My Multi-ethnic Monday

These multi-ethnic children encapsulate the spirit of my Monday.

It's been too long since I posted, and there's lots of things I could discuss: Glee finale, True Blood premier, more oil spilling, the World Cup, the various restaurants I've taken by force over the past few weeks, how gross my feet look in flip-flops and how having to wear them on a daily basis gives me mixed emotions of comfort and shame.... but no. I'd like to focus on something a little more "It's a Small World."

After I watched the Italy-Paraguay game at work (where the Italians in the office supplied salami, provolone,  bread, Nutella, San Pellegrino Lemonata, and gelato) I decided that I should get a haircut. So I waddled my way over to my favorite immigrant barber shop (if you call a wonderfully sketchy basement a barber shop) at Astor Place. I've gone there for 3 years now and absolutely love it. But Monday was by far the best experience I've had there:

I was wearing my Italian soccer jersey, so instantly the woman cutting my hair commented, both to me and the guy cutting hair next to her. Then we all started speaking Italian about how Gli Azzurri (the Italian soccer team) are amazing, and hail to the victors, and we'll get another Cup, and let's go grab some cannoli, etc. etc. Then I find out that the woman cutting my hair is Greek Orthodox - wasn't a huge surprise given her accent - and we talk all about that, and her grandchildren's picky diets, and spanakopita, and damned those South Koreans for beating Greece 2-0. Although I was mildly confused when she kept speaking Spanish to other people. She caught on that I understood her when I couldn't stop laughing at her heckling of the guy at the cash register. It was like I had my very own ethnically confused Yaya cutting my hair. When I left I tipped her and said "Kali Nikta" (goodnight in Greek). She got really tickled and said "Oh! Look at you! Kali nikta!"

God, I love immigrants. I can only one day hope to be one...

Ciao Bella!

Matteo "Multi-ethnic" Yazge

Lost! (as reenacted by someone's Italian extended family)

In celebration of the end of an era.


So I love Lost. I also love extended Italian families... So this movie just makes sense to me. I'll have a recap of my thoughts for y'all tomorrow! Enjoy the finale!



Ciao Bella!

Matteo "Lost" Yazge

Oh! Oh! Ballarò!

Take away that large plate of food, and insert 'un cornetto'. Grazie!

My love for Ballarò never fails. I went this morning for caffè and un corentto - the Italian variation on the croissant. DELIZIOSO! Since I no longer get my daily fix of Italian pastries on the NYU Florence campus, I have to find something equally as buttery and delicious. Plus, the Italians just know how to do coffee way better than anyone I know. And I know a lot of people. I'm kind of a big deal.

One thing that I don't like is that my Italian is slipping. I used a bit of it with the waitress. Most of the people that work at Ballarò are honest to Caesar Italians. So I feel the need to embarrass myself in front of them with my feeble attempts at their language. It didn't help any that I was wearing my Fiorentina jersey. Such a poser. But the good news is that I may have gotten my hands on a copy of the language-lesson software that I will not name on this blog, mainly because I don't want them to know I have a questionably legal copy of their product. Let's just say it rhymes with Hosetta Bone, and may or may not be named after a famous tablet that first helped decipher Egyptian hieroglyphs. CHEERS!

Ciao Bella!

Matteo "Cornetto" Yazge

Wino Wednesday: On a Thursday

I don't know, what's amatta with you?

A Wednesday went by without a Wino Wednesday post. Surprisingly, I woke up this beautiful Thursday morning and the world was still here. PHEWWW! Now that we know the world indeed will go on despite my blogging activity (or lack thereof), I'd like to cheers the unconventional and the non-time-specific!

I bought this bottle of Casamatta last week, relying on it to help me read some of my Italian books over the weekend. As you can guess, the wine is gone and those books aren't very much further read. But it's the thought that counts, which raises a good point. When you're looking for good pairings for wine, don't always limit yourself to food. Other inanimate objects work just as well: books, movies, magazines, taxidermy animals. But perhaps the best pairing is another person. I really felt like a 90-year-old ex-professor sitting around in my apartment sipping on a Tuscan wine and reading in a different language. It was a very good wine though. I'd seriously recommend it, and if you can get yourself to Astor Wines, it's on sale for $10/bottle.

I was discussing my propensity for old-man activities before class started yesterday, and how I stand in stark contrast to one of my friends who is planning on getting married in the next year. Rather glibly I said that I couldn't even think about marriage, and as far as I was concerned I was planning on dying alone; I'd already taken all the proper steps to make sure that happened, and it really seemed like my best option at this point. A couple people overheard and laughed along with us. I'm assuming it was 'with', and not 'at' me. The point is don't drink alone. You'll die alone.

Ciao Bella!

Matteo "Die-alone" Yazge

Introducing: WINO WEDNESDAYS!

Oops! That cork comes out easier than you think!

That's right! I've been pondering over how to give The Ugly American a little more focus, and while I'm sure everyone loves hearing about the banalities of my personal life, I have decided to institute something a little more useful: Wino Wednesdays! Here's a little story about how Wino Wednesdays came to be:

Once upon a time, Matt went to Italy. But before he left, his aunt gave him a book on wine, specifically Wine for Dummies. Of course he took it with him, having every intention of availing himself to the rich abundance of Tuscan wine. And, of course, he never so much as opened the book the entire three and a half months he was in Italy. Matt, indeed, was a dummy.

Yesterday, however, Matt decided to stop by Union Square Wines for the 30% off sale. What he wasn't expecting was for the sale only to apply only to purchases of 12 bottles or more. So, being the naturally savvy businessman that he is, Matt bought an entire case of wine and decided to call it a "long term investment." He waddled his way home, content and proud of his sound moral judgement. But Matt also had some worries about this situation.

      "I can't be the only one to benefit from this good wine," he thought. "NAY! I shall share my experience (and select comments about/from Wine for Dummies) with the world. Together we shall all achieve a heightened appreciation for the grape, the magic of fermentation... and brotherhood!"

And thus, Wino Wednesdays was born.

So from here on out, every Wednesday will be dedicated to wine. I got a nice mix of reds, whites, national origin, etc. I'll tackle a bottle a week (and always in moderation I'd like to note). I'll read up on the type, the vineyard, possible food pairings, and any other fun stories that come along with it! It's my dedication to you, my few, my proud, my readers. Only the best wine. Never any hangovers. Well, that one's more for me...

Ciao Bella!

Matteo "Wino" Yazge

P.S. - I promise to post these sooner in the day from here on out, but today Blogger was being stupid.

GLEEEEE!

Because "Glee" is the same in all languages!

I'm SO proud of the Italians for taking to Glee. The premier of the first episode was on Christmas Day, and then like they did in the US, they're going to roll out the full first season later (January 21st). This officially combines two of my favorite things: Italy and Glee! I'd like to thank Mark Kania for posting the link for the Italian TV commercials to Facebook. And I guess I should thank Tracey Lucas for having a Facebook wall where those videos could be posted?

Oh, and for everyone State-side, you need to go buy the first season of Glee. Stat. It just hit stores today, and I bought it this morning after I got my drivers license. (It's a long story for another day, but the Cliffnotes version is that I wasn't a licensed driver for a stretch there, and now I am again.) I suggest you put it on very loud, and sing and dance along in your underwear. Unless you're my parents. And then you should just appreciate it in silence. Fully clothed silence.

Below is a video of an AMAZING viral marketing gig they did for the premier of the show in Rome. It's kind of like the Sound of Music one in that train station in Belgium. Definitely worth a watch. Also, anyone interested in recreating this - only better - should get ahold of me (and a choreographer) ASAP.






Ciao Bella!

Matteo "Glee-full!" Yazge

Alla fine, alla casa

Gotcha!

So I'm home, and I'd love to talk about how much I'm enjoying it and Christmas and Glee and blah blah blah.... but I think that this needs to be shared first:

SOMEONE PUNCHED BERLUSCONI IN THE FACE. You thought it was bad when that dude threw a shoe at Bush? This guy all out through a punch at the Prime Minister, while holding what witnesses said was a replica of the Duomo. Well, if God can't punch you in the face, I think this is the closest you're going to get!


Ciao Bella!

Matteo "Bashed in the Face" Yazge

Non è la fine, solo è l'inizio.

Tomorrow is the last time I open my front door to this...

AH! It's over! I can't believe I've spent over 100 days in Italy. In less than 24 hours I'll be taking off for JFK, the second of three flights I'll take to get back to the 'burgh. I'm not exactly thrilled at the idea of being in transit more than 20 hours, and you bet that I'm going to need my "nervous pills" to handle that many flights in such a short period of time.

I was trying to figure out what I could say to give some sense of finality, of bringing everything together. I'd like to blame my lack of words on the fact that I still have two finals left to take before I leave campus today. It's really more because I don't have it in me to be sappy and inspirational. Yes, I'm going to get back to Greensburg (a cultural wasteland in comparison to Europe) and be happy to see my family. It's going to be hard to cope with the fact that I can't find amazing gelato, or jetset to Paris for the weekend, or speak Italian to anyone, well speak it and have anyone understand me. But - in typical Ugly American style - I'd like to point out the things that will make my transition to the US easier. If there's anything I've learned from Oprah and Dr. Phil, it's that pointing out the flaws in your relationship will help make the breakup process faster and less regrettable:

1. Gym Membership: I will no longer be a lard-ass. I will be on a treadmill at least every other day, doing core exercises, and hopefully lifting weights in an attempt to trick people into thinking I have an upper body.
2. Grocery Shopping: Any plant that grows in the world will be at my fingertips. Kashi will return to it's rightful place in my diet. Skim milk will exist again. Perhaps most importantly, I'll be able to eat real peanut butter again.
3. A Real Home: TV. American TV. A bed that isn't just a mattress held up by four wooden pegs, in a bedroom I don't have to share - that has a bathroom that I don't have to share. A fully functional kitchen. Heat. Adequate lighting = no more reading by candlelight. Functioning wireless.
4. Texting: I didn't realize how much I enjoyed my cell phone until I didn't have it. I miss being able to shoot off a text when I see something ridiculously hysterical. I'll be able to get ahold of people now without having to worry about surcharges, unreasonable rates, or time zones.
5. Famiglia e Amici! Of course the best part... I guess, right? I kid, I kid. I'm very excited to be home with everyone.

So what's on the docket for this evening? Glad you asked. After I finish my last final, I'm off to throw the last few things in my bags, then out for my last authentic Italian dinner. After that, I think we'll probably pop open a bottle of champagne in the piazza, and sit around enjoying the Christmas tree and the carousel, perhaps dancing to street music. With any luck I may end up going out for one last night at the discotheque, only to make it back to the apartment with enough time for a brief nap before waking up at 6am to head to the airport! It's going to be a long 36 hours until I finally make it home. Say a little prayer for me! Talk to you all soon!

Ciao Bella!

Matteo "Homeward Bound" Yazge

P.S. - You can bet I won't be posting from the airports tomorrow. No way I'm getting charged another $20!

Che posso fare?

THE SAGA CONTINUES!

Some time yesterday, I received the following comment on the blog post in which I discuss my horrible experience with Boingo:

"I’m sorry to hear that you had a frustrating experience with us. We want you to be happy with Boingo, and we certainly don’t try to sneak anything past our customers. (We love puppies!)

Would you please send me an email at lsanyal at boingo dot com with your account information? We’ll take a look into your account and try to determine what happened. I’d definitely like to help resolve this concern for you. Thank you for your candid feedback!"


First off, I'm SHOCKED that they have someone scanning the internet for consumer complaints. This leads me to believe one of two things: 1) Boingo is seriously committed to customer service, or 2) There's a bigger problem that's causing them to put out fires before it becomes a bigger public issue. So after doing some digging around the internet, I found out that apparently the e-mail address is legit. It's on their Facebook Page, their Twitter, and several third party consumer complaint websites. So I decided to send lsanyal an e-mail trying to confirm that it is in fact a Boingo employee and not some random person perusing the internet trying to cause me more trouble. Also, I apologized for the puppy comment. That was a low blow. Funny that she mentioned it though. Gold star.


Will keep you updated.




Ciao Bella!


Matteo "Puppy 'poligizer" Yazge

Uno scherzo con Nuova Luna

Disgracing Vampires everywhere...

So on behalf of Transylvanians everywhere, I'd like to call out the Twilight series. That's not how we do it. We don't suck the blood out of people. We may slowly kill our family members with intolerably boring stories or peculiarly horrible guilt trips, but never once do we pierce the skin. We leave that to the Hungarians.

Anyway, I was wandering around the Italian YouTube site, and I found this video. Even if you don't understand Italian, please watch it. It's hilarious. Huge spoof, great physical comedy.

Ciao Bella!

Matteo "Vampiro" Yazge

Ti Amo, Lucy

You got some 'splain-in' to do!

I was trying to avoid studying for my Business Law final, and I found this video. Apparently Lucy came to Italy too. I don't know why I wasn't offered to stomp grapes with an old peasant woman, but I'd like to think that my feet could do some serious damage. Maybe work in some choreography too. Anyway, enjoy the clip! I did!


Ciao Bella!

Matteo "Loves Lucy" Yazge

Michele, Davide, e Galileo

He's starting to let himself go...

So my apologies. Apparently there are five of you that read my little stories - 6 if I include my mother. That's just judging by yesterday's comments and such. Google analytics keeps telling me that there are roughly 15-30 people who visit every day, depending on what I write about/how often I write. But I think it's just lying to me so I don't feel bad.

Regardless! I've been trying to soak up the last bits of Florence while I'm here. I went to La Galleria dell'Academia on Friday, and started off by perusing some old religious panels. I quickly got bored. If it's not Byzantine, I'm not really impressed, and even then I can only take so many Madonnas with Child before it becomes monotonous. So I wandered into the next gallery for something completely different: Robert Maplethorpe. I know people think his photos are distasteful and pornographic, but when you look at them in the context of what he was trying to accomplish, it's completely different. (Click here to see selections) It was all about form, and displaying real human bodies that can live up to the standard set forth in sculpture and other forms of art. It was about all of us being able to be just as beautiful as the David - without photoshopping him into obesity, like above. Anyway, I really enjoyed the exhibit.

As soon as I left the Maplethorpe exhibit, I ran right into the David. It took my breath away. It's SO life-like. I don't even know how to describe it, except to say that I kept waiting for him to reach out and pick me up in the palm of his hand, that's how alive he seemed.

Yesterday, in keeping with my goal of marinading myself in Florence, I went to La Basilica della Santa Croce. I just went because everyone told me that I should. They all failed to mention that Galileo, Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Rossini, and Marconi are all entombed there. Go figure. Not exactly religious icons - in fact Galileo was convicted of heresy and put under house arrest by the Pope (unjustly, but still). It was odd to see all these cultural icons in the church. Awesome, but odd. Especially since I've walked past the church a hundred times and had no idea until yesterday that it housed some of the greatest individuals in Italian history.

Ciao Bella!

Matteo "Sculpted di Dio" Yazge

Nove

Awesomeness in movie form.

This film, based on the original Broadway musical, isn't slated to come out until late January... but that hasn't stopped me from watching the trailer 20 times over, hoping that the next it will be the actual movie. I'm not sure if it's my newly-developed affinity for Italy, or my overwhelming desire to take Dame Judy Dench out for a night on the town. Either way, I'm anxious for this movie to come out. Anyone want to go with?

Ciao Bella!

Matteo "Cinema Italiano" Yazge

Avviciniamo la fine

Thessaloniki gave a whole new meaning to the word "portly"

So close to the end of the semester. I'm only in Italy for another 10 days, and I'm trying to find the right way to describe the cocktail of emotions that I'm feeling right now. I'm pretty sure it's a vodka-Red Bull. The vodka, clearly European, is making me sleepy. I'm trying to make it to the end of semester and get everything done, get my A's, etc. But it also make me want to hang out. I know I'm going to miss Europe a lot. Firenze and Italy as well, but moreso the general idea of Europe. There's still so much I haven't seen. I was going to go to Rome this weekend, but after looking at my credit card statement this morning, I've decided that maybe a relaxing final weekend in Florence might be a better idea. I never made it to Spain. I won't even fly through Germany, nor did I get anywhere near Scandinavia. Even after going to Paris twice in the course of a month, I feel like I've only just begun to see it, let alone the rest of France.

But then the Red Bull kicks in. I'm really really REALLY ready to get back to the family, and to a full-sized bed, and the convenience of life in America. Oh, and functioning plumbing. I didn't share this earlier, but on Thanksgiving night the city of Florence shut off the water. For the ENTIRE CITY. They said there was something that needed fixing and that it was midnight so that seemed like a good time. Then yesterday I get a call from Jamie while I'm at work that our bathroom had flooded. Our ceiling was leaking. I'd like to take a moment to point out that we live on the third floor of a five floor building, and our bathroom has no external walls... so despite what the Italian plumber may have told us, it was not due to the torrential rain outside. If it was, the Italians need to learn a thing or two about masonry.

Posting will most likely be sporadic for the next week or so. It's finals time, and I'm lucky to even be awake right now. Those of you who are used to talking to me on a daily basis know that I disappear during midterms and finals. But while I'm gone, I'll give you a topic: What should my blog focus on when I get back to the States?

Discuss.


Ciao Bella!

Matteo "Vodka-Red Bull" Yazge

Uffa! E ancora non c'e un uccello!

I could use a real pick-me-up right about now...

So I'm exhausted. What's new? After sleeping 20 minutes past my alarm, and stopping by the grocery store to pick up the last of the ingredients for tomorrow's dinner, I decided I should get "un taglio", a haircut. It's been a while and I was looking fairly gross. More so than usual. On my way to the barber shop, I realized what a wonderful day it was outside. The leaves were changing, the sky was blue, the river looked less polluted than it normally does. I started to get a little verklempt, realizing how much I'm going to miss Italy when I leave in 2 weeks. That was before my haircut...

What should have been a quick walk across the river and back took over THREE HOURS! The woman told me that I'd have to wait an hour, hardly enough time to go back home and accomplish anything with my life. So I wandered around in the beautiful weather for a while and went back. I then proceeded to wait another 45 minutes before I was allowed to sit in the back and wait 10 more minutes for someone to shampoo my hair. I didn't get back until around 6, effectively blowing an afternoon I had intended to spend getting work done. I can't wait to get back to the United States, where customer service exists.

But all was not lost. I now have a whole tray of tiramisu made, sitting in my fridge for tomorrow. Did you know that tiramisu literally means "pick-me-up" in Italian? Isn't that cool? So even if it takes them 6 hours to get it to you, you'll feel a little better, because at least you'll eventually have it.

Ciao Bella!

Matteo "Picked Up" Yazge

Dare le grazie

Wrong Turkey...

So in preparation for Turkey Day - the food, not the country - I went with Brooke this morning to the Mercato Centrale. Despite my vegetarian inclinations, I'm really excited about the prospect of roasting a whole "tacchino". We roamed the market at 8:00am, before our opera class, and found a guy that had turkeys in his little butcher case. The conversation went a little something like this:

Me: Ciao! I enjoy starting my mornings off by pricing poultry. How much are your turkeys?

Butcher McGee: Depends on the bird. The fatties cost more. How many people are you serving?

Me (to Brooke): bohh.... how many people are coming?

Brooke: A lot. Like, 15, but none of them eat turkey.

Me (to myself): Of course. Why wouldn't we roast a turkey for a crowd of vegetarians...

Me (to B McGee): Six to eight people. Maybe. I don't know. But can we pay now and get it on Thursday?

Butcher McGee: Pay me two euros now, and I'll put your name on this small turkey with my cool little butcher pen, that way I remember it's yours when you come back. Don't you want a cool little butcher pen? Of course you don't. You're a vegetarian. A stupid vegetarian who is roasting a turkey.

Regardless, I'm super excited about this turkey thing, especially since it's my first Thanksgiving away from the home. Somehow in my head a dead bird evokes precious time wpent with family. Maybe I should talk to my therapist about that...


Ciao Bella!

Matteo "Tacchino-Killer" Yazge

Cinque Terre!

Tucked between the mountains and the sea. That's where I'll be.

(hehe, that rhymed)

I'm getting so lax with writing on here! Ah! Mi dispiace. I'd like to say it's because I have too much of a life, and my busy social schedule is keeping me away from my computer. But we'd all know that'd be a bold-faced lie. On the bright side, thanks to the time difference, I can still post today and tomorrow even though I'm about to leave on an overnight trip to Cinque Terre! (Not Terre Haute, as evidenced in the picture above)

But Matt, what'd I do yesterday? I'm glad you asked. Nothing. And it was brilliant. I went for a nice run in the cold, and by nice I mean it made me very hungry for the rest of the day. I cleaned up around the apartment for a little bit; wrote some postcards; watched an the opera Don Carlo on campus; made some more pumpkin soup and spent the evening hanging out over at Hannah's place. With all the traveling I've been doing, days like yesterday are rare. Usually I'm up at the butt crack of dawn, trying to remember what I needed to pack the night before and making sure everyone else has their e-tickets and passports. It's so nice that we get to take the train to Cinque today.

So, I'll try to find something interesting in these next two days. You do the same, and we'll rendezvous here in 48 hours. Aaaaaand BREAK!

Ciao Bella!

Matteo "delle Terre" Yazge

Fiorentina ha vinto!!!

All he wants is a hug...

Last night we went to the Fiorentina game. It was a Champions League match against Debrecen? or Decebren? Or Excedrin? Some Hungarian team (that I'm sure my Romanian great-grandmother would spit on). The point is that last night was a huge game, because Fiorentina's win (which was huge, 5-2) put them just one point behind the group leader, Lyon. And we were there! Like, 20 feet off the field! We were less than five feet away from the players while they were doing warm-ups. It was awesome.

It's also worth noting that American pro-sports fans have NOTHING on the Europeans. The entire curve of the stadium was packed with fans dressed in purple, fans that never stopped chanting. They were all in perfect unison too. We were really confused as to how they were so in sync, until we saw that they literally had someone leading the cheers. A cheerleader if you will. He was standing up on one of the guardrails and yelling stuff out to them. There were flags, and scarves, and horns, and all other sorts of awesomeness. We all tried chanting along with them, but we didn't know the words. So we just bounced and clapped a lot. The Italians around us found that pretty amusing.

But the highlight of the evening was 16 minutes in, when I got to see Adrian Mutu (pictured above - midfielder for Fiorentina, striker for the Romanian National Team) score off a header. It was BEAUTIFUL. Perfectly timed, right into the back of the net. All he needs to do now is get the court to settle his pending breach of contract charges, and he's good as gold! Really, I don't care if he used cocaine. He's still my hero.

Ciao Bella!

Matteo "Fiorentino" Yazge

Pioggia Universale

What today was like...

I'm not ready to talk about London. I'm too lazy. But I thought I could channel the London aura and talk about the rain. You can tell my ability as a writer has diminished considerably when I'm stuck talking about the weather.

The day started with wet clothes. Before I even went outside. The washing machine hates me and my clothing, and has decided that it shouldn't spin dry my clothes at all. While I was in class, the cleaning people made my roommates take my clothes off the drying rack because they were dripping on the floor. Apparently the cleaners said that it would leak through to the apartment below us. For the record, that makes no sense at all, because our floors are tiled. So instead of questioning the flawed logic, my clothes ended up piled in the bottom of the shower, and then the sink. On the bright side, the sink had just been cleaned. Currently my clothes are undergoing their second wash in 24 hours.

All day it rained. On my walk to school. On my walk between buildings at school. During pilates. After pilates. By the by, there were only 3 of us at pilates today, which meant that the instructor could set her mat between us and correct us. Which means that I wasn't allowed to slack off, and my entire core is sore. I decided to go to the super market on my way home, and as I was making it from the store to my apartment, the clouds opened up and the heavens unleashed their fury on me. Baguettes aren't nearly as delicious when covered in rain water. Oh, and I found mussels on sale. Prize to the person that suggests the best recipe.

So now, to bring my day full circle, I need to go shower. Hope you're staying dry.

Ciao Bella!

Matteo "Water-logged" Yazge

Un bambino del cibo

Salmon tartar. It's like a sashimi cake. And yes, I realize the picture above is steak tartar...

Salivation, French food is thy name. During our trip, we found the most amazing restaurant ever, thanks again to NYTimes travel section. Bistrot Victoires is fantastic, and has a very down to earth, every-day arrondissement-ers feel. There were French families and couples there eating. It was so fantastic that we went back a second night. Some of the others got this steak that had flaming thyme on top of it. My salmon tartar was insane... I've had tartar before, but never in a lump. Usually I've seen it in slices. For the arabs in the bunch, it was like Kibbey Neyeh, only made with salmon. Mom, you have to try to make that for Pascha this year.

I also have to confess, I caved again. I had duck. You can't go to Paris and NOT have Confit de Canard!  It was fantastic. Cooked so well it fell off the bone. Don't worry though. I used the prayer my Mosu taught me: "Dear Lord, grant me this wish. Turn this duck into a fish." I like to think he heard me.

It's also been a crazy couple of days here in Firenze. Jamie and I decided to try our hand at deep frying. We made Fiore di Zucche, or zucchini flowers. AMAZING. If you've never had zucchini flowers before, you need to go out right now and eat them. I don't even know how to begin to explain what they're like. I mean, they're flowers, but they're very vegetably? We also fried eggplant and zucchini sticks.

Which brings us to this morning. Jamie and I went to a cooking class on campus. The guy leading the session kept calling me "chef Matteo", so that was fun. And I learned that whenever you're making the base for a sauce, using white wine will clean the bottom of the pan (of burnt bits of pancetta and onion for example). Eggplant parm was also on the menu. The secret is to sprinkle the eggplant slices with salt and let them set for 2 hours before frying them. It gets all the extra water out of them. But what the people didn't do today, was adjust the rest of the recipe for the extra salt. YOU DON'T NEED ANY MORE SALT AFTER THE EGGPLANT! MY KIDNEYS ARE GOING INTO FAILURE! But still, it was delicious.

Ciao Bella!

"Chef Matteo" Yazge