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Aperi-Cheese-O, Dogliani and other pics:
https://picasaweb.google.com/105096135818321367223/GiolDoglFontana0630070112?authkey=Gv1sRgCP2rr6S1jqXPVw
Friday
It was good of Enzo to invite Monica and me to go with him to the cheese producer at the street market for some marvelous sheep cheese. We’ll be all set with great cheeses for several days. Fortunately, we got up early so that we could get back for Monica to ride to the Gastronomic Society’s building with Patricia and Gregoire.
Rubbernecking had a whole new meaning on the way to take Peter to the Torino airport to fly to Rome, where he would rent a car for the week and meet the rest of his cohort in Abbruzzo! We found ourselves in serious stop and go traffic about 40 km (24 miles) from the airport, and it stayed that way for about 6 miles. When we finally discovered what was causing, the slowdown, the accident had occurred in the oncoming traffic lanes, NOT OURS! The Italians had Rubbernecking 101 down pat! Then, the realization set in that the 6 miles (and growing) TOTALLY STOPPED, oncoming traffic was on the path that I was going to use to return to Bra! Che bella!
I was so pleased to have the local map in my car, because by the time we actually reached the airport (much later than we had hoped, but in time for Peter’s plane), I had a plan to tell Jezebel (GPS Wonder Woman) to take me around the east side of Torino to avoid the stopped traffic, then change her direction back to Bra to get me home the best way she could find. That worked out especially well because of the beautiful mountain roads I enjoyed along the way. I got back to Bra a little later than I expected, but Monica was out shopping – not worrying about when I would arrive!
Monica had taken her famous peach pockets to the University pot luck lunch that day, and she reported a really good time hearing about everyone’s memories of certain foods from their childhood. Of course, she also enjoyed tasting lots of great recipes, too.
Unfortunately, while everything was working out just fine for me, Peter had gotten the bad news that his 4:45 plane had been cancelled, and he MIGHT get on one at 10:00,PM putting him in Abbruzzo about 3-4AM. This “Che Bella!” was NOT ACCEPTABLE, so Peter bought a new ticket on a different airlines , and arrived in Abbruzzo at 12:30AM. He was told he would be able to get a voucher for another flight from the original airline. Fortunately, his B&B in Abbruzzo was run by Archangelo’s (Maya Brazil’s boyfriend), and there, dinner doesn’t start until 10:00pm, so they were still awake and eating. I hope to be able to go with him there some day. It sounds wonderful.
Monica and I spent a lovely time in the evening with 18 of our closest University friends and another 30 or 40 local residents at Giolito’s Aperi-Cheese-O. Wonderful cheese tasting, fantastic pane integrale (hippy bread!) and tasty wines made for a fascinating time for all. We all made a donation to an African fund they support and were given a stamp on our skin on the place of our choosing. Mr. Giolito is quite a joker, and he had fun stamping Monica’s arm and my shoulder.
By the time we walked back home through the streets crowded with Aperitivo in the Streets partiers at every café and bar, we had enjoyed enough excitement for one day, and fell into bed.
Saturday
Monica’s been running faithfully with Cristina and Kim all week, and today was the last day before Cristina and Kim left for the stage in Abbruzzo.. They have been wonderful to take her on their marathon training, and Monica couldn’t be happier about their time together and the exercise she was getting.
After watering the plants and having some breakfast, Monica and I took off for the artisan street market in Dogliani. We found all sorts of wonderful things there, as usual. We returned some empty bottles to the Casa Matilda stand and got some fig preserves to put with sunflower bread, cheese from the Bra street market and ham for lunch. Monica found a great organic long cotton shift dress that had a large square of a beautifully crocheted design in the middle of the back. It looked fantastic on her. She also found a most unusual necklace at one of the shops there. Of course, a bag of chocolate chip cookies and a bag of baci …tiny nociolla cookie sandwiches with chocolate inside… were necessities, too. You have to really watch out for the vendors where free samples are given out. You know, that is a GREAT marketing technique…at least it worked on us….and, a good time was had by all!
We returned to Bra in time to shop some more for pasta, veggies, yogurt, butter, peaches, and a gift for Cinzia’s brand new daughter Marta!
Lisa and Enzo invited us to go with them to FontaneFredda Vineyard, and we had a great time on the tour there with Francesca. I never stop being amazed at the history of this lovely land. I just wished that Peter had been there to enjoy our time in that cave. Also, while we were waiting for the tour to begin, Monica had her first affagato (gelato covered with coffee). Needless to say, we shared an allergy pill at bedtime to be able to sleep. We’re both light weights.
At home, later, Cristina joined us to learn how to make Lisa’s yummy no flour chocolate cake. Enzo and Lisa brought their food processor, and we decided that was the key to the cake being so delicious. Now, we are well-trained in the art of baking “Lisa’s Famous No Flour Chocolate Cake.” Here is the recipe:
10 oz dark chocolate
10 oz sugar
10 oz butter
10 oz toasted and finely chopped hazelnuts or almonds
6 eggs
Preheat oven to 375 F.
Put the chocolate, in small pieces, in a metal bowl (copper or steel) and melt it in a double boiler.
Once melted, take it out of the double boiler and add butter that you kept at room temperature and cut into pieces.
Add only egg yolks, one at a time.
Add 8 oz of sugar and the nuts.
Whip the egg whites with the remaining 2 oz of sugar until very firm, then fold them into the mixture carefully until fully mixed.
Put the mixture into a loose bottomed tart pan that you covered with baking paper or wet paper. Cook it in a pre heated oven at 375 degees F for 40-45 minutes.
If the mixture is loose when you gently shake the pan, let it sit in the turned off oven with the door cracked open for 10 more minutes.
By then, it was dinnertime, so we all went over to Enzo and Lisa’s porch to enjoy a combined dinner with good friends. Of course, the food was the best, their porch has a stunning view of the church spires rising over the condominiums, and the chocolate cake was a big hit! Happy birthday, Enzo and Cristina!
Tomorrow, Cristina leaves with the rest of Peter’s group to meet in Abbruzzo for their stage. We are already making plans with some of the students in the class that Monica visited, and a trip to the Noli beach and lunch at da Ines with Lisa’s niece is scheduled for Tuesday.
Why slow down now? We’re on a roll!
La dolce vita!
Colleen
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