Cucina

While the kitchen at our villa is not as amazing as it seemed on their website, one thing that it did have was one of my favorite kitchen gadgets, the pasta roller. After visiting a local farmer's market I decided that roasted garlic and potato ravioli were in order. Here are some photos of the process:

Peeling the garlic:



The fun part about making ravioli is that everyone in the family gets to be involved (if they want):



We had some sticking issues, but they were still tasty:



Other than the occasional cooking project we have just been kicking it poolside for the most part. Last night's meal at All'enoteca was sublime, I have been eating amazing food this whole trip but I can say with confidence that it was my favorite meal we've had so far. Of note was an eel antipasta served on a patty of polenta bianca and rich cherry sauce (I need to learn how to cook eel it is so wonderful), lamb that had been cooking for 24 hours (how could that not be good), and the best breadsticks I have ever had.

One thing that is different about European restaurants is a tendency to bring out small dishes that were not even on the menu between courses. We have gotten red pepper mousse, melon with smoked duck, eggplant filled with blue cheese, olive and anchovy tapenade, and many more treats. If I ever have a restaurant I think that is a feature I would want in it. I have also learned the value of having really good servers. Having friendly, skilled waiters can take a good meal and make it into a truely memorable one. I'm going to miss Europe.

The Sounds of Villa San Lorenzo

Each night while falling asleep, we hear the gentle sounds of the wind mixed with animal and bird sounds in the distance. Every hour three churches ring their bells, but they are slightly staggered in timing. It is a charming sound to which I could easily become accustomed. At noon, since the bells chime twelve times, the bells overlap at three different pitches, creating a dissonant and strangely peaceful song. At 5:45 each morning the approximately ten million varieties of birds begin their morning chorus. It wakes me up each time then puts me right back to sleep.

Day Seventeen: Spa Day

Today Carole and I went up the road to Senterio di Vita, a small spa at the end of a dirt road. The property has sweeping views of the Langhe and the Alps further in the distance. Marissa does massage and her partner Fulvia does nails. The spa is an old converted house with a lovely pool, jacuzzi, relaxation room, and massages upstairs. Carole spent two hours there in the morning having a French manicure, chatting, drinking espresso, being offered an aperitif, local cheese, and a bouquet of lavender. While she was there, a local family showed up to spend the day swimming and hanging out. I went up at 2:00 for a Shiatsu massage which is a lot like a Thai massage in the States. Marissa is terrific. Actually, they are both the embodiment of grace and hospitality. After my massage I lingered had espresso and then a little later after delightful, if challenging lingually, conversation, a little Spumante to toast the birthday of the women of the family there swimming. I could have happily hung out for hours, but the American self-consciousness in me kicked in and I felt compelled to take my leave.






This is their cuuuuuute puppy Priscilla, named after the film, "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert."



That night we went to Canale, a small town north of Alba where my dad treated us to dinner at All'Enoteca where we enjoyed an amazing, four hour meal of local foods. We arrived back to the villa close to 1 a.m. satisfied and exhausted!

Slow Food: Wild Cherries

Brad, being the professional gleaner that he is, immediately discovered that there are many fruit trees in the woods surrounding the villa including two huge wild cherry trees. The fruit are small and taste a little like Queen Annes. All the cherries at arm's length were gone, but oh, the tops of the trees! What to do, what to do...



If you are Brad Gallien, what you do is you find some boards laying around, lean them into the tree, the tree that is on a hillside and therefore hanging over a ten foot drop, and you climb up after the fruit.




One wasp sting later, victory!



The spoils:



The next step, pitting enough cherries for a tart:



Dessert is ready!



Ciliege Selvatiche:

Day Sixteen: Farmers' Market in Monforte d'Alba

In the Langhe area of Piedmont where we are staying, there is a farmers' market in the area everyday. This morning we went to Monforte d'Alba where we bought a lot of luscious fruit (peaches, apricots, and pluots) and garlic and potatoes to fill tonight's raviolis. Brad got to talking about wine with the proprietor of a small bodega and ended up buying one bottle of each kind they make. Here is the village and some views of the surrounding vineyards:

Day Fifteen: Sundays in Italy

We slept in today and hung out at the pool, thinking that we'd go buy groceries in the afternoon. Oops. Italy shuts down on Sunday afternoons. Brad and I decided to venture out and find something open, even maybe a 7-11 equivalent. Surely people have emergency grocery needs on Sundays here! We drove all the way to Bra, home of Carlo Petrini and Slow Food and found the only open place, a Wal-Mart equivalent called Big Store. Oh, the irony.

Here are some photos of the Villa, San Lorenzo di Bonvicino:

The Street Where You Live