that it is good that I haven’t stepped foot in one since I worked there (ages 14 – 16, yes, against child labor laws). Don’t get me started on Hobby Lobby, which I was already boycotting before this (if you want to read their rationale for staying open and making people come to work, you can read it here). If I get to be preachy at all, I would ask that you think carefully in the future about the corporations to which you’re giving your hard earned money.

Global/Cultural: This one’s a little hard, because I know there have been many incidences of racism.  However, on the bright side, I think we have all been made more aware of what other countries and peoples are going through and what they have or have not done in response. Maybe we gain some empathy for suffering Italians and some appreciation for law-respecting South Koreans.  Maybe we also decide that the liberty/safety balance in China is more than we are willing to give; maybe not.  Regardless of what our personal perspectives are, we are probably getting more world news now than we ever have and learning about other countries and their people on a very human level. I am personally still mind-boggled by all of the photos I have seen of Italians queuing politely outside grocery stores (who knew they actually could?!).

Personally:  I could go on about this one for a long time (as I am guessing you can as well – feel free to share in the comments). For those of you who know me, you know I can be a bit of a control freak. I see this as the universe’s way of finally ingraining the old proverb about “learning what you can’t control” into my thick skull….we shall see.  And even though I am fortunate and still have tons of work to do every day (which I should be doing now instead of writing this), there does seem to be more time to stop and smell the metaphorical roses. So, I will leave you as I often do, returning to food – two days ago Steve and I made pasta from hand (something we keep “meaning” to do but never seem to get around to). I was too busy rolling and covered in flour to take photos of the process, but pretend you can smell and taste the final product (that’s Tuscan sausage/kale/white bean sauce)…….   Until next time!

 

6 Comments
by Newmexicotoitaly on March 25, 2020  •  Permalink
Posted in Culture Shock, Food, Musings
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Posted by Newmexicotoitaly on March 25, 2020

https://newmexicotoitaly.com/2020/03/25/its-the-end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it-and-i-feel-fine-r-e-m-2/

Feliz 2020 from Lisbon, Portugal

Olá Readers! Happy 2020!

So far it’s been an interesting start to the new year here in Lisbon – last night we partook in what has to be the most mellow midnight celebration ever – just about 200+ folks, including lots of kids, hanging out by the Belém Tower (pictured below) watching fireworks go off in other parts of the city. There wasn’t even a real countdown, so maybe it’s still 2019…….? Then today we had a leisurely and delicious Indian food lunch out in the sun – never expected to eat Indian food here, but we kept walking by this place and it smelled so good, and it was! (And, unlike in every other place we’ve been to in Europe – especially Italy – it is okay to get your leftovers to go). If I have one major observation so far, it’s that Portugal is super chillax about most things compared to other EU countries – people seem mellower, not so fashion conscious, and fairly open and friendly. There don’t seem to be as many rules (i.e. obstacles) like you run into in Italy – for one small example, only post offices and tobacco stores in Italy sell stamps – the other day I bought some here at the gift store where I bought postcards – so simple, but who woulda thunk!?!

In any case, I thought I’d take this lazy day to post some of the photos I’ve been saving up – from our food tour, food and sights around town, and some more tiles and mosaics. Wishing you, dear Readers, peace and joy in the new year!

From our Taste of Lisboa  food tour, which was super fun and educational (and shared with tourists from Sweden, Wales, Luxembourg, and even Portugal!):

From our visit to the most famous pastry shop in Portugal, Pastéis de Belém, and our fancy New Year’s Eve day lunch:

From our walks around town and the tower on New Year’s Eve:

6 Comments
by Newmexicotoitaly on January 1, 2020  •  Permalink
Posted in Art, Diversions to Other Places, Food, Portugal
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Posted by Newmexicotoitaly on January 1, 2020

https://newmexicotoitaly.com/2020/01/01/feliz-2020-from-lisbon-portugal/

Choose Your Own Adventure: A. Lovely light-hearted photos; B. It’s been a weird week

Ciao Readers! Happy Thanksgiving Week!

It’s already the end of my trip and I’m still trying to process the past week. In the past I’ve noted that travel blogs are best kept light-hearted with lots of photos, lest you lose your audience. However, this has been a weird week and it deserves some reflection. So, what I’ve decided to do is a two-part blog, starting with the breezy photo anthology; if that’s your interest, by all means, enjoy the scenery and then stop reading. If you’re curious for a little peak into the darker parts of my psyche and the week, read on (or skip down) to the second part….

A. PHOTO ANTHOLOGY

A trip to an olive oil factory in a lovely little town in Chianti:

The Duomo of Siena (originally intended to best rival Florence’s – an unrealized goal):

Lunch in the piazza:

A stroll around Siena:

B. IT’S BEEN A WEIRD WEEK

Okay, this is the part of the blog where we get down to the nitty gritty. I’m actually starting this on the plane ride back, where I scored an hour free wifi. I have no idea how or why, but this flight from Rome to Atlanta is 11.5 hours long!!!

So, some of you may remember me mentioning (and others know first hand), that when you go to language school in Italy there’s always an interesting and diverse group of students, and you always meet folks to go out to lunch, dinner, museums, etc. with – yes? Honestly, on this trip that was more of a draw than the classes themselves – I really needed to get out and about and out of my own head, where I’ve been spending way too much time.  So….you can imagine my surprise and chagrin when I ended up being the ONLY student at school all week. That’s right, not the only student in my class – IN THE ENTIRE SCHOOL!

For those of you who are more serious students than I, the thought of an entire school and a teacher at your disposal may be a dream come true…for me it was just the opposite. Now, not only was I spending too much time in my own head, but I was literally doing it alone in a foreign country to boot! I have been to many Italian schools and there’s never been less than 4-5 people in my class, even during the off-season; I didn’t even know there being zero was a possibility.  If you read my truffle post carefully, notice that I said “we,” but I didn’t say who “we” were – we were me and the owner of the school.  And the lunch in the piazza photos above was solo…. I think you’ve got the picture.

Okay, now lest I come across as completely unappreciative, the school owner and teachers were molto gentile and we did go on a few excursions together (and a former student joined us on one). But it was just strange – it almost felt like paying for people to play with me. Since the excursions seemed to interest the school folks (the owner Mauro is actually contemplating getting a truffle dog), I eventually got over that feeling, but it was indeed a weird week.  For example, while the ride and the town in Chianti were gorgeous, the olive oil factory was modern stainless steel, the workers were cleaning up for the day and we ended up hanging out in their breakroom and eating food Mauro brought (albeit with some nice freshly pressed oil). All the workers were men and in their break room was a semi-naked bikini calendar, which was not at all quaint and frankly made me uncomfortable (especially in light of how woke we’re all supposed to be getting about sexual harassment and the like).  I resisted the urge to take a photo (I try to keep my blog PG, which is also why I’m not including the photo of the dead thing I would pass on my way to school I took to see if Steve or anyone at school could identify what type of animal it was).  Okay, free wifi time is almost over and the turbulence is making me nauseous, will continue this during my 4-hour layover….

Ack, that flight was long and bumpy!  Okay, where were we…. suffice it to say it was not the week I had in mind. Below are some photos from the beautiful but lonely walk to school, ending with a view from the door to the building (it’s supposed to be poignant, humor me). After school/excursions for the day were over I basically did what I’ve been doing at home too much lately – crawling into bed with my iPad.  Now, this is a travel blog and going any deeper would be a bit too much (though it is appropriate fodder for a book) – I’ll end by quoting the astute observation in the tag-line of another travel blog I follow – “No matter how far you run, you still bring yourself along for the ride.”

2 Comments
by Newmexicotoitaly on November 20, 2017  •  Permalink
Posted in Food, Italy, here we come!, Trips In Italy
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Posted by Newmexicotoitaly on November 20, 2017

https://newmexicotoitaly.com/2017/11/20/choose-your-own-adventure-a-lovely-light-hearted-photos-b-its-been-a-weird-week/

Truffle Hunting!

Ciao Readers! Happy Monday!

Today (Sunday) I got to do something amazing that I had no idea I was going to do – I went on a real truffle hunt!

So, to back up for a bit, when we lived in Florence we went to a fabulous truffle “sagra” (“sagra” = festival) in San Miniato. It was exactly what you’d picture – tons of booths featuring all types of truffles and truffle-based foods. I went on about it in detail in this blog post.  The event we attended today was called a “mostra” – I didn’t get the difference before hand and expected a festival very similar to the one in San Miniato….

The trip started off well – the rains held off and we drove into the beautiful town of San Giovanni D’Asso:

But once we got into town, I have to admit my heart sank a bit – while the town is gorgeous, look at the small area of booths we encountered:

What I hadn’t understood is that unlike a “sagra,” a “mostra” is an “exhibition” – more about learning than just booth-wandering. I also didn’t know we were signed up to go on a real truffle hunt. I stress the word “real” because there are apparently ones staged just for tourists – the truffles are purposely buried before-hand, so it takes no time for the dog to find it and success is guaranteed. Our hunt was nothing like that – we started with about a 45 minute lecture about the process from a life-long professional truffle hunter (all in Italian; the rest of the participants were Italians, not tourists). We then proceeded to trek through the woods for about an hour, over hills, through mud, you name it.  Then came the real excitement – at the top of a very steep hill, behind a ton of pokey brambles, one of the dogs signaled it had found something!  I didn’t take any pictures climbing the hill because it was all I could do to stay upright and continually untangle myself from the brambles (and I thought breaking a second iPad in a week would be a bit much, even for me), but aside from that part, here’s the adventure (full disclosure, despite the enthusiasm of the white dog, the other dog actually found the truffle – can you pick it out in the hole it/its owner dug once it found it?):

And, of course, I had to pretend to eat the truffle (I hid it and said “delicioso” to the truffle hunter, cheesy I know):

Our truffle hunt and the accompanying (mostly) educational lectures lasted till after 1:30 – we were hungry! Now, lest you worry that I never actually got to eat my beloved truffles, all of the (very packed) restaurants in town were featuring truffle dishes, and we chose ours on the recommendation of the professional truffle hunter.  (In one of his tangents during the hunt he explained how much he hates people taking pictures of their food, but since he wasn’t at lunch, I couldn’t help myself) – Buon Pranzo!

5 Comments
by Newmexicotoitaly on November 13, 2017  •  Permalink
Posted in Food, Italy, here we come!, Trips In Italy
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Posted by Newmexicotoitaly on November 13, 2017

https://newmexicotoitaly.com/2017/11/13/truffle-hunting/

La Cucina Italiana, A Trilogy (Part III, Eating)

Ciao Readers!

Today we finish our foodie tour of Lucca (sigh).  So far we’ve covered shopping and cooking – today we simply indulge in EATING (and drinking wine – after all, it is Italy)! While Italian food is not that “difficult” to cook, there’s nothing like having it expertly prepared for you at a local restaurant (or osteria or trattoria or pizzeria).  And, of course, enjoying it over a leisurely two-hour lunch with friends (or dinner, if you can wait to eat till the restaurants open at 8:00 p.m.), just adds to the pleasure of the experience.  Since I still can’t figure out a proper way to share these experiences with you, all I can do is try and paint a picture with words (and pictures).  Join me for some of the dining-out highlights from my trip… included a leisurely lunchtime visit to Gli Orti di via Elisa with two of my lovely classmates from language school where we enjoyed an amazing antipasto platter (the little white square thing is not cheese as it appears, but baccala – perfectly prepared salt cod spread) as well as lovely half-bottles of local wine and maccheroni (the local specialty pasta as we learned from the “cooking” post) with fiore de zucca (zucchini flowers). Instead of trying to describe how wonderful the food and company were, just take a look at the experession on my face – I think it says it all.

There was also a solo visit to indulge in more grilled “polipo” at Il Cuore (actually a gourmet food shop, with a few chairs outside for eating).  I am sorry (and not) to say it put the grilled octopus from Marea in NYC to shame (as good as that was) – melt in your mouth tender and fresh from the sea.  I sat outside in a little square on a beautiful day making “yummy noises” till the very last bite of my seafood salad (and also enjoyed a plate of truffle-infused delicacies).  Add Steve and it would have been the perfect meal:

Next, while I think we both agreed the food wasn’t the best we had in Lucca, my classmate Terri (pictured holding up some fried stuffed anchovies) and I managed to finally stay out late enough one night to eat dinner out, at Ristorante L’anciua Pesce Povero.  I guess we should have realized from the “povero” (poor) in the title that at the ridiculously low price of 20 euros for 4 starters, a main dish, a half bottle of wine (each), bread, coffee, sparkling water, dessert, coffee and limoncello that we were not going to get giant plates of whole fish (“pesce”) (though we did get our mutual favorite, the pictured plate of fried anchovies).  While not as drool-worthy as other meals we shared, we agreed that we enjoyed the family-style meal (no menu), the fact that is was almost all local patrons, and each others’ company!

And, finally, no trip to Italy would be complete without the quintessential Napoletana-syle pizza (thin crust, super hot wood-fired oven).  I’m a traditionalist and stick to the margherita (tomato sauce, mozzarella, basil)  – this is the best one I had on my trip, from a nifty little pizzeria only blocks away from my apartment (which I unfortunately did not discover until the last night of my stay):

Until we eat again…..

2 Comments
by Newmexicotoitaly on April 13, 2017  •  Permalink
Posted in Food, Italy, here we come!, Trips In Italy
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Posted by Newmexicotoitaly on April 13, 2017

https://newmexicotoitaly.com/2017/04/13/la-cucina-italiana-a-trilogy-part-iii-eating/

La Cucina Italiana, A Trilogy (Part II, Cooking)

Ciao Readers!  And Happy Passover and Easter!

So, today we’re going to cook in Italy – specifically my language classmate, Terri, and I are cooking with Chef Giuseppe from “Extra Virgin” cooking school.  As you may recall, I have taken a variety of cooking courses in many countries, ranging from the super casual paella cooking with a fun bunch of well-lubricated Australians in Barcelona to the more “professional” kitchen of Le Cordon Bleu in Paris (ooh la la).

While honestly, I already knew much of what we learned (cooking in Italy, unlike France, is “simple” in the best way – a few excellent ingredients combined to perfection), the class with Chef Giuseppe was a wonderful way to end my stay in Lucca (and yes, of course, a DELICIOUS one!).  (As a side note – Chef Giuseppe was featured on House Hunters International with his American love interest, Liz – Liz and I e-chatted about our respective experience with house hunters before I arrived.)  We met up with Giuseppe in the morning and went to a few small shops to get ingredients for the day, where he would fill us in on the products and their “back stories” (and have long leisurely chats with the proprietors).  Once we arrived at the “palazzo” (their apartment, which is Artchitectural-digest-worthy gorgeous!) we were offered drinks (including, of course, prosecco) and enjoyed olive oil and cheese tastings with mini-lessons before we got to cooking. There was obviously great attention to detail paid before we even arrived as there was a beautifully printed menu and place cards with our names on them (more “ooh la la”s).

As I was feeling tired and lazy on my last day in Lucca, and Terri was interested in mastering technique (though she is actually a “professional” herself – she sells her artisinal homemade gelato in her native Seattle!), I mostly nibbled and drank prosecco while Guiseppe and Terri cooked (and Giuseppe somewhat obsesively cleaned-up behind us throughout the day). Don’t let the photo of me laying out the maccheroni to dry fool you (yes, that’s what Lucca’s local specialty pasta is called, and yes, it’s pronounced “macaroni”), Terri did the hard part – all of the kneading of the dough.  The cooking ended with a drool-worthy multi-course meal (artichoke frittatta and salad, risotto with asparagus and truffle butter, maccheroni with ragu, all topped off with a dessert of buccellato (Lucchesi specialty sweet bread with anise), strawberries and lemon custard), served at a beautiful table with well-paired wine.  We left with little gifts, the aprons you see us wearing, and a little cheesiness for good measure (“official” certificates).  Buon Appetito!

1 Comment
by Newmexicotoitaly on April 10, 2017  •  Permalink
Posted in Food, Trips In Italy
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Posted by Newmexicotoitaly on April 10, 2017

https://newmexicotoitaly.com/2017/04/10/la-cucina-italiana-a-trilogy-part-ii-cooking/

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