Mamma mia, quite daunting when a UCB friend, David, answered his own question to me this morning: “Annie, guess who is lecturing next at Santa Clara?” “The Dalai Lama.” On February 24th, he’ll lead a dialogue entitled “Business, Ethics and Compassion” and arrival two hours prior to go through security is necessary. No security passage…
“You have to mix a salad with your hands (clean hands)”, advised John (“Giovanni”) as he mixed together our Sicilian salad of steamed green beans, boiled potatoes, garlic and parsley at our Belmont cooking class. Leek frittata, too, was on this menu…and Giovanni headed to the burners and intrepidly – “I can flip those frittatas”…
Every U.S. cooking class features a memorable moment: I’ll always remember Carol’s San Francisco event (and not just for the good times with this great group!) but for our host’s proposed solution for the needed crispy lady fingers. Carol had purchased soft ones (not really doable for this tiramisu) but perked up brightly with a…
A festive Valentine’s Day table greeted all cooking guests entering Rich and Cathy’s San Francisco home on February 14th. But during our cooking class introduction – while I talked about Umbria, Umbrian rural life and rural cuisine – I neglected to mention Umbria’s tie to Valentine’s Day! San Valentino, born in Terni (Umbria) in the…
Susie and “Ferbie”, hardly seems possible that we met in Perugia TEN years ago! Enjoyed showing you the Umbrian wonders then as your Perugia guide – and how wonderful to link again as we cooked the flavors of Umbria in your kitchen, Susie (and Don). Your warm welcome greeted us right at the front door,…
The Northridge, California cooking class/dinner had a magical end (literally): with guest Dave treating us to a magic trick – after the feast, after the dessert – but before the limoncello! I often enjoy asking guests to tell us all something about themselves as we savor the Umbrian rural goodness – and when it was…
Once again, tour guests who shared Umbrian wonders with me brought Umbria into their U.S kitchen. Well, not their kitchen this time but that of friends: Dan and Judy co-hosted an Umbrian cooking evening with their friends, Mark and Judy putting together a wonderful class of relatives and friends of each couple. All quickly formed…
Joanna, a participant in this year’s first U.S. cooking class, got it, Her post-class note to me sums it up: “Thank you, Anne. You were right: cooking together is all about communication. You brought us all together and encouraged us to work as a team to create an exceptional meal….” I know that Ginny, cooking…
Just below Assisi, in Santa Maria degli Angeli, the guild of St. Anthony (Compagnia di Sant’Antonio) was formed at the time of the construction of the seventeenth century Basilica, built over the site where St. Francis of Assisi died in 1226. The guild’s self-imposed obligations were the construction of a chapel in the Basilica dedicated…