If I Gotta Post Everyday

Like some good bloggers I know, then this is likely to turn into a food blog. 

I have no hobbies.  I work and cook. I love cooking. Some of the best days are spent in the kitchen. 

I would never want to be a chef, that would be too much like work. I just want to cook.  When I'm not cooking or working or reading online, then I'm watching shows like Master Chef.  

One of the highlights of my trip to Italy was the pasta making lesson at the Agriturismo in Tuscany.  My nephew took pictures while the other four of us enjoyed ourselves learning how to make fresh pasta, real pesto, tiramisu and bolognese.  

BTW, all these pics belong to my nephew. Which means All Rights Reserved. With the exception of the bolognese shown on the pasta. That one I had to google because we were in such a hurry to taste ours we didn't get pics. 

True bolognese (pronounced bolo NEIGH zy). should never be served on spaghetti as it needs a stronger, thicker pasta to hold up against the sauce.

My niece and I. I realize I look pretty goofy here but I was doing everything I could to hold in my excitement of getting a real Italian cooking lesson.  

In a different life, I would love to go here for some serious lessons. 

What is also noticable about any pasta served in true Italian kitchens is that the sauce should not overwhelm the pasta. We here in the states add too much sauce to our pasta. Believe me on this one. Good pasta shouldn't be swimming in the sauce. 

By the time we reached Volterra this time we had several versions of bolognese in Venice. Most were excellent, some were mediocre. 

When we saw what the first three ingredients were in the sauce, I was assuming I wouldn't care much for the recipe we were making. At least half the sauce started with finely minced carrots, onions and celery. 

What iI didn't realize that is that those ingredients are cooked down so long until they break down.  

After nearly all the liquid from the veggies have cooked away, maybe over an hour or so, then you add the ground beef.  You don't brown the ground beef and then drain in, it goes right into the pot of cooked veggies. 

Those favors meld together for another long simmer. 

The pan in the back are the stewed peppers which were a side dish.  I was shamed into trying them and they weren't horrible. 

I wouldn't touch them, even to cut them. The smell of peppers never leave your hands. This is my brother.  That is one big ass red pepper.

This is Mark, hoping to impress the sweet chef with his charm so he could marry her and live in Tuscany.  I don't think it worked. 

Back to the bolognese. Then you add some (not a lot of) tomato sauce. By the time all of those favors cook together, the bit of grease of the meat mix with the tomato sauce and put sparingly on some hearty pasta you get something like this. 

There was nothing difficult about the whole process.  And that includes making the fresh pasta. 

My sister making the first turns on the pasta maker. 

This is my sister with our beautiful host Marinella. The best afternoon was sitting and chatting with this amazing lady. We cried when we had to leave her. 

Italian food is good because they don't overpower their food and they only use ingredients that are in season. 

In nearly every part of Italy you found very few chain restaurants.  Those are usually confined to places like McDonalds or Burger King (only saw in Rome). 

We screw up our restaurants by having so many chain stores.  How could we possible have great fresh food when it's been distributed all over the US in the same way?  

Indy does have at least one good authentic Italian restaurant. Mama Carolla's is a small place on the east side of town that serves southern Italian food.  It's not Tuscany, but it's pretty darned good. 

Cheers.  Ooops. I mean Salute.