Pigging Out for the Holidays –

This so reminds me of the first Christmas Eve dinner I attended when Andrea and I started dating. It was at a friends home and they had done most of the cooking, but everyone brought a dessert. I had only been living in Italy for a year and never been to a traditional Easter or Christmas Italian food orgy. Never say never. I knew were were going to be eating a multi-course meal, so decided to not eat before to save room for tasting everything. BIG MISTAKE!

One must go into training to consume even the smallest amount of each course to keep up. I did my best, but after the smoked salmon appetizer with champagne and the tortellini in broth I was actually feeling rather full. Then the fish course came out, a whole poached fish with Insalata Russa, a boiled vegetable salad, with almost more mayo than veggies followed by a whole roasted fish served with roasted vegetables.

The table was cleared and a  huge roast beast as my sister would say, covered in a porcini mushroom sauce, swimming in olive oil was the next “main course”. This is where I lost my cookies and had to say “Uncle”.

I had hit my food wall. I was down for the count. Laying down in the living room I could still see the food orgy continuing in the next room. Since this group of friends where also hunters, after the starters, the real food came out. Tray after tray of game- wild boar, hare, quail,duck,pigeon and more!

Needless to say, I didn’t taste any of the desserts either- and that was my LAST huge Christmas dinner.

This year, Andrea are celebrating 24 years together and 19 years of being married.
I received the best Xmas present, my Carta D’identita’, my Italian ID card and permanent residency. I have always had my own independent work permit and always had to renew my visa to stay here. It allowed me to work for myself and the space I rented in Florence to teach out of was for non- residents. Closing the school, freed me to then apply for the permanent residency which also allows me to work like an Italian, for someone else too.

So starting a new program out in the beautiful countryside where I live in Certaldo.
I have just redone my website to show off the new programs I am offering.

I wish you all a fabulous 2010- I am so glad to see 2009 over!

See you in Certaldo!
Out with the old- in with the new  never sounded better.