Exploration of Wine Culture

Finally, pictures of my wine class!

We taste three wines each time, and learn about viticulture, enology, the history of wine (which deals extensively in one of Tuscans’ favorite topics, the Etruscans), and the culture of wine production and consumption in Italy.

My teacher is always asking me, “Is this how they do it in California?” She assumes, naturally, that enology was bred into me, as much a part of me as the taste of frozen yogurt and fresh carnitas. I explained that I’m not 21 yet, and thus not very experienced, and that in fact, I only drink wine with either with my parents (pretty good wine) or my friends (very bad wine).

But she continues to ask, so I’ve started to research on Wikipedia the various aspects of wine-making, rather than relying on my very patchy knowledge gleaned from a couple wine tours in Napa and along the Russian River. I have to keep up my California reputation! Otherwise, I would have to begin to go through one of those paltry identity crises, realizing in a foreign country that I’m nt more Californian than Baltimorean, that in the face of the sensitive and deeply-ingrained Italian tradition my idea of “culture” doesn’t mean that much anyway, and that when I come home I face days of unpacking, repacking, and moving again.

And who wants to think about all of that? So I research, and uphold my state's reputation, and meanwhile, learn a lot about wine.

I’m not gonna lie, I’m pretty great at this class. Our midterm is going to be blind tasting—bring it on.

Cooking with Padre Bruno

 My friend Gina, from Loomis (!!!), and her friend who is studying in Aix-en-Provence.

Padre Bruno hosts a dinner at a different student apartment every weeknight. I eat with Gabriella, but usually I give over to Bruno's festa to drink some wine and hang out with all of the ISA-ers before dinner. A sort of apertivo, if you will.

"Salad" (blanched cavolo nero, a green only found in Tuscany but similar to kale or chard) with pancetta and peperoncini.

My bruschetta: shallots, prosemello (parsley), garlic, tomatoes, oil, salt, and balsamic vinegar.

I found out from the french girls--ecuse me, American girls studying in France--that it's not just me and Deanna who go apeshit for eggplant here! They couldn't stop raving about the aubergines at a restaurant they frequent in Aix. I felt a little better about my obsession for Gabriella's melanzane alla vinaigrette.

James knows a guy who knows a got who got him 30 liters of great chianti. The best part is looking into your glass and seeing remnants of the containers' old contents (in this case, olive oil) floating like milk's skin on the top of your wine. Mmmm.

Carnevale Children

Carnevale might be over but the pictures keep coming!

Apicius, Week Three

Benvenuto a Napoli!

I met my intercambio, Stefania, today! And subsequently, I was ten minutes late to my class…but it was worth it. I walked in and Vittoria said, “Oh, we thought we would be missing you today!”

Nope, I am never missing a cooking class. I got there just in time for pizza dough making.

This is my friend Tiffany, another FUA student. She is doing four weeks of class, so she'll be with me for another two after this lesson!

Right after I came in, Vittoria asked me, “Do you like anchovies and capers?”

“I like everything, Vittoria, you know that by now.”

"E vero, but what does everyone else like?”

“I don’t really care what the others like, I like a lot of capers and I'm puttin' em on my pizza.”

(DISCLAIMER: Vittoria and I joke around like that half in Italian half in English, and yes, the rest of the group liked capers too. I'm not just a crazy selfish food-hound!)

And let me just say, the capers and sardines, combined with the juicy tanginess of the fresh tomato sauce, was enough to nearly kill me. But I couldn't imagine the damage I was about to do to the melty, oozy, crunchy lemon cake coming my way.

Lemon cake preparation

for the Fried Mozzarella in bread

The menu:

Pizza alla Napoletana
Mozzarellain Carrozza
Torta al Limone

It’s a good thing la quaresima, lent, starts Wednesday, because I can’t wait to stop eating sweets. The lemon torta is SO GOOD I couldn’t help but eat not one, not two, but four slices. Oops. Diet = starting tomorrow. I just have to tell myself, “Sicilia. Sicilia. Sicilia.” I need my sister and my mommy here to remind me, “Is it worth it?” But the deliciously terrifying  thing is (at least for my waistline), it IS all worth it here.

After the lemon cake I went to the ISA office to check my email one more time that day. My face was so red from all the sugar that the directors were worried I was sick! I mean, look at that cake. It is literally crystallizing in the syrup it’s swimming in.

By the way, that man hand (finger) in one or two of the pictures is Vic, a new student in our class. Vic is from Hollywood. Vic knows that kid from 500 Days of Summer and 3rd Rock from the Sun. Vic has been traveling around Europe slash the world since he went to a wedding in Israel in November. Vic is kind of a fava, but he’s harmless and he is clueless when it comes to food.

At the end of the day, I was left with one burning question, that I couldn't help but pose to Vittoria.

"How do Campanians bare to eat such rich food if they live so close to the beach???"

"Small servings," Vittoria said, pointedly eyeing the syrupy remains of my fourth slice of lemon cake.