Valentine’s Day Passion in a Chico Kitchen (Feb 14, 2013)

Tom summed up what my US cooking classes are about when he wrote me this note after our Valentine’s Day class at Corin’s: “Thank you for sharing your passion of cooking with all of us.” You zeroed in on the theme, too, Linda, when you wrote ,” …what a wonderful evening …the food, laughter, cooking with friends, with you was our leader! I loved your passion for the gift of cooking” But It’s not so much a “cooking passion”: it’s a passion for Umbrian’s rural food, rural life and rural tastes coupled with the desire to share the lore.

And each of you in this Valentine’s Day class in Chico, California put in the passion, put in the soul, too, working as a unified group to prepare our feast. As Adrienne put it, ” the kitchen was a beautiful sort of chaos full of phenomenal smells, laughter, friendship, rich culture and soul”

Yes, cooking is the perfect way to connect people as Phyllis wrote of our evening: “This is exactly what Corin wanted her friends and family to experience: great food, loving company and a fun, fun, fun time.”

Corin, many thanks for inviting me into your home, for introducing me to your family and closest friends. Mille grazie, too, for including Stephanie (a tour client of mine, now a US cooking class fan) into this “like-one-family” group.

A few more comments…

“Mille grazie per una cena deliziosa! Chopping, laughing, tasting among friends – all wonderful! Thank you for sharing your story and that of your Italian family” Veronika

“What a pleasure to share a meal with you again. It’s my way of keeping my love of Italy alive. Thank you for sharing your life with us.” Stephanie

“We are having a blast! Food is fantastic!” Mo D

“To be hands-on with the cooking process was simply amazing. Thank you for the ‘farm-to-table’ insights.” Becca and Blake