Sometimes I find it difficult to explain to people that what we do for a living is actually a job. Take today for instance, I woke up early, still groggy, with sleepy eyes I stumbled into the kitchen and this was the view before me.
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| Early Morning |
It made me think I was still asleep and dreaming that I was in a movie....a love story...far from all reality.
Later I set out for my daily walk along my favorite Tuscan road with views Siena and surrounding hilltops that help me begin my day blissfully.....The views are so beautiful I barely noticed there isn't one square inch of flat surface here, until my calves remind me it's quite a workout....but it beats the treadmill back home!
Our schedule today included a meeting with a local organic farmer to discuss delivery of his vegetables to us in a timely manner to insure freshness......not so hard since he is a few kilometers down the road.
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| Michelino's gorgeous table |
We also had to prepare a special birthday dinner for our in- structor, Barrett and one of her students, that meant tasting prosecco to ensure we chose the best one and sampling the eggplant pate we made and planned to serve for the apperitivo on the terrace. I also needed to make sure Michelino had set the table properly for the event....which really means I wanted to see how beautifully he decorated the tables......as always!
Then it was time for hardest part of the day.....the party.
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| The Celebrated Painters |
We had to be sure that everyone was having a good time and the best way to ensure that is to participate in the merriment ourselves. We moved from the terrace to the dining room to begin the first course. One large
Tortellone of spinach and ricotta topped with fresh tomato, basil and Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO).
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| Tortellone all Primavera |
The second course was a local favorite that is served for special occasions
Stinco al Forno. That isn't how it smells, it means Oven Roasted Veal Shank.
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Andrea with Stinco
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This we served with beets from the organic farmer down the road that were steamed and served simply with EVOO and salt. They were almost like dessert!
After the cake it was up to us to continue the festivities with some musical offerings. Michelino served up an interesting "cheese" course with his rendition of "Slow Boat to China" and "Come Fly with Me". I offered my favorite Neapolitan song "Tu Ca Nun Chiagne" and then a little blues with "Sunday Kind of Love".
You might find this hard to beleive but by 10 pm we were beat. Beauty all day and good food, wine and company all night can be exhausting.....especially when you do it with all your heart and soul.
