So last I left you, it was before the Thanksgiving holiday! Wow, how time flies! We celebrated our first Thanksgiving here and after it was all said and done, I thought to myself, 'I now know why everyone around here travels for Thanksgiving.' Thanksgiving should be about getting family together, giving thanks for everything you have and for those in your life. It's a time for family and on a good day, some football! But, living in the states, the holiday often gets overlooked with the parades leading up to Santa Claus to start the holiday season, the infamous Black Friday sales, the creation of a plan of attack for the good sales, who will wait in line for that special gift and the setting of alarms to make sure you are the first in line to Target which opens earlier and earlier every year. Sadly the holiday has been commercialized and when you are used to something, doing it another way seems so blase.
As I stood in the kitchen dressing my turkey, I yearned for the Macy's Day Parade to be playing in the background. Although I did get to see it much later in the day, it just wasn't the same. As I made our turkey and all the wonderful dishes to accompany it, I tried to remained positive as the day just seemed off. Perhaps it was that thanksgiving was earlier this year, or maybe it was because I couldn't call family, or maybe it was the lack of a Black Friday paper and the ads. But I believe the biggest reason was that this is an American holiday and it is not celebrated in Italy. For Italians it was a normal day, with normal store hours and normal tv. I was celebrating a holiday that celebrated by all in my host country and darn it, it felt weird! At any rate, the day was depressing. Geesh! i hate to say that, but it was. I supposed it also didn't help that my husband finally told me
after almost 20 years of marriage that he doesn't really like turkey
very much! As soon as the dinner plates were cleared at 3pm, and while the parade played in the background on my computer, I put away the fall decorations and took out the Christmas ones. I felt as if bringing in the holiday spirit would in turn lift mine. It did for a bit, and I thought maybe this is just going to be our holiday tradition now.
As I spoke to a few of my friends who traveled during the holiday, I asked why they did it. Oddly enough, it was for the same reasons I posted above. It was a depressing holiday that didn't feel like a traditional holiday for most. So they were willing to forego the turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie for sandwiches at a bistro in Paris or bratwurst in Germany all for the sake of changing a tradition. And frankly, I don't blame them. So for next year, I'm all about changing tradition for really the holiday about family right? So although my husband may not like turkey, even though it's traditional, and my kids my not like a huge meal at 2pm, because that's our traditional dinner time, perhaps it is time to let go of my traditions and start forming my own family's traditions. I am sure once we go back to the states, all bets are off but perhaps we could keep a little of the traditional holiday inside us and carry on to form new ones..
And I might add for all those savvy shoppers out there, black friday shopping is great, you get some good deals online and such, but it's not as gratifying. You don't get that immediate rush of feeling and satisfaction when you bring the gift home, because here I have to wait about 2 weeks for delivery. There is something to be said about crazy crowds at crazy early morning hours and the rush you get from engaging in that activity. But then again, I got to sit in my pjs, with my hot cocoa in hand, and shop to my heart's content online, no waiting in the cold, no long lines and no pushing. That was nice too.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Outsider looking in...
Have you ever wondered what it is like to be an foreigner in another country? Sure you can travel and mingle with the locals, laugh at the fact that you can barely speak the language, make a fool of yourself and not worry about leaving a lasting impression, and make a few passing remarks about the strange country without ever immersing yourself into the culture. But what if everything you ever knew was no longer there? What if the comforts of home were gone and now you are the person in a foreign land, not just someone in your country who irritates you because they don't know the customs or mores, but because now the tables are turned, you notice just how that same foreigner you've made fun of a thousand times now feel? I have lived in the United States my whole life. I travelled once to Canada and once to Bermuda, where the people spoke my language, perhaps with a little accent, and wanted my money, so they made me feel good about being there. But now, here I am, this southern girl has landed in another country with no familiarities or comforts of home, bound and determined to make it in this country and assimiliate to the culture to the best of my ability. However, this comes with several challenges and now, after being here for 5 months, I see myself evolving, changing into a different person.
I see myself as an outsider looking into the country I once knew and loved. I still do love the US for everything it offers, but in the same regard, I am beginning to understand why and how the world thinks we are the most selfish and convenient oriented society there is. Let's take fast food or restaurants for example. Here, if you want to eat out, there are certain times of the day that can occur. Don't expect your favorite restaurant to be opened at 2pm because that's when you decided to take lunch. And don't expect to drive up to a drive thru and order your favorite chicken nuggets with waffle fries (and yes I miss Chick Fil A) because guess what, there aren't drive thrus here. We have one on post and then one near the mall, both Burger King, but other than that, nope, they aren't here. Why? Essentially it is illegal to drink or eat while you are driving. Go figure! guess you can't say you missed the stop sign because you spilled ketchup in your lap. Admit that and you will get a fine. As for that restaurant at 2pm, let's just say, lunchtime is from 12-2, and after that, the place closes its doors until 7pm when it will open again for dinner, unless of course it's a Monday and then you better find a grocery store that is opened so you can get cooking. Most of the restaurants are closed on Mondays. so you see, eating out isn't convenient, it's a well planned, well timed meal choice you need to make, rather than an on the fly motion. I will say this though, once you get used to it, you admire the fact that the shopkeepers and chefs don't feel the need or pressure to remain open all day. Money is not the bottom line.
Another point i see is that America is the most accomodating place I've ever seen. If you don't like the shirt you purchased you can return it without any hassle and sometimes without a receipt. If you don't like the way something is done you can lobby to get it changed. If you don't like the fact that your favorite restaurant has decided to be closed on Sundays you can complain to everyone who will listen and then, opt to head to another place. If you forget something you need, let's say sugar for that late night snack you plan on baking, you can run down to the corner Walmart, open 24 hours or the big chain store open 24 hours and grab that item. But here now, Italy is set in their ways. If you don't like something, tough. If you don't like the fact that the stores are closed for reposo every day from 1145-330, get over it. It happens. If you plan on buying something, you better really like and now that it will fit, otherwise, you better find someone else to give it to. Returns are frowned upon here. And do not, under any circumstances, TOUCH anything. Do not touch the fruit with your bare hands, use a glove. Do not touch the fabric of the dress in a little boutique, because you know we Americans LOVE to feel and touch everything, or you will get thrown out or fined. Don't expect your Italian dryer to handle those American made towels or to even dry them with actual heat. Line drying is the way to go. Garbage disposals, non existent. Instead, you get to sort the trash, everyday. Lastly, do not expect your favorite restauarnt to accomodate you at 2pm, no they are closing up and heading home. And do not expect to find your corner grocer open at 10pm at night, they closed 3 hours prior. In Italy, they are set in their ways. It's not a bad thing really. You have to admire a group of people who understand the needs of their culture and just give their culture what they want. It's a sense of peacefulness I have never had nor understood.
Another thing about Italy I admire is the simple laid back way of life here. Italians walk, every day, rain or shine. I see them at 0530 with their umbrellas, walking in the rain. I see them at 10pm at night, walking off their dinner. I see them walking to the town center or riding their bikes, everywhere because this is what Italians do. They are an active people, and i love that. I love seeing the older couples out on nature hikes with their walking sticks. I love seeing families out for a nighttime stroll, enjoying some gelato.I love that the Italians don't think twice about riding their bike to the store, even though they could take their car. They aren't bound to the car like we are in the states, and I think it's great.
Sure, Italy has it's quirks, like the farmers that are out early in the morning or late in the afternoon, walking in the fields with their dog, and shooting at the pigeons so they can make a mean pigeon pie for dinner. But if you think about it, we all have our quirks, America too. So the next time you find yourself in another country, living day in and day out with the locals, yearning for a little taste of home like your friendly Target or Walmart, try, just try to adjust to the life you've been given. Try to assimilate yourself, try to learn the language, try to soak in the culture. And when you're missing home, there's always the big red target on line if you really feel the need to shop. They ship, it's usually free, and you've saved yourself some gas in the process. I know now what it's like to be the outsider looking in and while at first it felt awkward, scary and daunting, once I got past all that, I think I might just like it here (but please don't tell my husband that quite yet).
I see myself as an outsider looking into the country I once knew and loved. I still do love the US for everything it offers, but in the same regard, I am beginning to understand why and how the world thinks we are the most selfish and convenient oriented society there is. Let's take fast food or restaurants for example. Here, if you want to eat out, there are certain times of the day that can occur. Don't expect your favorite restaurant to be opened at 2pm because that's when you decided to take lunch. And don't expect to drive up to a drive thru and order your favorite chicken nuggets with waffle fries (and yes I miss Chick Fil A) because guess what, there aren't drive thrus here. We have one on post and then one near the mall, both Burger King, but other than that, nope, they aren't here. Why? Essentially it is illegal to drink or eat while you are driving. Go figure! guess you can't say you missed the stop sign because you spilled ketchup in your lap. Admit that and you will get a fine. As for that restaurant at 2pm, let's just say, lunchtime is from 12-2, and after that, the place closes its doors until 7pm when it will open again for dinner, unless of course it's a Monday and then you better find a grocery store that is opened so you can get cooking. Most of the restaurants are closed on Mondays. so you see, eating out isn't convenient, it's a well planned, well timed meal choice you need to make, rather than an on the fly motion. I will say this though, once you get used to it, you admire the fact that the shopkeepers and chefs don't feel the need or pressure to remain open all day. Money is not the bottom line.
Another point i see is that America is the most accomodating place I've ever seen. If you don't like the shirt you purchased you can return it without any hassle and sometimes without a receipt. If you don't like the way something is done you can lobby to get it changed. If you don't like the fact that your favorite restaurant has decided to be closed on Sundays you can complain to everyone who will listen and then, opt to head to another place. If you forget something you need, let's say sugar for that late night snack you plan on baking, you can run down to the corner Walmart, open 24 hours or the big chain store open 24 hours and grab that item. But here now, Italy is set in their ways. If you don't like something, tough. If you don't like the fact that the stores are closed for reposo every day from 1145-330, get over it. It happens. If you plan on buying something, you better really like and now that it will fit, otherwise, you better find someone else to give it to. Returns are frowned upon here. And do not, under any circumstances, TOUCH anything. Do not touch the fruit with your bare hands, use a glove. Do not touch the fabric of the dress in a little boutique, because you know we Americans LOVE to feel and touch everything, or you will get thrown out or fined. Don't expect your Italian dryer to handle those American made towels or to even dry them with actual heat. Line drying is the way to go. Garbage disposals, non existent. Instead, you get to sort the trash, everyday. Lastly, do not expect your favorite restauarnt to accomodate you at 2pm, no they are closing up and heading home. And do not expect to find your corner grocer open at 10pm at night, they closed 3 hours prior. In Italy, they are set in their ways. It's not a bad thing really. You have to admire a group of people who understand the needs of their culture and just give their culture what they want. It's a sense of peacefulness I have never had nor understood.
Another thing about Italy I admire is the simple laid back way of life here. Italians walk, every day, rain or shine. I see them at 0530 with their umbrellas, walking in the rain. I see them at 10pm at night, walking off their dinner. I see them walking to the town center or riding their bikes, everywhere because this is what Italians do. They are an active people, and i love that. I love seeing the older couples out on nature hikes with their walking sticks. I love seeing families out for a nighttime stroll, enjoying some gelato.I love that the Italians don't think twice about riding their bike to the store, even though they could take their car. They aren't bound to the car like we are in the states, and I think it's great.
Sure, Italy has it's quirks, like the farmers that are out early in the morning or late in the afternoon, walking in the fields with their dog, and shooting at the pigeons so they can make a mean pigeon pie for dinner. But if you think about it, we all have our quirks, America too. So the next time you find yourself in another country, living day in and day out with the locals, yearning for a little taste of home like your friendly Target or Walmart, try, just try to adjust to the life you've been given. Try to assimilate yourself, try to learn the language, try to soak in the culture. And when you're missing home, there's always the big red target on line if you really feel the need to shop. They ship, it's usually free, and you've saved yourself some gas in the process. I know now what it's like to be the outsider looking in and while at first it felt awkward, scary and daunting, once I got past all that, I think I might just like it here (but please don't tell my husband that quite yet).
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Florence
The architecture alone and streets lined with gold and
designer stores is enough to send any woman into a tailspin of spending and
photography, but visiting Florence as a family takes quite another spin. I knew
that taking the children, ages 6 & 9, might prove to be difficult as what
child would want to walk aimlessly around looking at building after building,
fresco after fresco, and statue after statue? Heck, all I heard from my
children all day was, "Can we go back to the room? Can we have
gelato" and my favorite, "These statues all need underwear mom!"
From the eyes of a child, this is probably the most boring place in the world,
unless of course your child absolutely loves art and all things about art and
has a wealth of knowledge regarding painters, sculptors and the ilk. But for my
two, no, they had none of that going for them. They were bored but they were
troopers and tried to enjoy themselves.
We drove to Florence on a rainy Saturday morning. I should
have known that was just the beginning of the rain because all weekend long,
the rain persisted. Despite it though, Florence still turned out to be a great
city, full of life, happiness and atmosphere. We rented a little one bedroom
flat which I highly recommend. Our weekend landlord, Luca, had a fabulous place
minutes away from the Duomo and Baptistery and as they say in the real estate
business, location is everything. This flat was literally in the center of
town. http://www.housetrip.com/en/rentals/5787
. The only downside was the 8-10 minute walk complete with luggage in tow that
we lugged through the town from the train station, and in the rain. We met up
with Luca's girlfriend and thankfully, she spoke very good English. Once we
exchanged keys, the family set out to explore our surroundings. We found the
Hard Rock Cafe right at our corner. Next to that and all around us was a
shopping extravaganza, complete with stores like Valentino's, Miu Miu, Gucci,
Coco Chanel, and Lush. Yes it was a shopper's heaven, but since my 9yr old
tells me I shop too much, I mean really what girl doesn't like to shop, I did
my best not to shop. And since most Italians are not as broad shouldered and as
thick in the middle as I, shopping wasn't much of a concern. More importantly,
as we rounded the other corner, the Baptistery was right there and the Duomo,
right behind it. We were center stage for the main attraction.
The baptistery, named for John the Baptist was an octagon
structure with bronze inlaid doors, also known as the Gate of Paradise, that
depicted ten stories from the bible. In the Middle Ages, it was believed to be
a Roman pagan temple dedicated to Mars. The first panel on the door represents
the creation of Adam and Eve and their expulsion from Eden. The second panel is
the story of Cain and Abel. The remaining panels are in this order, from left
to right, Noah & the Ark, Abraham, Isaac and sons Esau and Jacob, the
stories of Joseph, Moses, Joshua, David and lastly, Solomon and the Queen of
Sheba.On the other side of the Baptistery, another set of doors sits and
depicts scenes from the new Testament. My daughter and i got a sneak peak
inside and saw the phenomenal mosaic ceiling, the tomb of the anitpope (who
knew?) and the mosaic scene of Hell in the Last Judgment, a strange looking
picture of a devilish looking figure which I did not even think I would see in
a place of worship. Here's some more information on the Baptistery which I
found rather informative. http://www.sacred-destinations.com/italy/florence-baptistery.
We also visited the Duomo, which is a must! The outside
architecture alone takes your breath away, and the inside is even more
magnificent. As we approached the pulpit area I stopped dead in my tracks as my
gaze led upwards towards the ceiling. The fresco on the ceiling was painted in
such a way that is appeared as if the subjects were popping out of the picture.
Truly an amazing feat since it was all painted in one dimension. My husband
visited the tombs and told me there wasn't much to them, so at least I know I
didn't miss much. You can climb to the top of the Duomo and, from what my husband
described, have an excellent view of the city and the surrounding areas. I will
warn you, there are about 436 steps to the top and not every step is carved
equally. Our next stop included the Piazza della Signoria. It's located near
the Palazzo Vechio and is a piazza full of statues each with their own story.
In this piazza was where the original David, by Michaelangelo, was located, but
it has since been moved to the Galleria Academia. However, you can see the
David by Donatello. It is still a wonderful piece. My favorite statue though
was definitely the one of Perseus holding Medusa's head while standing atop her
dead body. Much detail went in to the making of that statue.
In the same area, you can visit the Palazzo Vecchio and view
the art and several pieces of the time when the family ruled. There is also a
secret passages tour which was recommended to me by a friend. Unfortunately on
the day we tried to tour the palace, they did not have that tour available.
Dinner that night was the Hard Rock Cafe where I enjoyed a good old American
salad and hamburger. After living in italy for awhile, you need a taste of
home. The waitress even gave us free refills on our drinks which is totally
unheard of in Italy. I was so happy to be eating in an American restaurant.
After dinner we walked around the corner and ended up at a local open air
market that was open for the weekend. They had assorted cheeses, meats, sauces
and pastas. My husband's favorite was the meat being sliced off a roasted pig
leg. I enjoyed the chestnuts roasting over an open fire (now just don't go
breaking out into song. I know, the temptation is hard!)
The next day we spent exploring the city and all the culture
it had to offer us. We visited the science museum where the kids went on a scavenger
hunt to locate Galileo's finger, thumb and tooth! (They did find it and were
very pleased with themselves, even though they rest of the time they were bored
with mom's show and tell education time.) We visited the Ponte Vecchio, the
covered bridge in the city. Once you crossed the bridge, you came upon what I
call "The street lined with gold." Literally, all along the street on
both sides, there was goldsmith after goldsmith. At least here my oldest
permitted me to browse the earrings, charms, and bracelets. We continued on our
way to the Palazzo Pitti, not very exciting but it was a large palace. And
finally we visited the Galleria Academia where Michaelangelo's David stood,
front and center, in all it's masculine beauty. The detail and form used to
create this masterpiece is mesmerizing, and i think, even my husband began to
feel a little taken aback by David's in your face genitalia, but it's art, so
it's all good.
Florence is a beautiful city, steep in culture, religion and
fashion. My one qualm with the place is the cost of everything if you are not
an EU citizen. Each large touristy city has a pass that allows you to visit all
the museums for one set price. For a family of four, it would have 200 euros
and frankly, when you cost out the individual places you want to see, you pay
much less. Also, if you want to grab a bite to eat, eat where they locals go,
you will find the best food there rather than what a book tells you is the best
gelato in the whole world. (Sadly, it was not)
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Olive harvesting
The Italians lead a simple yet hard life here. Simple in that the modern conveniences we consider essential, i.e. a drive through for lunch or a prepackaged mixed salad bought from the local store, are not so here. If you want a salad, you make it. You cut the lettuce, or field greens, you chop the tomato, and you grate the cheese. If you want lunch, there is a certain time to head to the restaurant for lunch and then after a certain time, it is closed. Lunch, or pranzo, is from 1200- 1430. Do not try to enter the establishment earlier, they are not ready for you and do not enter after a certain time because then they are looking to go home until they open again at 7pm. Your other option is to make your lunch, whether that means you slice the meat and cheese on your own in home slicer or you make a small pasta dish, you put it all together. The Italians are also set in traditions here. Values and work ethics that are passed down from generation to generation. Family run businesses passed from father to son or father to daughter. The "old way" of life is still alive and well in Italy.
During this time of year, an important event event occurs all throughout Italy and lasts approximately 60ish days. It is the olive harvest time. It's a time when fathers, sons, mothers, daughters, family and friends come out for a cherished tradition of harvesting the olive tree. There are no machines to do the work for you, it is all done by hand, from sunrise to sunset, and often into the night. My family and a few friends had the chance to help out a local family and medium sized business this weekend harvest the olives off their trees. When we arrived, the nets were already laying in place, on the ground, clamped together and around the trunk of the tree. The hand rakes were laid out and the olive bins were ready for collection. She gave us brief instructions and set us on our way. The kids started off first, hitting all the branches near the bottom of their trees, carefully raking off each and every olive and trying hard not to step on them as they fell to the ground. Then the grownups got an opportunity to help out while the kids helped to put the olives in a basket. After a little while, the owner had us undo the clamps and start to roll up the sides of the netting so that the olives settled in the middle of the netting. It was after that, when the challenging part began. The nets were strewn from the last tree in the row to the olive catching bin near the first tree in the row. Once the sides were rolled and the olives in the net, the person at the end of the net had to start pushing all the olives towards the front, whilst gathering the net at the same time. Once we arrived at the front, the olives and leaves were dumped into the bin, ready to be cleaned and processed. We collected one more batch of olives and headed to the processing room.
It was here the owner showed us where the olives landed once they were dumped into the machine. The olives were cleaned and separated from the leaves and then transferred to another machine to be crushed and pulverized. Once the water and oil were extracted from the olive, it was drained into a vat for storage. The olive oil itself could be stored for up to a year in a large vat, but she prefers to process it as soon as she can.The owner also told us that during a harvesting season, she can make well over 750,000 bottles of extra virgin olive oil, enough to sustain her business for a whole year. That is pretty impressive seeing how she and her family truly work at harvesting only 2 months out of the year. In addition to the family olive grove, she also collects olives from the surrounding farmers to help in the production of the oil.
So you can see, the old way of life still exists here. Yes, they do have some modern machines to aid in the production of some goods, but for the most part, the items in Italy are either handmade or homegrown. I am beginning to see the importance of this way of life and frankly, I think I like it. But, having been born and raised in America, I can also see the valued added side of modern conveniences. While not wanting to give up my dollar bin shopping in Target or enjoy a little chicken from the drive thru at Chick-fil-a, there is a peacefulness in doing things simple. Perhaps I am beginning to enjoy what Italy has to offer, or perhaps I am succumbing to my surroundings, but whichever it is, I have a greater appreciation for all things simple. It's a shame not all of us do.
During this time of year, an important event event occurs all throughout Italy and lasts approximately 60ish days. It is the olive harvest time. It's a time when fathers, sons, mothers, daughters, family and friends come out for a cherished tradition of harvesting the olive tree. There are no machines to do the work for you, it is all done by hand, from sunrise to sunset, and often into the night. My family and a few friends had the chance to help out a local family and medium sized business this weekend harvest the olives off their trees. When we arrived, the nets were already laying in place, on the ground, clamped together and around the trunk of the tree. The hand rakes were laid out and the olive bins were ready for collection. She gave us brief instructions and set us on our way. The kids started off first, hitting all the branches near the bottom of their trees, carefully raking off each and every olive and trying hard not to step on them as they fell to the ground. Then the grownups got an opportunity to help out while the kids helped to put the olives in a basket. After a little while, the owner had us undo the clamps and start to roll up the sides of the netting so that the olives settled in the middle of the netting. It was after that, when the challenging part began. The nets were strewn from the last tree in the row to the olive catching bin near the first tree in the row. Once the sides were rolled and the olives in the net, the person at the end of the net had to start pushing all the olives towards the front, whilst gathering the net at the same time. Once we arrived at the front, the olives and leaves were dumped into the bin, ready to be cleaned and processed. We collected one more batch of olives and headed to the processing room.
It was here the owner showed us where the olives landed once they were dumped into the machine. The olives were cleaned and separated from the leaves and then transferred to another machine to be crushed and pulverized. Once the water and oil were extracted from the olive, it was drained into a vat for storage. The olive oil itself could be stored for up to a year in a large vat, but she prefers to process it as soon as she can.The owner also told us that during a harvesting season, she can make well over 750,000 bottles of extra virgin olive oil, enough to sustain her business for a whole year. That is pretty impressive seeing how she and her family truly work at harvesting only 2 months out of the year. In addition to the family olive grove, she also collects olives from the surrounding farmers to help in the production of the oil.
So you can see, the old way of life still exists here. Yes, they do have some modern machines to aid in the production of some goods, but for the most part, the items in Italy are either handmade or homegrown. I am beginning to see the importance of this way of life and frankly, I think I like it. But, having been born and raised in America, I can also see the valued added side of modern conveniences. While not wanting to give up my dollar bin shopping in Target or enjoy a little chicken from the drive thru at Chick-fil-a, there is a peacefulness in doing things simple. Perhaps I am beginning to enjoy what Italy has to offer, or perhaps I am succumbing to my surroundings, but whichever it is, I have a greater appreciation for all things simple. It's a shame not all of us do.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Chocolate festival 2012
Chocolate Festival
This past weekend we had the opportunity to enjoy the annual
Cioccolando, the local chocolate festival in Vicenza. Every year in October,
there are chocolate festivals throughout Italy. The ones I heard of this year
included the one in Vicenza, the one in Soave and the larger one in Perugia.
Various chocolate makers set up in the main piazzas of each town and offer
samplings of their handmade chocolates. However, the most famous draw to the
festival is the Italian version of hot chocolate. It was a rainy cold day in
Vicenza but since it was the last day of the festival, I was bound and
determined to get there. After all, this was MY Halloween. So we embarked upon
our little adventure to downtown Vicenza.
We dodged a few rain puddles and followed the group of people headed
towards the festival. My Italian instructor told us that there were supposed to
be about 59 vendors but when we arrived, it seemed like fewer than that. I
supposed the rain kept some back. But, nonetheless, the vendors there were all
under their tents marked with Cioccolando, so I am guessing they are used to
hosting this festival in the rain.
Immediately we spotted the hot chocolate. In fact, nearly
every vendor had hot chocolate. My family was a little cold so we decided to
grab some of it. Now I have been told stories about the Italians and their hot
chocolate and how they prefer it thick. Our Italian teacher even told us about
the hot chocolate and how anything less than what the Italians normally drink
is considered “plastic” or fake. In other words, they don’t drink hot chocolate
made by swiss miss. Nope. What I was handed was a cup of dark, thick chocolate
soup. The inside of my cup was coated in a thick layer of chocolate. The drink
itself was like drinking hot chocolate syrup from the Hershey’s bottle. I couldn’t
finish it, the drink was too sweet, but my kids thoroughly enjoyed the
experience.
We wandered around a bit and began to see the same chocolate
at every stand. We did purchase some dipped fruit, although I think it was
sugar candy dipped in chocolate. They had lemon, orange, ginger, and pineapple.
There were truffles of all shapes and sizes. Round ones rolled in pistachios,
walnuts, almonds and chili powder. There were square truffles that tasted of
orange and chocolate, strawberry and chocolate, and again, pepper covered
chocolates. I also had a chance to taste the Italian version of fudge, which is
a little thinner than our version. There were also little critters made out of
chocolate, chocolate lollipops and chocolate covered candies. But I must say,
the piece of art handcrafted by these chocolatiers was amazing. I saw chocolate
in the shape of wrenches, hammers, padlocks, keys and other tools. In addition
to the tools and such, the chocolatiers also had handcrafted Prada shoes for 15
euros, all chocolate.
Despite the rain and an aching sprained ankle, we had a
great time and I cannot wait until next year’s festivities. I think we’ll try
one of the other festivals though so we can do a little compare and contrast. As
I sit and sip my hot chocolate with cream, I think to myself, I really enjoy my
hot cup of “plastic”.
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Crafting in Italy - Adventures at Abilmente
Crafters beware because what I am about to tell you will blow your mind. If you think you have seen it all at Micheals, Joann's, AC Moore, Hobby Lobby, or Home Store, think AGAIN! You have not found true love in a craft store until you have met your match and true love at Italy's Abilmente, http://www.abilmente.org/nqcontent.cfm?a_id=1764
My Italian teacher told our class about this wonderful event that occurs only twice a year in Italy, right in our own backyard in Vicenza. It is the time of the year the Italian women get their craftiness on, drive in droves to the arena, wheel in empty suitcases only to walk away with overflowing ones, and prepare themselves for 4 days of crafting adventures. This International Craft & Trade Fair is just that, but by far the LARGEST International Craft Fair I have ever attended, and I LOVE craft shows! This was like Michaels, Joann's and Hobby Lobby on steroids! Around this time of the year you can attend any craft show to purchase little knickknacks and ornaments for your tree, gifts for the whole family, and sample many foods.But here in Italy, that is NOT a craft show. This is where you go to BUY your craft supplies! We have a couple stores here that have a few aisles of craft items but it's not like there is a Michael's or Joann's to curb your appetite for creativity, so we shop on line. Apparently though, the Italians have this little hidden gem!!! My friends and I walked in, expecting to purchase said knick knacks and such but were amazed and well, overwhelmed with stall upon stall of crafty goodness. There were vendors selling crafting books and magazines for all ages. There were several vendors for scrapbooking and stamping crafts. Needlepoint, wool, felt, and fabric demonstrations and vendors as far as the eye could see. Literally, there were about 900-1000 vendor stalls and demonstraters. There may have many more but I love count and my sprained ankle wasn't happy, but that never stopped me. I fell in love with all the country like fabrics, reds, greens, yellows, blues and pastels. It was all I could do not to purchase every last scrap. When I asked the price of an item, imagine my surprise when she told me I couldn't buy it but that it was sold in a kit. This was the theme for most of the day, kit, after kit, after kit. Dang it, and my sewing machine is back in the states in storage.
We saw some interesting demonstrations on working with wool. I am not really sure what they were doing but it looked like they were aspirating the wool with a needle. The crafters working with wool had it wrapped in a ball and were poking it with a needle. It was interesting whatever they were doing so we just sat mesmerized for a bit. We saw demonstrations on the art of painting ornaments, there was even a woman painting glitter on a shoe! The shoe looked fabulous afterwards. There were beads of all shapes and sizes and buttons to boot as well. We entered the embroidery section of the show and were amazed at the quietness of this section. My friend called it the civilized section of the show and I think she was right. i wasn't pushed once in that area. Also at the show were vendors from England and France and even some American names like Martha Stewart crafts and Singer. Most of the items looked like things I could purchase easily online but I suppose for the Italian women, this is how they bought their crafting needs for the holidays. And let me say this, these crafters are pretty talented at using recycled items and making them into art. The kits are fantastic and I look forward to completing my Christmas witch, Bella Befana.
My poor friends' eyes glazed over as we traveled from booth to booth and at times I thought I had lost the girls but they hung in there like troopers. We each bought some wonderful already made items, thank goodness I don't have to recreate all those wonderful items, and I am sure enjoyed ourselves silly. I now understand why they sell discounted 2 and 3 passes to this show. Perhaps next time I will embrace my inner Italy and bring my very own suitcase to fill to the brim with crating treasures! Italy, today you impressed me. Brava!! Brava!!
My Italian teacher told our class about this wonderful event that occurs only twice a year in Italy, right in our own backyard in Vicenza. It is the time of the year the Italian women get their craftiness on, drive in droves to the arena, wheel in empty suitcases only to walk away with overflowing ones, and prepare themselves for 4 days of crafting adventures. This International Craft & Trade Fair is just that, but by far the LARGEST International Craft Fair I have ever attended, and I LOVE craft shows! This was like Michaels, Joann's and Hobby Lobby on steroids! Around this time of the year you can attend any craft show to purchase little knickknacks and ornaments for your tree, gifts for the whole family, and sample many foods.But here in Italy, that is NOT a craft show. This is where you go to BUY your craft supplies! We have a couple stores here that have a few aisles of craft items but it's not like there is a Michael's or Joann's to curb your appetite for creativity, so we shop on line. Apparently though, the Italians have this little hidden gem!!! My friends and I walked in, expecting to purchase said knick knacks and such but were amazed and well, overwhelmed with stall upon stall of crafty goodness. There were vendors selling crafting books and magazines for all ages. There were several vendors for scrapbooking and stamping crafts. Needlepoint, wool, felt, and fabric demonstrations and vendors as far as the eye could see. Literally, there were about 900-1000 vendor stalls and demonstraters. There may have many more but I love count and my sprained ankle wasn't happy, but that never stopped me. I fell in love with all the country like fabrics, reds, greens, yellows, blues and pastels. It was all I could do not to purchase every last scrap. When I asked the price of an item, imagine my surprise when she told me I couldn't buy it but that it was sold in a kit. This was the theme for most of the day, kit, after kit, after kit. Dang it, and my sewing machine is back in the states in storage.
We saw some interesting demonstrations on working with wool. I am not really sure what they were doing but it looked like they were aspirating the wool with a needle. The crafters working with wool had it wrapped in a ball and were poking it with a needle. It was interesting whatever they were doing so we just sat mesmerized for a bit. We saw demonstrations on the art of painting ornaments, there was even a woman painting glitter on a shoe! The shoe looked fabulous afterwards. There were beads of all shapes and sizes and buttons to boot as well. We entered the embroidery section of the show and were amazed at the quietness of this section. My friend called it the civilized section of the show and I think she was right. i wasn't pushed once in that area. Also at the show were vendors from England and France and even some American names like Martha Stewart crafts and Singer. Most of the items looked like things I could purchase easily online but I suppose for the Italian women, this is how they bought their crafting needs for the holidays. And let me say this, these crafters are pretty talented at using recycled items and making them into art. The kits are fantastic and I look forward to completing my Christmas witch, Bella Befana.
My poor friends' eyes glazed over as we traveled from booth to booth and at times I thought I had lost the girls but they hung in there like troopers. We each bought some wonderful already made items, thank goodness I don't have to recreate all those wonderful items, and I am sure enjoyed ourselves silly. I now understand why they sell discounted 2 and 3 passes to this show. Perhaps next time I will embrace my inner Italy and bring my very own suitcase to fill to the brim with crating treasures! Italy, today you impressed me. Brava!! Brava!!
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Cooking & baking
It's fall and what I love more than anything is baking a pie or cake and cooking up some soup. I have some tried and true recipes that my family and I love, the problem I am encountering though is converting to the metric system, well that and trying to locate my items on the shelf of an Italian grocery store.
For instance, mayo here is not in a jar, it's in a TUBE. With a McDonald's label to make it even funnier. But today, as it is fall and all, my family requested another pumpkin pie. So let's start with the pumpkin. First and foremost, no, i do not use Libby's pumpkin pie from a can. That is blasphemy in this house. My mother's recipe, handed down to me, includes boiling a pie pumpkin down, peeling and then mashing it. Ordinarily, I have no problem doing that, I get the pumpkins and off we go. However, those wonderful little orange pie pumpkins DO NOT EXIST here. So I had to go in search of a substitute, and that would be where I found winter squash, or zucca, as it is called here. This winter squash resembles an acorn squash in color and is a little bigger than it, but the taste of it is sweet. Trial one of the pie making experience included the new pumpkin and the old spices and other ingredients. And since my picky 9 yr old enjoyed it and gave me a thumbs up, it was deemed edible and delicious. Of course, the family ate the whole pie and requested a second one. My car is in the shop and I was out of sweet and condensed milk. Hoping that the Italian store up the road actually carried this item, I peddled my bike in search of the product, with a google translation in hand. Google, you failed me. There was nothing in the store that looked remotely like the Eagle brand sweet and condensed milk and nothing that read "latte dolce e condensato." So finally, after standing in the aisle for a long time and becoming quite perturbed that I could not find what i wanted, I asked a fellow female shopper, because after all, we bake, right? I showed her my translation and she stared at it for a moment as if to process my request and then I saw a light bulb go on. She knew what I wanted! I nearly did a happy dance right there in the store but quickly contained my excitement when the lady directed me to a TUBE! Yes, no wonder I couldn't find the Eagle brand can, it didn't exist! And to top it off, the name if the product was "latte interno concentrato zuccherato", roughly translated, milk inside concentrated sugar. In a tube, who would have thought? So I a quick calculation of 15 1/2 oz to mL and dang it, it was in grams! I grabbed 3 tubes hoping it would be a enough and went in search of the heavy cream i needed for the soup. Luckily, it translated into panna and I grabbed the panna di cucine in hopes it was the right stuff too! I peddled back home, goodies in hand, and imaging my yummy dinner and dessert.
My mother would be proud because guess what? I have rewritten her pumpkin pie recipe and deemed it 'pumpkin pie italian style'. I have on that recipe the new name of the sweet and condensed milk and the number of tubes, which should be about 3 1/2, as well as the number of grams I needed. I then converted the cup of water to mL, just because I could, even though I do have a few measuring cups. The only other conversions I made were teaspons and the oven temperature, which is roughly 191 degrees celsius rather than 375 degrees fahrenheit. Let's hope the second pie turns out equally as good!
The potato leek soup was fabulous too, even though the heavy cream was different than what I am used to, but hey, that's the adventure in cooking right? Thank goodness I have little cheat sheets all around the kitchen to help me in my cooking. My stove is in celsius and therefore I am constantly converting back and forth between celsius and fahrenheit, and due to this, i have a cheat sheet in the cupboard. Thankfully we got a new stove so the gas marks are gone as well. (Gas marks are a European heating system that just has numbers 1-9. Roughly speaking, #4 equated to 350 degrees) . When reading a European recipe I find myself converting measurements too from milliliters to ounces. I will have to thank Pampered Chef for the magnet converter I have hanging in my kitchen because otherwise, i might just give up on cooking altogether!
So two points to remember, 1) brush up on your metric system before traveling over here and 2) cheat sheets are a must!! For your own curiosity, 250mL equates to one cup. It's the small victories that makes cooking all worth it!
For instance, mayo here is not in a jar, it's in a TUBE. With a McDonald's label to make it even funnier. But today, as it is fall and all, my family requested another pumpkin pie. So let's start with the pumpkin. First and foremost, no, i do not use Libby's pumpkin pie from a can. That is blasphemy in this house. My mother's recipe, handed down to me, includes boiling a pie pumpkin down, peeling and then mashing it. Ordinarily, I have no problem doing that, I get the pumpkins and off we go. However, those wonderful little orange pie pumpkins DO NOT EXIST here. So I had to go in search of a substitute, and that would be where I found winter squash, or zucca, as it is called here. This winter squash resembles an acorn squash in color and is a little bigger than it, but the taste of it is sweet. Trial one of the pie making experience included the new pumpkin and the old spices and other ingredients. And since my picky 9 yr old enjoyed it and gave me a thumbs up, it was deemed edible and delicious. Of course, the family ate the whole pie and requested a second one. My car is in the shop and I was out of sweet and condensed milk. Hoping that the Italian store up the road actually carried this item, I peddled my bike in search of the product, with a google translation in hand. Google, you failed me. There was nothing in the store that looked remotely like the Eagle brand sweet and condensed milk and nothing that read "latte dolce e condensato." So finally, after standing in the aisle for a long time and becoming quite perturbed that I could not find what i wanted, I asked a fellow female shopper, because after all, we bake, right? I showed her my translation and she stared at it for a moment as if to process my request and then I saw a light bulb go on. She knew what I wanted! I nearly did a happy dance right there in the store but quickly contained my excitement when the lady directed me to a TUBE! Yes, no wonder I couldn't find the Eagle brand can, it didn't exist! And to top it off, the name if the product was "latte interno concentrato zuccherato", roughly translated, milk inside concentrated sugar. In a tube, who would have thought? So I a quick calculation of 15 1/2 oz to mL and dang it, it was in grams! I grabbed 3 tubes hoping it would be a enough and went in search of the heavy cream i needed for the soup. Luckily, it translated into panna and I grabbed the panna di cucine in hopes it was the right stuff too! I peddled back home, goodies in hand, and imaging my yummy dinner and dessert.
My mother would be proud because guess what? I have rewritten her pumpkin pie recipe and deemed it 'pumpkin pie italian style'. I have on that recipe the new name of the sweet and condensed milk and the number of tubes, which should be about 3 1/2, as well as the number of grams I needed. I then converted the cup of water to mL, just because I could, even though I do have a few measuring cups. The only other conversions I made were teaspons and the oven temperature, which is roughly 191 degrees celsius rather than 375 degrees fahrenheit. Let's hope the second pie turns out equally as good!
The potato leek soup was fabulous too, even though the heavy cream was different than what I am used to, but hey, that's the adventure in cooking right? Thank goodness I have little cheat sheets all around the kitchen to help me in my cooking. My stove is in celsius and therefore I am constantly converting back and forth between celsius and fahrenheit, and due to this, i have a cheat sheet in the cupboard. Thankfully we got a new stove so the gas marks are gone as well. (Gas marks are a European heating system that just has numbers 1-9. Roughly speaking, #4 equated to 350 degrees) . When reading a European recipe I find myself converting measurements too from milliliters to ounces. I will have to thank Pampered Chef for the magnet converter I have hanging in my kitchen because otherwise, i might just give up on cooking altogether!
So two points to remember, 1) brush up on your metric system before traveling over here and 2) cheat sheets are a must!! For your own curiosity, 250mL equates to one cup. It's the small victories that makes cooking all worth it!
Saturday, October 6, 2012
Goat cheese anyone?
Our Italian as a second language class went on a field trip to a local goat cheese farm to see how the cheese was made (because of course that's important in the land of cheese), to sample the cheese and to purchase said cheese. So we traveled to the other side of Vicenza to a little dairy farm called Azienda Agricola DESY.
And a farm it was. Our wonderful host had the obligatory horse (cavallo) and donkey (asino) for "show" as he said. The horse was too busy eating hay to be bothered with people but the donkey was the friendliest and hairiest donkey I have ever met. He was so lonely and just wanted attention, until he thought your hand was food and tried to bite you. Otherwise, he was such a loving gentle-donkey.
The owner showed his small barn that house about 30 goats, all ranging from babies to adults. All female except for one very busy male. These were also special Alpini goats bred in the Italian Alps. It was asked what do they do with all the goats since they give birth in February and then he would have lots more goats. he told us that some young goats are kept to replace the older ones, some are sold and lastly, some are the main course at Easter as it is tradition to eat goat's head at that time. I was fortunate enought to know this little fact when my stepdad's mom came down from NJ one year and cooked a goat's head right there in our oven. Apparently it is a delicacy, one I know I will not ever partake of. In addition to the goats, the owner had a few cows, and about 15 very stinky and very stout pigs. Unfortunately, the pigs served a purpose of salami and panchetta, but that is the circle of life around here. Lastly, we met the young cows intended for veal. i felt badly for the baby cows but again, the reason the Italians don't name their livestock like we Americans to is because Peter, Paul or Mary may be dinner that night and it would sound weird saying "We just ate Peter for dinner."
After showing us the animals, the farmer then showed us the milking room and the discussed the process of how the cheese is made. This particular farm makes both cow (mucca or vacca) and goat (coppa) cheese. We saw the two aging rooms, one was for cow and the other for goats. Some cheese aged as long as a few months, especially the green cheese which is similar to our version of blue cheese and takes very much like it, except that it is green. So now it really does look like you are eating moldy cheese, but it is so delicious.
We did have an opportunity to try the goat cheese and then the milk cheese. I have come to the conclusion that goat cheese is not really a favorite cheese of mine, no matter how long it has been aged or how soft it is. The cheese itself must be an acquired taste. However, I gladly purchased some Morlacco di Vacca (fresh cow cheese) and some Stagionato di Vacca (an aged cow cheese) to take home to the family. It's a good thing my oldest LOVES cheese. And if you would like to do as the natives, take your cheese and dip it in fresh honey. It is a tasty treat!
So if you are ever in the neighborhood or want a little fun activity for the kids, check them out or stop in at your local dairy farm. http://www.aziendaagricoladesy.it/ You never know what yummy cheese or milk awaits you.
And a farm it was. Our wonderful host had the obligatory horse (cavallo) and donkey (asino) for "show" as he said. The horse was too busy eating hay to be bothered with people but the donkey was the friendliest and hairiest donkey I have ever met. He was so lonely and just wanted attention, until he thought your hand was food and tried to bite you. Otherwise, he was such a loving gentle-donkey.
The owner showed his small barn that house about 30 goats, all ranging from babies to adults. All female except for one very busy male. These were also special Alpini goats bred in the Italian Alps. It was asked what do they do with all the goats since they give birth in February and then he would have lots more goats. he told us that some young goats are kept to replace the older ones, some are sold and lastly, some are the main course at Easter as it is tradition to eat goat's head at that time. I was fortunate enought to know this little fact when my stepdad's mom came down from NJ one year and cooked a goat's head right there in our oven. Apparently it is a delicacy, one I know I will not ever partake of. In addition to the goats, the owner had a few cows, and about 15 very stinky and very stout pigs. Unfortunately, the pigs served a purpose of salami and panchetta, but that is the circle of life around here. Lastly, we met the young cows intended for veal. i felt badly for the baby cows but again, the reason the Italians don't name their livestock like we Americans to is because Peter, Paul or Mary may be dinner that night and it would sound weird saying "We just ate Peter for dinner."
After showing us the animals, the farmer then showed us the milking room and the discussed the process of how the cheese is made. This particular farm makes both cow (mucca or vacca) and goat (coppa) cheese. We saw the two aging rooms, one was for cow and the other for goats. Some cheese aged as long as a few months, especially the green cheese which is similar to our version of blue cheese and takes very much like it, except that it is green. So now it really does look like you are eating moldy cheese, but it is so delicious.
We did have an opportunity to try the goat cheese and then the milk cheese. I have come to the conclusion that goat cheese is not really a favorite cheese of mine, no matter how long it has been aged or how soft it is. The cheese itself must be an acquired taste. However, I gladly purchased some Morlacco di Vacca (fresh cow cheese) and some Stagionato di Vacca (an aged cow cheese) to take home to the family. It's a good thing my oldest LOVES cheese. And if you would like to do as the natives, take your cheese and dip it in fresh honey. It is a tasty treat!
So if you are ever in the neighborhood or want a little fun activity for the kids, check them out or stop in at your local dairy farm. http://www.aziendaagricoladesy.it/ You never know what yummy cheese or milk awaits you.
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