On a brutally cold, yet sunny February day in 2021, I called Lora Guerra, the poet and wife of one of Italy’s most important poets and screenplay writers Tonino Guerra. Russian by birth and upbringing, Lora has been living in Pennabilli for decades. I wanted to hear her thoughts on love. In the depths of winter now more than ever, we need to be reminded of the “invincible summer” living inside each of us. I could not think of anyone else who could express it better than Lora, through vivid stories about loving life in its many facets and reincarnations: a man, a place, friends, art, nature, animals, poetry and music.
As Though We’ve Lived Here All Our Lives
Our instructor Emanuela delivered Nick and me to Fabrizio at Bel Fico, one of Pennabilli’s favorite restaurants located on the charming town square. Ostensibly, our assignment was to “work” alongside Fabrizio and his staff for an hour or so, but in fact we were there to have a chance to talk with real Italians in a natural environment. The place was empty when we arrived at 5:00 PM, but that soon changed as local patrons began filling the barstools and benches. Fabrizio was a fabulous host, attentively introducing us to his patrons as he deftly pulled shots of espresso and poured glasses of wine for his guests.
Panettone Passion
Panettone!!! The great bread reserved for the Christmas festivities has more than any other conquered Italia. It has symbolic value in her gastronomic culture. It is at the heart of every gathering. Panettone is a must at every holiday table. Is it because of a happy and lucky combination of ingredients such as raisins, candied citrus, and vanilla which are said to bring us good fortune? Or is it the communion of wonderful ingredients of mother yeast, rich egg yolks, and pasture sweet cream butter? Or could it be that this ethereal cake transcends community by fragrance and flavor, new and old; it restores us during the most cold/ dead season?
Esperienza Class Note
Many thanks to Team Esperienza for the 2020 Cooking with the Seasons - Natale class. It was wonderful, easy to follow and I felt as if I was right there, in the kitchen, in Italy! I was waiting for a cup of espresso. I had to pay attention as I’m not sure what I was thinking whenI invited friends to join me for dinner after I returned from Italy on Saturday. I had to chuckle with their reactions to my going to Italy….which calmed down considerably when I shared it is ZOOM. With Covid, going to Italy via ZOOM is a pretty good option with a bit of imagination in tow.
Pasta: A Magical Meditation
Early December is the time when I begin to think about making pasta by hand. Yes, one can buy everything in the frozen section of any supermarket, but I want the ritual that will connect me with my past, my present and even may be taken to the future by my grandchildren. And so it is preparation time, the quiet time with the ingredients and my memories.
An Evening At Macondo
One of my favorite stories is of time spent in a now closed restaurant in picturesque Cesenatico called Macondo (after the magical village from One hundred years of solitude of Gabriel García Márquez). We went there because Macondo was the antithesis of a restaurant - it was away from the main tourist drag along the canal, the two self appointed chefs were childhood friends of the fisherman who provided the daily catch and then there were a couple of local musicians, also friends, who we were told will stop by whenever they can. There was as much spontaneity and genuinity as one could wish for.
Welcome to our Stories
Wish you could be in Italy right now? Just like you, our thoughts turn to our best memories for inspiration and encouragement, especially during difficult times. So we return to Italy again and again, even if only in our minds. In a truly Italian spirit we invite you to do the next best thing to being there: read some captivating stories here, sip a little vino rosso, maybe cook some pasta and connect with like-minded family and friends.