A villa grows in Tuscany…

A week or so ago, my Australian neighbor Janet introduced me to a lovely couple who live just outside of Montepulciano.  Jenny and Maurizio, also recent transplants, have just restored a centuries old villa and turned it into a beautiful (and soon to be ready for guests) agriturismo.  They invited Janet, her husband Ken, and me out to see the villa and we spent an enjoyable afternoon.  Maurizio picked us up in the pouring rain, apologizing for what he called his “farmer’s car” and even with the gray skies and the hibernating grape vines, the scenic drive to their property was spectacular.  When the grapes are abundant in the summer, it will be even more so.

Two majestic cypress trees greet you as you drive up the lane and the sense of peace that you feel when you gaze around the surrounding hillsides is the epitome of why people love Tuscany.  It’s like living in a fairy tale.  Granted, mine has been filled with one or two ogres and some villainous poverty, but I certainly can’t begrudge others for following their hearts in the same way I did… and for achieving their happily ever after.

We toured the two story villa and took note of all the beautiful details.  Maurizio who is Italian, but lived in the States for many years, detailed the amount of work that went into restoring this place pointing out the historic wooden beams, arched entrance ways, and windows designed to show off 360 degree views.  His tales of dealing with one of their neighbors who is a well established wine maker in Montepulciano were quite entertaining.  Their neighbor has gone out of his way to make their life miserable as they’ve been conducting the work on their property.  Jenny who is five months pregnant is running the operations side of the agriturismo and preparing for their first guests in April.  She has spent an inordinate amount of time picking out tiles, designing the guests rooms, and seeing to all the details which make the place feel comfortable and homey.  The swimming pool is just about finished and the landscaping will be done in another month or so.

I brought some cinnamon buns and Jenny served coffee and tea.  We had a fun chat about life in Montepulciano, with everyone sharing their horror stories of dealing with the Italian bureaucracy, which included everything from rants about the post office (to which I could relate), banking, electricity, even the toll roads.   It was all said in the spirit of people who have made this place their home and have learned over time to have PAZIENZA.  Janet, who is emphatic in all of her assertions about Tuscany having lived here for 25 years, did cause a small pause in the conversation when she told us with some certainty that the Pope was gay.

Maurizio, who has recently completed a sommelier course and is quite knowledgeable about wine, invited us to taste a local vin santo.  It was after the second glass of the delicious vino that I realized when he’d said 18% alcohol, I should have taken heed.  I was more than a little tipsy on the ride home.  The most exciting part of the day was learning that Jenny and I have the same taste in fiction, with both of us enjoying English mysteries, etc.  She sent me home with two books.  For those of you who have been reading along with my quest to find English reading material here, you’ll appreciate how happy I was to tuck into one on these last night!

I love that I keep meeting terrific people here and expanding my little circle of friends.  I’m took some pictures of Jenny and Maurizio’s place, but I’m putting their website here too because they are so warm and wonderful that I want their business to be a success.  http://www.simplytuscany.com/

Getting a tour of the villa

The upstairs apartment is ready for guests

Jenny with Janet and Ken

Jenny prepares some coffee and tea for us on a rainy winter's day

Maurizio...sempre in giro

Tania’s Pappa al Pomodoro Recipe

One of the great things about having dinner at Poliziano after my lessons with the kids is that I get to try fabulous Tuscan dishes.  The woman who cooks for the family is Tania.  She’s a lovely person and a sensational cook.  And she’s always willing to answer my cooking questions and share recipes.  (The other night I sampled “spleen” for the first time, “milza,” which is served on crostini.  It was tasty, but I’ll admit I was enjoying it a bit more before Anna whipped out the vocabulario so I could see what milza was.  My stomach rebelled for a minute but recovered admirably. )

But the dish Tania made as a starter two weeks ago was a delicious tomato bread soup that has it’s roots in Tuscany and was usually made because it was simple and economical.  These are two of my favorite words at the moment when it comes to cooking.  And if you love tomato soup as I do, it’s the perfect dish for a cold winter’s day.  I compared Tania’s recipe with Antonella’s, then attempted it on my own.

Here it is.  It’s pretty delicious for a soup that has only a few ingredients.  I made it for a friend and it got rave reviews.

Pappa al Pomodoro (serves four – at least)

• onion 1
• butter and/or olive oil
• tomato passato or canned plum tomatoes (I used one large can of whole plum tomatoes)
• garlic 2 (optional)  Tania doesn’t use this but Antonella does
• Broth – a few cups.  (you can use water and cubed brodo if you want)
• Stale crusty Tuscan-style bread (they key here is two days old)
• Parmigiano
• salt and pepper

Dice onions and saute in butter or olive oil (Tania uses butter, Antonella olive oil so I did half and half).  Add diced garlic.  Cook until softened, about ten minutes.  Add tomatoes.  I crush with my hands as I add to the pan.  Cook for another ten to fifteen minutes, breaking up tomatoes as you stir.  Use immersion blender to make consistency that of a puree.  (You can skip this step if you use tomato puree and chop the onions tiny.)

Add broth to cover tomatoes.  I used about four or five cups.  Slice the stale bread and tear into big chunks stir into soup.  I did this a little at a time because Antonella gave me what she thought was the right amount for the size of canned tomatoes I bought, but it seemed like way too much.  As it turned out she was exactly right.  Stir the bread into the soup until it thickens and the bread kind of dissolves.  The consistency is quite thick, but you can always add a little more broth if you feel the need.  Add grated parmigiano.  Let rest for a half hour.  Heat again before serving.  Serve with best quality olive oil.  YUM!

This is after the tomatoes have cooked down for a bit

Terrible photo but I wanted you to get an idea of how much bread I used...

This is the consistency after the immersion blender

Here's what it looks like at the end after the bread is added! It's quite thick and quite delicious.

New Year…new resolve

I’ve hit the ground running in January after a pretty miserable past couple of months.  As December came to a close, and with only a few hundred euro left in my bank account and no foreseeable work in sight, I was way past panic and into a deep depression.  This was not helped by about a month of rain and grey skies.  I tried to lighten the tone on my last few posts, but the reality is I have been struggling to keep my head above water and wasn’t in the mood to write anything.  I hadn’t realized when I started working on my book about surviving my first year in Tuscany that it would actually come down to surviving.  But I am still here, I have a little work this month and I’ll catch you up….

Cinder and I both had our first experiences with the Italian health system last month.  I had my first trip to the ginecologo, which I’m sorry to report is just as discomfiting as in the U.S.  You do get seen pretty quickly when you go to a private doctor (which you do if you don’t have status like me) and when they write you a prescription for something, you can refill it as many times as you want because the pharmacy gives it back to you!  The most surprising thing to me was the doctor gave me her personal cell phone number and told me to call whenever I needed her.

Cinder had an ear infection brought on by some type of food allergy.  I think I’ve finally isolated the culprit, which was a “New and Improved” version of her dog food.  I watched her shaking her head and scratching uncomfortably for a few days, giving her an antihistamine and willing her to get better because I remember how costly our trips to the vet have always been.  I finally asked Marinella if she could take us to see her son Giacomo who is a veterinarian (in training).  He saw Cinder, diagnosed her infection gave her some drops and we were on our way.  He even cut her toe nails which have always been an issue and in New York it took four vet techs to hold her down for this process.  He did it alone, with a little full body tackle assist from me.  The remarkable thing was that he refused payment as it was our first visit.  We gratefully made him some chocolate chip cookies as a thank you.  Cinder’s prescription was filled at the same pharmacy where the humans go and this gave me more than a moment’s pause.  Like with the people prescription, they gave it back to me so I guess we can use it again if we need to.

The only real good news at the end of December was that my last document that I’ve been awaiting for nine months, finally arrived.  I was at the Comune bright and early the Monday after Christmas with all of my paperwork in hand.  Poor Vania the woman who has been helping with this process, was on her way out the door with a severe flu, but when she saw the paper, she took off her coat and immediately started putting my file together.  Now I wait for another couple of months for everything to be checked over and if there are no problems I will be receiving my Italian Citizenship.  And for me, at this point, the biggest benefit will be being able to work.

As January opened, my parents agreed to give me a small loan so that I can make it through January and February and I am grateful for that.  I have a new student who started this week who is extremely motivated and tells me he’s bringing me five other students for English lessons.  I also met with the chef Iacopo who was going to do the cooking school with the lawyer.  He just opened his own restaurant and we had a good talk about work.  He offered to pay me in meals as he doesn’t have much business yet, but I think when things pick up it’s a definite possibility.  I can’t really work for him “nero” because the office that checks on those things is right across the street from his restaurant.  They are sure to be regular visitors.

I am still doing babysitting with the kids and I’m now searching for a cheaper apartment for when my lease is up.  This place is great, but over our budget.  Pretty much everyone in town has told me I’m paying too much. Antonella and Anna have both let me know that they have apartments they rent which may be coming available in the next couple of months.  So I am going to check them out.  Both are much more economical than my place.  The biggest expenses here are the water and the gas and there’s no way to know how much the bills are going to be.  I’ve heard horror stories about gas bills and so our thermostat is set at a chilly 50 degrees.  Cinder spends most of her day under her blanket dreaming of spring!

So that’s it.  Oh and I ended my romance with my fruit vendor, but we are still friends.  It was time because we were both getting a little too attached.   Anyway, he wanted to give me free fruit forever, but I didn’t feel right about that so my “rate” is 3 euro each week.

I hope everyone’s year is getting off to a good start and that this year brings lots of love and prosperity for all of us.

Marinella takes Cinder and me to see her son Giacomo who is a Veterinario

Cinder can't believe the view at the Vet's office

Cinder gives me her usual long suffering look after her visit to the doctor

Vania prepares the paperwork for my citizenship application

The official file...now I wait

Vigilia di Natale

Buone Feste a Tutti!!!  I spent my first Christmas Eve in Italia with my friends and students at Poliziano.  It was exciting to experience my first traditional Italian Christmas Eve.  It was all of Anna’s family so I was particularly honored to be included.   I got a chance to get to know Anna’s mom and dad who own their own winery and Anna’s sister, who just had a new baby.  The evening was filled with laughter, wine, food and of course gifts.  Dinner was a traditional menu of fish courses from a starter of smoked salmon to a main course of Baccalà in Umido.  There was also a delicious pumpkin soup and a cart filled with every conceivable holiday dessert from chocolates and dates to the traditional Christmas breads, Pandoro and Panettone.  I sampled way too much wine throughout the evening and while the family opened all of their gifts, I got to hold baby Paolo who slept through most of the excitement of his first Christmas, oblivious to the many gifts being opened in his honor. The tree was surrounded by tons of presents and Anna’s mom, Simona, did the honors of handing out each one.  Anna explained to me that they always open their gifts on Christmas Eve rather than Christmas morning so they can relax on Christmas day.  From my other friends here, it seems pretty split as to which day presents are opened; Christmas Day wins out for all those with children waiting for Babbo Natale to make an appearance.

I gave Mariastella and Francesco books (unfortunately not in English, since my bookstore steadfastly refuses to stock them), and I received a beautiful scarf from Anna who said it was going to bring me good fortune in the new year.  Speriamo!

My actual Christmas day was quiet and spent with Cinder watching holiday movies in Italian.  I had a lovely surprise yesterday when I went into town to buy a few things from Antonella’s store.  I had brought around banana bread to my new friends on Thursday as a small token of holiday cheer.  When I got to Antonella’s my friends here presented me with a gift that had contributions from their stores:  Salami from Silvano the butcher, a journal from Gabriella, wine from Caterina, and my favorite biscotti from Antonella.  I was quite touched by the gesture.

Cinder and I are continuing our holiday weekend with more holiday films and chats with friends, and she is waiting impatiently for me to break open the salami.  I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday and that next year brings good things for all.  Buon Anno!!

a roaring fire and beautiful tree bring holiday cheer

A Christmas Eve aperitivo while waiting for Anna's family

holiday table for ten...

La Neve

This week brought the first snow.  First a dusting on Thursday and then a couple of inches over the weekend.  Nothing makes me happier than the first snow of the season.  And I realize for those of my friends who live on the East Coast, you got a whole lot more “happiness” than I did, but still Cinder and I enjoyed playing in the snow.  Not to mention that we didn’t have to contend with the over-salting that they did in New York with all sorts of toxic chemicals.  Here people will sprinkle a little table salt outside their stores, but otherwise you are pretty much on your own.  When we went to the market in the falling snow on Thursday, Cinder was quite admired in her pink coat that was oh so fashionable in New York…okay she wasn’t so much admired as pitied that I was subjecting her to wearing clothing.  But if people knew how much she shakes and carries on when she is cold, they’d realize she is happy to be sporting it.

The temperatures got very cold after the snow came so now it’s all kind of icy and crispy, but still pretty.  I had yet another of my idiotic Americana experiences yesterday when I hung my laundry outside.  Granted it did seem a trifle cold for hanging laundry, but I saw Marinella put hers out so I decided better to at least try.  Then I forgot about it.  When I went to retrieve it last night, it was frozen solid.  To the point where it sounded like the cracking of a falling tree when I tried to pull it off the line.  At first I debated leaving it, but then I just tugged and tugged until the sheets broke free of the line.  I’m not exaggerating when I say they actually stood on end.  I wish I’d photographed the moment for posterity, but it was documented because Pippo stopped by and just shook his head sadly when he saw what I was up to.  I live to amuse.

I received my first Christmas card today.  It’s only about the third piece of mail I’ve gotten here in eight months so I was pretty excited.  Especially to see the 30 euro tucked inside.  THANK YOU, DARYL.   I also received a fedex from my parents with my along awaited document for my citizenship application.  My first Christmas miracle and I can now FINALLY get my application in progress.  Hopefully work will follow soon.  I am sad to report I didn’t get the dish washing job in Pienza because the manager wanted someone to work nights and there is no bus at night.  So I have no way of getting there.  Needless to say finding out that you can’t get hired to wash dishes is fairly depressing!

I’m doing a little baking, having decided to live on tuna and eggs for a week so I can bake my usual banana bread loaves for my new friends.  This has definitely elevated my Christmas spirits.  My neighbor Carlotta who is in the same boat that I am with work (except that she has a husband with a good job) brought me a homemade apple tart yesterday and we had a nice chat.  I’m going to dinner on Christmas Eve at the home of my students at Poliziano.  The mom, Anna, told me that I’m part of the family now and I thought that was really sweet.  I’m heading there this afternoon for our lesson and for dinner with the gang.  But first, Cinder and I have a date in the snow.  Seeing her act like a puppy as she runs around is enough to make me forget that’s it’s twenty degrees.

First snow falls on the walk to the market

Snowy park

The falling snow blankets Montepulciano

The view from my window

More snow falls in the afternoon

A Dickensian Christmas…

My spirits of late have been more on par with Ebeneezer Scrooge than my usual over-the-top frothy joy of the holiday season.  Not only have I been missing my friends in New York, the reality of my evaporating funds and consequent panic have all contributed to extinguishing a festive frame of mind.   The clincher came when I realized I didn’t even have enough money to splurge on a Christmas tree this year.  Those of you who know me well and have experienced how much I love the holidays will understand why I was starting to wallow in a wreath of self pity.   But after a “Snap out of it!” email from my friend Carol and a glimmer of hope on the job front, my spirits began to lift.  Sure, I’m probably going to be washing dishes from someone else’s holiday meal, but it’s work, and more importantly money for survival!  Cinder who has not enjoyed the half rations we’ve been on lately is joyful as well.

This morning I found a tiny Christmas tree for three euro at the mercato and this small piece of greenery put the ho ho ho back in my ho-liday.  By the time I reached my house and dug out my Christmas ornaments, I was feeling quite cheery.  I began to look around and to appreciate what I have.  I also noticed how pretty my town looks.  Everything is decked out in its holiday finery, houses have wreaths and lights, and vendors are busy selling poinsettias and holiday greenery.  It all feels quite old fashioned and…well, like Christmas.

I still miss my friends and am sad not to be able to do much baking this year, but I’m here, I’m living my dream and I just have to appreciate what I’ve accomplished over these last eight months.  And if you think about old Scrooge, he too turned out okay in the end…God Bless Us, Everyone!

Antonella's store gets a Christmas makeover

Montepulciano puts up it's holiday lights

Christmas decorating on a budget...

First Christmas tree in Italia