Another Market Find!-Part II

In Florence I finally got a chance to taste a little sea critter I had only seen from afar at the market in Torino. The cicale or pannocchie (as they are called in Rome) are mantis shrimp. The look fierce and strange but Demetrio says they have a wonderful flavor. Enzo bought some and made some pasta that tasted heavenly. I'm not talking good, I am talking out of this world. Read more about the shrimps here.

They are in season now and do a real number on your hands as they have tough spines that are difficult to remove. Their flesh is very soft and supple so do not expect something firm like a scampi or a mini lobster tail (as I did). They are cooked in water lightly then cooled and peeled. Next the tail meat is added to sauces and cooked a bit. There is no doubt I will be trying the recipe myself, spines and all.




The shrimps have large claws like that of the garden mantis in which to capture its prey. We went to the large market in Florence to get these. Most of them were still alive and fresh when dinner time approached.



They are quite large and a very special delicacy, worth all the work and more. One bite and all you taste is the best the sea has to offer.


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Where's the Tuscan Sun? aka The Tempest Firenze Marathon

A year ago Demetrio made a pact with his childhood friend, Stefano. They both wanted to run the New York Marathon, so last summer Stefano began training in NY and Demetrio and I began training in Seattle. It was a glorious Seattle summer, with 5 weeks of vacation, I was looking forward to enjoying some quality time outdoors. After approximately three months of training Deme was up to 20 miles and I was up to 10. We were both looking great, eating well and feeling great. When November came though, Deme got very sick and could not make it to NY. Stefano had already gotten their bibs and everyone was very disappointed.

Fast forward to today, Enzo also wanted to run the NY Marathon this year but his olive groves needed tending and so he and Deme set out to run the Firenze Marathon. (Stefano ran it again and made great time.) Deme has been training for four months, he's been eating carrots, fennel, and lost a total of 8 kilos. I was nervous for Deme because I felt deep down he still had not trained enough, usually it takes up to six months to train for a marathon, that's 26 miles and 42 kilometers!

Enzo busy with the harvesting has not had much time to train but plays soccer religiously, runs on the treadmill but all in all is a very "in-shape" type of guy. He also began eating a bit differently and lost 5 kilos. Claire was also nervous because Enzo had not had the time to do really long runs, his max was somewhere around 25 kilometers.

Well, they both decided to go ahead with it. We arrived in Florence on Thursday night. There had been a cold snap in Torino and our first snow came that Wednesday. I was hoping Florence was warmer but it was not. The temperature hovered around 0-4 degrees Celsius and plenty of rain. On race day the temp. rose to 8 Celsius, that's 46.8 F. with light mist, a bit of sun at noon and so happily the ladies, Claire and I headed downtown to see the men finish the race. It had been four hours and as we waited the skies grew a bit ominous, the wind picked up, it began to rain, then hail, then rain again. We had no umbrellas just hats on so we bought an umbrella from the peddlers that always seem to have what you need at the right time and for the right price. As we waited and waited, our fingers grew numb and my hand basically froze itself to my camera as I lurched and looked for Demetrio. Finally I saw him coming down the red carpet and before I could call his name he ran past me. He reached his goal and so did Enzo, we were all relieved when it was over and headed home for great steaming bowls of hot pasta, a cozy fire and a possible trip to the sauna or hot tub for the men.


Deme is up and dressed my 7:45 a.m. The race started at 9:18 a.m. and we decided to let the men go ahead on their own as many streets would be cordoned off and blocked. He's wearing hi-tech everything right down to his wicking underwear. The race brochure had some handy racing tips; on included putting Vaseline on your nipples, under your arm pits, between your thighs and even between your toes. All this to avoid chafing and friction, who knew?


Enzo and Deme head to the center of town on the Vespa. It's easy to park and their plan was to park it near the end of the course so they could ride it back home again after the race.


Deme is just about to cross the finish line, he does not see me and so I only get a rear view shot of him. My darling does wonderfully in 4 hours and 35 minutes.


Enzo crosses the finish line and miraculously is still smiling and waving. We were all worried about him finishing but after mile 20, the I-Pod really helped him find his second wind.


Deme is so proud of his medal. I would be too, I am!!!!


After the race, everyone that finishes gets a medal, they drop off their microchip and later that afternoon their official time is sent to them via SMS text message. While we discuss our exit strategy out of the center of town, I overhear the words "Rome Marathon". Hmmm, it's this April...


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Another Market Find

The giant furry thing is a lepre, a hare.

The giant feathered things are fagiani, pheasants.

The signs say "Please Do Not Touch" and for the respective prices, you can have your game cleaned and ready for cooking.


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Another Warning (Possible Tear Jerker)-What I am Most Thankful For

These are the corkboards in my office. I am thankful for everything on them. Birth annoncements from the children I have cared for and loved with all had to give over the the last 13 years. One summer I went home to Guam to take care of my newborn baby sister Tia, little Daniel, now 12, looked out the window everyday for almost two weeks waiting for me to come. I am thankful for my love of photography, my paintings, my pets, Chiara's rendition of me (in the bottom right hand corner). She has stolen my heart and I have stolen hers. Her mother told me that she said there is no need for her to attend the American School in Torino next year because she has Gina. Her mom told her that I may not be able to come forever, Chaira responded "Yes, mamma. Gina will always come."

There are mariage announcemetns, Christmas photos, jokes, my birthday calender, school photos of the children, drawings sent from Seattle. I especially love the fairy queen drawn by Emily. My husband's antics and stylish poses, his smirks and his scowls too.


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This is one of our first refugee photos. When I look at my parents' faces I wonder what thoughts are running through their minds. My dad looks so handsome, my mother so young, my eyes are so large and black and my sister so innocent. Our refugee story is still a bit sketchy to me, as it is not something that we spoke of often when I was a child and when I went away to college there never seemed the time. I hear "Cats in the Cradle" by Cat Stevens in the back of my mind and I try very hard to keep those sentiments in the background with my letters, my phone calls, my e-mails and my blog.

So many times over the years I have written "Just Because" letters to my parents. This year was the 30 year annniversary of when my parents left their home and arrived on Guam. I appreciate their years of hard work, my college education, their sacrifices and their love. I see photos of my sisters and regret not having more time with each and everyone of them. How do you make regret go away? I try to with loving acts and heartfelt effort. Be patient with me I try everyday!

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This could have been me in 1975. I know for sure in the confusion and with the language barriers, this is now I got my 4 names: Gina La, Sum Gia Ying, Gia Dinh Parsons and Gina Parsons.

This is a boat my mom's sister was on and it sank off the coast of Vietnam in 1979. She, her husband, thier two children and countless others were lost.



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WARNING!!! Major Food Porn

Of course the minute I could open my eyes again and actually see the knife, the cutting board and the flames from the stove in front of me, I set to cooking. My eyes were still a bit blurry but my tummy was more than ready for some taste bud tantalizing treats. I was sure to wear sunglasses in the kitchen as I was deathly afraid of getting anything in my eyes. In two days I produced the following:


I invited Laura over for lunch today, she brought the lemon grass, cilantro, limes and bean sprouts. I made the lemon grass beef, rice vermicelli, and prepared all the fixings for "Lemon Grass Beef Wraps." The orange water spritzer in the background was filled with warm water and used to soften the rice paper.


Here's Laura's wrap with my mom's special nuoc nam recipe. The fresh limes, slivered green onions and cilantro really made the dish authentic.

My mandarin orange and pomegranate granita. On the first day after my surgery the hubby went to the corner grocer and picked up the largest most ruby red pomegranate I've seen in a long time. What an amazing husband! On a different note, the night I was drugged from the 24 hour sleeping pill he also managed to pick up a new fax machine/scanner and amplifier to "beef" up the sounds of his new computer games. I think one is called Hostage in San Andreas, or something like that...



Fall is the time for soups, this was a curried lentil soup that I would have drunk if I were not afraid of choking on the homemade croutons. I wanted vitamins for my healing eyes.


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No Pain, No Gain Right?

Okay here I am wearing my glasses for the last time. (I have been wearing glasses/contact lenses since I was 13 and before the PRK I was at -10.0 with my glasses and -8.75 with my contacts.) My prescription has stabilized for the past three to four years and most doctors have said I am a good candidate for the surgery since I have no history of glaucoma in my family and I lead a fairly active lifestyle. LASIK is not available in Torino so I opted for PRK, this procedure uses the same excimer laser as LASIK but has a longer recovery time. I opted to have both eyes done at the same time just to get it over with. It was very hard not to be able to see for two days but I think I made the right choice for me.


Walking into the doctors office I was nervous, I took some meds (Valium and Bromazepam-an anti-anxiety) to help calm me down. But when the lady before me when in and out in a matter of 5 minutes I felt at much better. Here is the entire procedure in a nut shell. One eye was done at a time, first the eye lids were held open by a plastic eye opener thingy, it happened so fast I did not get a good look at it but it was the most uncomfortable part of the whole procedure. (Someone needs to invent a more comfortable eye opener thingy). Then drops were added to my eyes to numb them, more drops were added to remove the epithelial layer of the cornea so the laser could access the interior. I looked at a red light for about 3-5 minutes per eye then walked out of the doctors office in no pain at all. When I mentioned this in Italian to the female doctoressa said "there is no pain now", which I interpreted to mean I could expect pain when I got home. (One downside, there was a acrid burning smell, like burning hair when the laser was removing extraneous tissue from my eye.)

When I got home two hours later, I felt a slight irritation in my eyes that turned into full blown shards of glass piecing every surface of my eye ball type of pain. I could not open them for two and a half full days and had to wear sunglasses 24/7. Here I am sleeping off the drugs. They gave me a sleeping pill that basically lasted for 24 hours and gave my eyes time to rest. It was quite comical at dinner the first night when my fork pierced nothing 1 out of 10 times. Of course I was stubborn and would not let Deme feed me. In then end I picked up pieces of steak with my fingertips. The next night I think I slept through dinner but before I dozed off I saw Deme eating a whole package of toast with a gigantic bowl of chocolate milk. Men when left to their own devices eat anything don't they?

When I could finally open my eyes again, I had 103 messages in my In-Box. Deme read them to me and we responded to the most urgent ones but in order to even read the screen, I had to change the appearance to HIGH CONTRAST, since bright colors were still a problem for me. I checked as many blogs as I could, called my parents and friends while I waited for the cells to grow back in my eye. In their place I have a clear protective contact lens that is due to be removed tomorrow. After my check up I'll find out how much of my vision was corrected. I don't expect to be 20/20 but I only have to be 20/40 to drive and I might need a pair of glasses at night which is fine with me. Since they will certainly be thinner than the coke bottle bottom glasses I was wearing at home before. Last but not least a few bit of advice for those who are thinking of getting the surgery.

1. Get LASIK if you can, PRK are for certain cases only (like thin corneas, do your own research) and if I could have gotten LASIK I would have.
2. Make sure to take something before the procedure aka drugs, Deme got some morphine in Seattle along with the local anesthetic for his eyes (he recovered in 1.5 days) but I was very nervous and wanted to be really relaxed before the procedure.
3. Check out more than one eye clinic.
4. Take the pain medication right after the procedure so by the time you get home you are covered.
5. Ask for extra eye drops, you will feel like there are shards of glass in your eye but you should not rub them at all. The drops will help to soothe the itching. I ran out of drop and had to use plain ole saline solution but it did not contain antibiotics.
6. Rest, drink plenty of water and ask for a few sleeping pills.

All in all, I was happy with the procedure, I will report back later when I get the lens removed and am feeling 100%.

P.S. Sorry to my dad who I called 2 days ago crying my eyes out. I did not mean to worry you. ;)

My First Audio Post

Thanksgiving in Italy

Growing up on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, which happens to also be an American territory, did not shield me in anyway from Thanksgiving. I made a paper plate turkey in the first grade complete a candy corn beak, I learned about the pilgrims and the Indians, I even tried to make a turkey I high school. Needless to say, it was a sad attempt. My dad hated turkey and kept commenting over the years that it was always so dry. I pretty much agreed until I moved to Seattle.

Going to college, working for great families as a nanny and not having my parents in Seattle, I was often invited to Thanksgiving dinners that opened my eyes to the warmth this holiday radiated as well as the wonders of moist turkey, fresh cranberry/orange relish and oyster stuffing. This holiday season I know I will walk around Torino missing what I never thought I even cared about, Thanksgiving.

Instead to being down in the dumps about it I’ve decided to make a meme out of it and I’m tagging, American Girl in Italy, J. Doe, Sandra, Ms. in Italy and Cynthia. All ex-pats and all have Thanksgiving history I’m sure. The meme is to make your own shallow and genuine list and post it on your blog.

10 Shallow Things I am Thankful For

1. The garbage dumpster for my building is right outside the main doors.
2. The hair on my head grows really fast; the ones on my legs grow rather slowly.
3. My small dog has really small poops and has learned to go potty on the terrace.
4. I can eat just about anything without gagging.
5. I am rather tall and can see more things from up here.
6. I am rather crafty.
7. Multi-tasking is not a problem for me. I can brush my teeth and wash my hair at the same time. Just don’t let my sister tell you about the time I was driving, writing a check and putting eyeliner on, all at the same time.
8. When the alarm clock rings, I have an uncanny ability to ignore it.
9. I am ambidextrous.
10. I NEVER get jetlag.

10 Things I Am Genuinely Thankful For

1. I have a very large family, parents, step-parents, and 5 great sisters. Lately, we have been trying to become closer knit, writing letters, reading and commenting on one another’s blogs, making phone calls and just trying to connect.
2. I have a great bounty of friends (in Torino and in Seattle) that I can rely on in times of happy and sad.
3. Material things don’t interest me much.
4. The integrity I learned from my dad as a child had stuck with me my entire life and I see no sign of it fading.
5. From my mom and dad I learned how to cook but more importantly how to taste.
6. My parents taught me about sacrifice, hard work and duty to one’s family.
7. My blood pressure is under control and all in all my health is great!
8. I am supporting my husband in his dream to return home, I am a good wife. (99.99% of the time)
9. I have great in-laws that see me as a positive addition to the family.
10. My darling husband, he drives me crazy, makes me mad, challenges me, forces me to learn, makes me laugh but most of all loves me.

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Someone had a very nice dinner, he's not looking so refined here is he?

Geoduck-Bet You Can't Pronouce It!

This one is a real beauty. Deb makes me homesick.

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Combal Zero-Creative Cuisine

As everyone knows, the hubby and I are big eaters, we're everything eaters and adventurous ones too. I can say there are only a handful of foods I cannot eat aka do not like but of course have tried and tried to no avail. Just to name a couple, na-toh sushi(fermented soy bean sushi) and uni (sea urchin roe). All bets are off on everything else.

It happened to be Claire's birthday this week (Happy Birthday!) and to celebrate they drove up from Florence. Deme made a reservation at Combal Zero, a creative, micromenu sort of a place, for dinner. We did not even bother looking at the ala carte menu, we wanted creativity and sought to have our curiosity met.



At the end of the evening we all received a little bag with a tin can in it. I opened mine later that evening and found it was just canned tomatoes, but the menu we received that night is printed on the backside.

I must say my favorite dishes were the Affogato di Merluzzo-this is a mousse of cod served in a martini glass with flavored mashed potatoes. Another favorite was the Petto di Faraona-a tiny breast of grilled guinea fowl with paper thin slices of pineapple.

My least favorite dish was the Ostrica Virtuale or Virtual Oyster, it was a piece of cubed watermelon with a fishy sort of topping. We were told to close our eyes and pop them into our mouth. I tasted a juicy, briny creature of the sea yet this dish contained no such ingredient. I was a bit taken aback, mostly since I had been fooled. Thank goodness they followed with real oysters.

The last dish the Elio Campari was a real kicker. Tiny Campari bombs in plastic wrap, were served with candies and a helium balloon. We stuck the plastic balls in our mouths, let the Campari explode, ate some candies then were instructed to inhale the helium from the large, white balloons in front of us. Enzo did a few imitations, Deme told a few jokes and before long we were all laughing uncontrollably.

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This is the Cyber Egg it is a raw egg yolk in one layer of plastic and in another layer there was caviar. We were told to take the Exact-O knife, make a small slit in the plastic, put the entire thing into our mouths and eat...I am not fond of raw eggs but the combo with the caviar was quite a surprise.



This is the Piola Kit. A piola is a place where older men hang out and eat, play cards and socialize, much like a nice osteria. So when the kit came we received in 6 little jars the various traditional foods of Piemonte and well as a small deck of cards. Deme and Enzo were playing Poker and Black Jack. One in a while I heard the word cento mille or 100K pop out of one of their mouths. It was a really wonderful conceptual idea, they played, laughed and I bet they could have carried on all night this way. So the 6 jars contained:

1. Salsa verde and tomini (a chevre)
2. Chopped good ham and mashed potatoes
3. A mini bagna cauda-a garlic, anchovy sauce and olive oil sauce that is used as a dressing and dip for vegetables.
4. Tiny, tiny ravioli called agnoloti in a warm broth
5. A tiny bollito misto-a tradional meat dish made from all parts of the pig and cow in rich gravy.
6. The dessert was a panna cotta with a carmelized sugar syrup.



This was also an interesting dish, The Fossil. We were handed a box filled with warm cedar chips, a clay fish, and a hammer. "Break open the clay" the waiter said. We saw several other diners whacking away at something in a box so were excited when it arrived at our table. When the clay was broken open, a tiny little package emerged. A delicate piece of fish on a bed of scallions, still very hot from the oven, was presented before us. One bite later it was gone.


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Truffle Season

It's truffle season in Piemonte. You can scarcely walk into a restaurant without detecting the heavy perfume of Italy's famous white truffle, the Tuber magnatum. Read more about truffles here and here.

In Seattle I found two grocers who sold truffles from Oregon. They were small, somewhat fragrant and were packed in rice which is customary. (The rice is then later used for risotto. If you don't seal the truffles well the entire refrigerator will take on their fragrance.) When I brought the little jewels home Deme and I set out to prepare them in the simplest way possible, thinly shaved on top of pasta. I must admit I was disappointed as was Deme since these were clearly not up to par with Alba's truffles (in his opinion). He kept commenting on how they tasted like small, dry potatoes.

I had my first real Alba truffle in Las Vegas, the night Deme and I were married. Le Cirque had white truffle risotto on their menu and he insisted I try it. Even before my dish arrived at the table, I smelled it arriving. Was it all I thought it would be? Yes and no. Yes, the fragrance was amazing, earthy, heavy, intense, almost peircing, absolutely heavenly. No, the majority of the flavor of the truffle was in the fragrance, it did not taste like anything "super". I realize now it is used as an enhancement even a condiment if you will.



This is a truffle shaver; it slices paper thin slices of truffle. Although very expensive, you really don't get much per portion. Just enough to enhance your pasta, cheese, risotto or even eggs.



Here is a scrambled egg custard topped with white truffle. Notice that the truffle is not actually white at all but rather a beige almost brown color.


I'm rather miffed at my husband about the fact I missed the truffle auction today so I have no first hand photos to show you but I do have a few interesting facts:

1. Female pigs are used to find truffles because it is thought that the truffles emit a pheromone much like that of a male pig. She likes this... the bad thing is pigs like to eat almost everything in sight and often they eat the truffle too. Dogs are more preferred now since they will hunt for truffles in exchange for a pat on the head or a treat.

2. Truffles are like mushrooms, they just never break out of the ground and are entirely subterranean.

3. Truffles can be as small as walnut and as large as a fist. The largest white truffle ever found weighed around 4 pounds. The most ever paid for a truffle was $41,000 for a 2.4 pound truffle at an auction in NYC. (Where else folks?)

4. Truffles live in symbiosis with only a few kinds of trees such lindens, oaks, poplars and hazelnuts. If you want to cultivate truffles then plant a forest.

5. Truffles used to be thought of as mythical and their formation was believed to be a result of lighting strikes.

*On a side note: We have discovered the dog likes white truffles and not black ones.

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Happy 1st Blog Year!

Happy Birthday Blog! A year ago this month, I started this blog so I could keep in touch with friends and family. The man I was dating, Demetrio, had quit his job and wanted to return to Italy. (Most of my friends already know this.). He began packing, sold his car and was headstrong to leave the Northwest. I was determined to go with him.

A bit of history: We began dating seriously in May of 2004 and I wondered what would happen to “us” when he headed back home. I must admit to my delight he asked me to take a long vacation, 6 months and return with him it Italy. This meant I would have to quit my job, store my belongings and do all manner of long range planning. After getting a taste of Italy in April of 2004, I was more than excited to get a chance to stay and really explore the country. Having lived half of my life on Guam and the other half in Seattle, I was a bit anxious about living in Europe but kept the idea of Demetrio asking me to stay for good in the back of my mind. To make a long story short, we were married in December of 2004 and made the move TOGETHER.

This blog has truly been a lifeline for me. My dad says he reads it everyday. My mom reads it, my sisters read it, my friends, cousins, and now I’ve made new friends via my blog. I realize more and more each day that I cannot let my life proceed, advance, evolve, change, without documenting it. I’ve written about my loneliness, living so far away from family and friends has been a very difficult adjustment. (I am from a family of 7+ people). I’ve written about my observations and all my new discoveries here in Italy, from the outrageous amount of dog poop on the street to the most fantastic foods I have ever tasted. I’ve written about weekend trips, meeting my new family here in Italy, our travels, my cooking adventures, all in an attempt to not forget this journey I am making. Thank you for sharing the voyage with me. I read all the comments and enjoy the many points of view represented by your readership. I can’t see myself not writing, I can’t see my self ever losing interest in writing, I tell myself everyday, the journey is not over.

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Some tasty critters from the fish market. They are live eels, fresh and slithering.

Not a great photo of the hubby but this is the biggest man purse I've seen in a long time.

How Nerdy Are You?

Sara posted her Nerd score on her site and although I have done this test about 3 months ago via a link sent to me by my sister, I was tempted to do it again.

I like being a nerd, why else would I have majored in Cell and molecular Biology. Why else do I thrive on online Scrabble? My parents were very busy when I was a child and I entertained myself by first watching Sesame Street and Reading Rainbow then by reading the medical encyclopedia that my dad got with our set of Encyclopedia Britannica. I used to force my sisters to play school, in which I was the teacher and asked questions like "What is the longest bone in your body?" My youngest sister, also named Sara got it right, she said thigh bone (except she said it in Chinese). Chemistry was fun for me in college but so was creative writing. I enjoyed both and strived to be a balanced student. Sadly I also used to have a photographic memory for facts and figures, now Deme says it's very, very selective, if you know what I mean. Ha! Ha!




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Things I Have Noticed About Torino/Italy Part 9

1. The Mall on Sundays

Can you say hectic, crazy, filled to the brim, madhouse not to mention just plain insane? Remember when I said that it was hard to go grocery shopping on Sundays as most grocery stores are closed? Well I stand corrected; there are a few in town that have “extraordinary hours”, once a month or so. When they do, the customers flock like sheep to the parking lots, isles and cash registers. Cars were parked on the sidewalk, on curbs, on grassy areas, on the median and everywhere else, just to get to the mall and to the grocery store last Sunday. I have decided because of this crowding we would only have to brave the masses once a month. So Deme and I head off with our list to pick up pantry items, cleaning stuffs and other staples as infrequently as possible. During the week I shop at the little shops near our house and at the market. With this little adjustment I can say we have improved our quality of life immensely.

2. Man Purses

I am not talking about plain ole fanny packs. I am talking about certified man purses and usually hang on a man’s neck. It looks like a purse, smells like a purse and if I licked it I bet it would taste like a purse too. It IS a purse. There are a few that a man can wear around his waist but unlike fanny packs that are nylon/acrylic and cheap looking in nature, Italian man purses are sleek, black, leather and often matching. I have seen men and women coordinate their purses, the most recent offender was a husband and wife pair that we sat next to at a dinner. She had a Gucci handbag and he wore around his neck that little purse you get as an extra inside your handbag. I could not help but stare in awe. I wonder if I could get Deme to wear a designer man purse?

3. Handicap Access Denied

With regard to handicap access Italy is behind the times; in fact many buildings do not have elevators at all. No ramps either. My bank has a security chamber that you have to step into before you can enter the bank. I think it has a metal detector and if it detects something fishy you get trapped in the chamber and are denied access to the bank. I love this idea, but the chamber is very narrow and a wheelchair could definitely not fit inside. Stairs are the norm in Italy, people love to walk all over the place but if you have a stroller or a wheelchair getting around can be a problem. Granted the buildings are very old, the architecture is beautiful and so remodeling them may not be an option. On a positive note, the newer buildings are handicapped friendly with larger elevators and ramps for those who have trouble with stairs.

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Some Tuscan Things I've Noticed

Here are a few more photos of "Things I've Noticed..." I could not help snapping away with my camera when I was in Tuscany last week. Many things still shock and amaze me. Here are the latest:


A stuffed cinghiale (wild boar) outside a salumeria or sausage shop in Chianti. Cinghiale sausage and salami is fantastic.


This shop was jam packed with people, everyone wanted a bit of something to take home. We walked away with 2 large salami, aged pecorino cheese, guanciale (like pancetta but from the cheek area) and a large chunks of pancetta.


Look at the legs with hair and the little tail attached, I was amazed and the place smelled heavenly.


This is Billy, Enzo and Claire's pup. He is 80-90 kilos about 180-200 pounds and only still a pup. He is a maremmano, a kind of shepard and guard dog from Maremma in Toscana. He looks like a Great Pyrenese mountain dog. He's gigantic but if you say his name, then he's a lover. If not, watch out, his bark shakes the thick walls of the villa.


Good Tuscan olive oil is so green you think your putting wheat grass extract on your bread. Yummy!!

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If You’re a Wimp Raise Your Hand

I'm a big wimp; I've never denied it although I have a high tolerance for pain. I’ve hiked with giant blisters, walked over sharp coral and cut my foot but kept walking, had my nose cauterized more than once and sprained both ankles (not at the same time however.) This week I am having my myopia corrected via laser eye surgery. Nervous and anxious does not begin to describe how I am feeling. I’ve opted to get both eyes done at once just to get it over with. Send me good vibes, karma, Valium, anything and everything. I hope to be up and running after 1-2 days and of course will use this experience as an excellent blogging opportunity.

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Fresh Tajarin-(Ta-yah-rin)

We came away from Tuscany with 2 dozen eggs from Enzo and Claire's hens and while I gave about 8 away to couple who takes care of our apartment building, I still had 10+ left. Creme caramel and creme brulee were possibilities but in the end I settled for tajarin (ta-yah-rin), a pasta typical of Piemonte and made only with egg yolks. This is not low fat but a small portion should not set you back too much. Take an extra Lipitor and you should be fine. This pasta dish is served with truffles when they are in season, which is now, but since I don't have any, good ole parmigianno will have to do. Sugo d'arrosto (a silky meat sauce) usually accompanies this pasta dish.

For the sauce:
Vitello albese, a very special sort of cow is famous here in Piemonte. It is a cross between and veal and a steer and has a wonderful flavor. If you cannot find it, use veal and beef or a mix of both. It's a great broth and can be used for many soups and sauces. Use with agnolotti, plin, or ravioli.

2 pounds of vitello albese or beef brisket, I mix bones and meat, whatever I have
1 celery stalk, chopped
3 sprigs of rosemary
1 garlic clove, smashed
2 t. salt
1 small onion, quartered
1 small tomato, quartered
1 carrot, chopped
water to cover not more than 3 qts.

1. Heat olive oil in a heavy pan, brown all the meat and bones or you can roast them in the oven.
2. Add vegetables and carmelize slowly without burning. Add water and simmer for 3-4 hours.
3. To finish the sauce, saute about 2-4 T. butter in a saute pan, add 4 sage leaves and fry to a crisp, add 1/4 C. of the broth and simmer until it is reduced to a gravy, about 5 mins. Fish out sage leaves and set aside.

For the pasta:
2 C. flour
6-8 egg yolks
pinch of salt

(This makes about 4-6 servings)

1. Mound flour in a large bowl or on a wooden work surface. Dig a well in the flour and add the egg yolks, using a fork gently incorporate the flour into the eggs until you have a sticky mass.
2. Add more flour if necessary and knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic and no longer sticks to the work surface or your fingers.
3. Cover with plastic wrap or a towel and let rest for 30 mins.
4. After it has rested, pass it through the pasta machine at least 8-10 times on the thickest setting. Then proceed to thin out the pasta until it is about 1/8 of an inch thick, about the second to the last setting on the machine. Let the sheets dry a bit but not so much that they become brittle.
5. You can handcut the pasta about 1/8 and inch thick or pass it through the machine to cut the noodles. The thickness is about 1/2 to 1/3 the size of fettucini. Let dry for 30 minutes or more, up to half a day.
6. Cook in salted water for 1-5 minutes depending on how long they were dried, taste the pasta, they should not be rubbery but with a bit of bite to them. Drain well and toss with the sauce. Garnish with fresh sage leaves and parmigianno if you don't have truffles.



Deme's pasta machine finally gets taken out of the cabinet and put to good use. Notice the color of the pasta, with fresh egg yolks, the pasta is a dark yellow, sometimes even almost orange.



While I was making the pasta, I had flashbacks of all the times I helped my mom and dad make fresh Chinese egg noodles, not much different from tajarin.



Here is the finished pasta, with a famous Piemontese sauce, sugo d'arrosto.

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All rights reserved.

The Olive Harvest at La Noce

November is olive season in Tuscany and I'm sure many other parts of Italy as well. I was more than excited to get a chance to be part of a harvest. The last time I was at La Noce (Enzo and Claire's villa) aka The Nut, I picked a large black olive from one of their trees and popped it into my mouth. From watching "Under the Tuscan Sun" I knew raw olives tasted terrible but I was determined to try one. As I bit down on it the olive, I almost immediately spat it out. Raw olives contain an alkaloid that makes them very bitter, only after curing in brine and sometimes lye, can they be eaten.

Deme and I headed to Florence for the holiday weekend. (The first of November is a holiday in Italy, All Saints Day) Churches are cleaned and loved ones who have passed away are remembered and honored on this day. It also happened to be Enzo's birthday. He ended up treating us with a delicious dinner, roasted piglet, on a bed of polenta.


Demetrio works alone on one side of the olive grove as Zavier keeps him company and I snap away with my camera.

Deme and Enzo both work this tree and chat away at the same time. Flying debris and well aimed olives can be hazards. The harvesters come in a variety of sizes and styles. Enzo dons the heavier and longer harvester as he is in charge of the very tops of all the olive trees. After a day of lifting the harvester up and down, my shoulders, arms and wrists were a bit sore.


Here is a close up of the pneumatic olive harvester. It's an air compressed olive "whacker". You thread the harvester through the branches of the olive trees and pull on the trigger. The harvester then opens and closes like two hands clapping, when it does you gently move it among the branches. The black olives fall readily from the tree while the green olives take a bit more coaxing. I was very surprised as to how tough the olive trees were. A few leaves here and there would fall into the nets along with the olives but the majority of the branches remained intact.


After the entire row of trees have given up their fruit and are bare, the olives are gathered in the nets.

The crates are placed strategically among the nets so that the olives can be taken from the nets and poured into the crates. Large branches are sorted out but the olives are pressed "as-is" black, green, leave and all. The green olives make a stronger, spicier oil, the black olives, a sweeter, softer more mild oil.

After all the olives are harvested the nets have to picked up and moved to the next row of trees. Moving them by hand is not an option as they are extremely heavy. Smaller nets can be used but these long ones, 100 meters long and 6 meters wide (that's 327 feet long and about 20 feet wide) need to be moved with the help of the Jeep.

Here Deme is up to his eyeballs in olive netting.


The beautiful olives we picked. Although we did use olive harvesters, most of the work is still done my hand. Up until 2 years ago, Enzo and Claire were still hand picking their olives. Now that I have had the experience of harvesting olives and seeing all the work that goes into the 5L canister that they give us, I truly appreciate the "green gold" that is extra virgin olive oil.


The products of several days of olive picking. On the day I helped with the harvest, we picked about 16-18 crates. I wished we could have stayed a bit longer than two days. There will be weeks of picking ahead. All over around the hillsides of La Noce, I heard the sounds and saw the sights of olives being harvested. I heard air compressors and tractors moving while people chatted among the trees. I saw burlap sacks filled to the brim with olives, children climbing into olive trees, long ladders propped up against thick branches and nets strewn all around dimpled with olives.

After the olives are collected and all the tools put away, the last job of the day is setting the nets out for tomorrows harvest.




The end product of a season of hard work. La Noce's oil is now available to the public here. This is a truly artisan oil, handmade with care, you might even get a batch I helped to pick.
All contents copyright © 2004/2005.
All rights reserved.