tiramisu and other adventures

Alessia knows all of the keys to my heart. I could write an entire blog entry about each 3 hour chunk of our days together, and slowly i can feel my italian improving.

Yesterday, we made tiramisu (with Eva's recipe --- get excited, Nancy Scott!!!), and pizzas. I had almost no role in pizza making except watching and eating, and they were absolutely incredible. (they cut the pizza with scissors, just like Nonna used to). I now have a new dough recipe to try at home, and some inspiration for topping combinations. Walnuts, gorgonzola, prosciutto and mozzarella. Fresh tomato, olive oil, arugula. Potatoes sliced very thin, mozzarella, sausage and rosemary. Bellissima!!

Last night I went running with Alessia and her favorite friend of mine, Andrea. I went under the impression that they did 3 or 4 kilometers, but i'm not sure how i got that impression because after 20 minutes of running they informed that it was more like 8-10. I did fine, I am loving running these days and lord knows i need it after the 1 pound of pasta and 5 biscotti per day i

am averaging. The ocean is a straight shot from their apartment and you can turn either way on to a gorgeous promenade that runs along it -- so there was lots to entertain me in addition to their rapid italian conversation.

Mornings are calm and slow, but we manage do a lot before dinner at 8 or 9. Alessia took me to a book store and after an hour practically had to drag me out. I have fallen in love with italian kitchen accessories, so the same happened when I discovered a home goods store. i had to leave without buying anything (the 1st time) because i got so overwhelmed with the number of things i absolutely needed. When i return to the US, how can i possibly survive without 3 different sizes of espresso pots? or a (second) ravioli cutter? Or those beautiful metal pots that you can use to heat up milk or serve hot liquids?

And the finale: today we spent the day in the country with Alessia's Nonna (grandmother), making ravioli! She has a little room adjacent to the house, dedicated solely for pasta making. She has the same exact pasta machine as me, but her ravioli were far superior and i'm excited to try some new tricks when i get home. When Alessia completed her first row of ravioli, her Nonna burst out with the equivalent of: Federico, marry her, she's ready now!! It was a beautiful day, and it made me think of my own Nonna very much -- complete with sassy remarks and a soap opera on the tv during lunch. Love it!

Headed off to aperitivo's now (italian version of happy hour, but more heavy on the food end i think) and tomorrow we're going to spend my last day in Pescara at the beach. So i guess the keys to my heart are: tiramisu, pizza, books, exercise, pasta and large bodies of water. Not too shabby.