Christmas in Rome

We are spending Christmas in Rome (again, this is a good again though) this year. With my mom here with, I am playing tour guide. (Which I am more than happy to do. Photos to follow after the New Year as I do not have my machine with me.)

My mom is a world traveler and has been everywhere, from the Great Wall of China to Scotland, the Philippines, Norway, Germany, all over the U.S and now Italy. We have spent some time touring Torino but Torino is small change compared to Rome. Yesterday we were at St. Peter's and the Vatican Museums.

Remember the T.V. show, Kids Say the Darndest Things? Well, my mom has a wonderful sense of comedic timing and has a few gems of her own.

1. Upon entering the Sistine Chapel and seeing a crowd of over 200+ people she asks me "Is this what we're here to see?"

2. Upon seeing the grandness of St. Peter's Basilica she says "Why did they need to build such a big church for?" Then she admitted it was beautiful and was the biggest church she has ever step foot in.

3. About traffic in Rome, "Give me a moped, the traffic here is just like in Vietnam." We happen to see a fist fight in the street over a fender bender one day too.

She comments on the small cars, the ancient buildings, the traffic, the well dressed women, the tourists like herself, the great sites and she's only been here for 4 days.

I've noticed she likes: torrone, polenta, roasted rabbit and hot chocolate Italain style (thick and creamy).

All contents copyright 2004-2006.
All rights reserved.

Foglio Rosa

Just this week I went into the Department of Motor Vehicles in Torino to pick up my practice drivers license. After turning in all the paperwork, I was told that it would be ready in about a month. This practice license allows me to drive accompanied by someone else with a valid license. One stipulation is that I must drive within my neighborhood. Another stipulation is that I must place a giant (P) taped to the back of my car, which lets the general public know that I am a practicing driver.

After I picked up my practice license, I asked if I could schedule my theory exam. I wanted to take the test orally but was told the oral examinations have been suspended. I was then asked if I would like to take the written exam, having no other choice I said “yes“. The woman behind the window then asked me if I wanted to take the written exam in Italian, I asked if that was my only choice. She said Italian is the only option. For a minute, my heart skipped a beat, as the minuscule chance of taking the written exam in English crossed my mind. When I found out that my hopes of taking the oral examination in English had been dashed I settled for the written exam in Italian. Once my mind had been set as to what I had to do next, which was study for and book my theory exam in Italian; a colleague of the woman behind the window told me that I could take the test orally. Huh? Isn’t that what I wanted all along? In the span of 20 minutes, I got three different answers from two different women behind the window. Sigh…

I was then told that because I had applied for my practice license before the cutoff date of September 14, 2006 I therefore qualified for the oral exam in Italian. I was happy once again for a chance to take the exam orally. As I was about to book an appointment, Demetrio read taped to the glass in front of us, a notice that said there are six foreign languages that the oral exam is administered in: English, French, German, Arabic, Chinese, and Spanish. Woo hoo! I felt like I hit the jackpot. I was asked to fill out a written declaration requesting the oral exam in English and to bring back a marco da bollo (tax stamp) for the amount of $14.62.

As I left the Department of Motor Vehicles, I read it the declaration more carefully. It stated that in requesting that I take the theory test orally, I was declaring that I am not in possession of the certificate from an obligatory school. At first, I was upset by this because obviously I can read and write; I just feel more comfortable reading and writing in English. This declaration seemed to imply that I had no formal education whatsoever and therefore could not read. The lawyer in Sharon, told me to look at the declaration from a lawyer’s point of view. I may have a formal education but I did not receive that education and do not have any documentation from Italy. I felt much better looking at it that way. Now begins the mad cramming for the exam. I went back another time with the signed declaration and the tax stamp and left my cell phone number with the woman behind the window. She told me I would receive a call in no less than 10 days and they would let me know when my appointment was. As I left the building, I shook my head in dismay. Was it so impossible for them to look in an appointment book or on a computer screen and let me know when an apartment was available?

A side note: how many Italians does it take to find a form at the Department of Motor Vehicles in Torino? In my case, it was three. How many Italians does it take to find out how much it costs to take an oral driving exam? In my case, it was two.

All contents copyright 2004-2006.
All rights reserved.

Farewell and Good Luck

Sharon, Fabien and Sophie left yesterday for Beijing. I drove them to the airport and since I am lousy at good-byes, I just wrote Sharon a letter. It said something like this: "You have been wonderful friends, I am glad to have had the time I did with you in Torino. My only regret is that Veronica and Sophie will not be able to grow into toddlers together but that just means we have to come for a visit sooner rather than later. Right? I will miss the three of you madly."

All contents copyright 2004-2006.
All rights reserved.

Warning: Gross Food Post-Fried Veal Brains

Weekends in Torino are often spent going to the public market and browsing its offerings. This past weekend Demetrio and I were on the hunt for soup bones for my mom’s wonderful soups. We happened to come upon some veal brains, which I do not often find. Demetrio insisted that we buy some and he said he’d prepare them for dinner. I have eaten them before in Florence as part of a mixed fried plate and in Rome fried with artichokes.

Many people scoff at eating offal (sometimes called the fifth quarter because animals are traditionally butchered into four parts, with the innards and organ meat being the left over, thus the fifth quarter).

Offal in fact is making quite a comeback. It is no longer considered peasant food but more of a delicacy. There are blogs about it and cookbooks on how to prepare it. When I first met my husband, who is Roman (Roman cooking is loaded with offal), he tried to test my culinary waters by offering me all types of offal. He fed me Roman tripe, sweetbreads (which are thymus glands of animals) tripa alla Romana, pajata (a pasta dish made with young veal intestines), kidneys and tongue. I think one of the things that brought us together was that there was quite and un-squeamish about eating his native Roman cuisine. So last night he prepared fried veal brains for my mom and me. I can't say they are my favorite but I CAN say I have tried them.


Here are the brains in their raw state. They still have to be cleaned and trimmed. The brains are very delicate so after we purchased them, Demetrio kept them in his jacket pocket instead of storing them in the shopping trolley.


I love this photo as it reminds me of something from an Alfred Hitchcock movie; notice the gleam of the chef's knife.


The brains were lightly floured then dipped in egg batter and fried. I must say they are not very strong smelling and taste very light, much like silken tofu.

All contents copyright 2004-2006.
All rights reserved.