On the 25th, Carmela made deep fried artichoke patties, wild herbs and ricotta stuffed ravioli with lamb ragu, crispy maialino (baby pork roast) with salad and roasted peppers, and deep fried honey balls. The wines were wonderful. All of us then took a long walk in the countryside.



And tonight, I'm having friends over for dinner!

posted by Joanna @ 12/26/2006 01:53:00 PM 0 comments  

Both December 24 and 25 dawned cold and absolutely clear, and with much less wind. The weather veritably sparkles and blackbirds sail the currents above the castle walls and out over the valley as church bells sound their cacophony at irregular intervals. There was a bonfire in the piazza under Carmela and Eugenio’s balcony where we drank champagne and prosecco and watched as local carolers and Babbo Natale did their thing.

Dinner on the 24th was a festival of fish: smoked salmon antipasti and octopus and potato primi and cozze and squid in sepia and sweet shrimp in brandy all on the secondi piatti, followed by a flaky cream filled pastry dusted with powdered sugar. The woman can cook!!!

Barbara and Marco were there and their sister Muriel called from Switzerland during the feast so we all talked on the speaker phone about missing her and about recipes and how her pregnancy is going. Fun gifts and music and film. This is my family here and I’m so lucky they’ve made me a part of their lives with such care and generosity.

posted by Joanna @ 12/25/2006 10:39:00 AM 0 comments  

JOYOUS WINTER SOLSTICE







These are for Delina! (And for me.) Rock on!






Actually did some holiday shopping today. Spending the 24th and 25th across the street at my friends' place. Having people here from the comune near Siena on the 26th. People from Rome coming for a couple of days over the New Year. My first winter here is shaping up nicely.

posted by Joanna @ 12/21/2006 07:35:00 PM 4 comments  

Today was cloudy all day, but yesterday was glorious. Drove up the Cassia looking for a driving school where I might buy the book for the Italian license, but they were all closed. Seems they're only open a couple of evenings a week for classes. It was so warm that it's hard to believe that winter starts in less than a week.

My friends in Tasmania are battling to save their house which has been threatened by surrounding bush fires all week. It's been pretty harrowing for them, and for me trying to stay abreast of what's happening to them. So far, they seem exhausted, but O.K.

Oh, the wild girls are still absolutely nuts. No petting this week.


I had a wonderful lunch in Montepulciano at Osteria Acquacheta: fresh tagliolini with fresh white truffles, a wonderful osso buco and mashed potatoes also generously sprinkled with white truffle shavings, half a liter of their good red house wine, a bottle of water and a double coffee. All for thirty-one euro! It would have been half that if I were not so greedy for all the truffles, but who can resist when they're in season!?!?

posted by Joanna @ 12/16/2006 12:47:00 PM 2 comments  

Well, tonight they're in my bed and purring away. They even let me pet them a little, tentatively. Earlier they were on the couch with me while I was reading. Progress.

posted by Joanna @ 12/07/2006 09:24:00 PM 5 comments  

Late autumn: the fat white geese are in their yard and the leaves blow across the road in drifts. The sky is every shade of grey and silver and the fields are emerald and lime and umber. There are glimpses of old farmhouses never seen before through the branches. Everything is rust with splashes of dusty rose, cream, oat, yellow and gold in between the grey-green olive trees and the green-black cypress and pine trees.

I stay in a lot and work on line. There's a "Take Action" banner on the blog now. You click through and get your government, if you're an American, to pay attention.

I'm getting into hibernating mode. Gaz and Zak are in Oz til April and Paolo in NYC until January something. I do get out to the movies once a week with Carmela and the gang and have had a friend from NY and her daughter over the turkey weekend and a friend from near Siena overnight last night, but mostly I'm just here with my two insane kittens (Maggie and Molly) who are terrified of me still. Winter is slowly, but surely, acomin' in. Knowing my prediliction for becoming a complete slug - bed to couch, couch to bed - you can imagine me going through five books and seven DVDs a week. I'm looking forward to the olive oil festival next weekend and trying to inch forward in my work around the house, but doing very little else. Being able to see my incredible view from bed is great. Every once in awhile I have to bust out and go for a long drive somewhere. It's so beautiful here. Green again.

posted by Joanna @ 12/05/2006 08:19:00 AM 1 comments