Duomo, Florence

Things have sped into a blur...It's both good and bad to be a foreigner...Our identities...given a certain context, are plastic,(perhaps, that I believe this, is my greatest failing, or maybe an asset...)...malleable, fleeting...Coming to this part of the world for the first time has warped me...like a fresh cut plank of green hardwood (or, balsa?)set in the sun...The twist may just be useful...what can make the shape take practical form?...Time, and our perception of it is such a funny thing...Sitting, looking out across a countryside that is geologically no older than any other tract of land I've had the pleasure to contemplate...It's the patina of man, the weight of human time, that has come to bear...Over two thousand years of human experience made visible...in worn rock and hewn marble..layers over layers built up and excavated and remade, reused, reinvented...things lost and found..ages of ideas burned up (Alexandria)and slowly rediscovered...taking physical form. 

Time...

...lost in the overwhelming sense of it...what foolish, wonderful little creatures we are...a billion blisters of slaves and artisans in bricks and smooth stone... the eyes of bishops and cardinals staring down from cracked canvas...standing helpless before an impenetrable monument of pure human desperation...Venus rises from a shell, David's massive, disproportionate hands hide the stone meant to slay the giant...

...to slay the giant...

wow...

Filippo Brunelleschi, nearly 1400 years after the Pantheon, after the loss of much of the knowledge of entire civilizations... considered the form of a dome and how it may be constructed...good story...and history continues to repeat itself... 

 

Mmmmmmmmmk

Dude, it's late...barring certain technical difficulties, it's starting to come together. I have so much more to share...I haven't shown you Montepulciano or Florence...Need to ramble about Filippo Brunelleschi...and eggs...ahh, one more beer...and to bed...miss you all...and for those tagging along - I'm pretty sure I'd miss you as well. good night.

Giuseppina...continued...

We arrived half an hour early...no one could remember the exact time of our reservation...blame it on jet lag? (or the wine from the night before...and we get there early!!??) Of course this puts our chef in a tough spot...So, open a bottle of Chianti (at 10am)...all is well. A shot of espresso, and we begin...

The menu, simple, but the ingredients and process...therein lies the foundation of all that Giuseppina is about...care...craft. This, I respect...We will make bruschetta pomodora, linguine, pork tenderloin with rosemary, and tiramisu, all from scratch...of course. 

Me? In my head I'm saying...ohhhh Kaaaay...this I can do for you. Me being Mr. Smarty pants - want-to-be-chef guy...but wait...I've never actually made pasta...oh, dang...And the adventure begins...

Lavoro, lavoro, lavoro! My time with Giuseppina!

First, I'll tease you with ingredients...then a story...farsa!

Mama Mia! Again, another little story to tell...all of you that know me, know that food - eating it and making it- is one of those things that helps get me out of bed in the morning (high on a short list). I knew that coming to Italy would open my eyes (and stomach) to the truth of this regional fare...When most Americans talk about eating Italian, or Chinese, or Mexican, or insert any regional cuisine...they are usually only experiencing a tiny slice, a half baked version of the real thing. No offense to chefs, cooks, and the many restaurants they run all over the States...their food, for the most part, is simply not authentic...so, you go to the source, right?

When I heard that we'd be spending a morning taking a cooking class with an Italian chef I was excited, but skeptical...make spaghetti with marinara...that's Italian, right!!!(we wouldn't know the difference, right??? think it was amazing..everyone leaves happy.)...

But then I met Giuseppina Pizzolato, and knew this would be no ordinary few hours spent in a kitchen...We drove onto winding country roads near Poggibonsi and Certaldo...becoming more twisted and more narrow as we went...dogs and the occasional chicken foraging along the verge...funny that the drive was reminiscent of the route from Lexington, Ky. to my father's hometown, Lancaster, Ky...it's been a while...

We pulled down a narrow, rocky drive into a series of lots that sat on a ridge above the countryside..shared by several squat, blocky structures (most of which seemed to be undergoing some form of construction and/or upkeep). At the end of the gravel road, was a simple, but elegant brick home. The sign next to the door said only "cooking school"...the rest would be better served by my images, than my poor, broken prose...so, let me introduce you to La Cucina Giuseppina...

...double rainbow...

...On the drive back from Lamole...we saw this...think it's a good sign? There is so much more to share...much more tomorrow. You get to meet Giuseppina! 

Mangiare...To EAT!

Where to begin!!! Let's start with pronunciation. It's a place called Lamole : LAmo-LE, not LA-mole...as in the the wonderful chocolate, pepper, cinnamon, garlic...etc, sauce I've come to love from south of the American border...this is a place in the hills of the Chianti Region...you arrive there after a meandering drive through the most timeless countryside...dotted with medieval, and early renaissance relics...patchwork rows of olive groves and grape vines interspersed with fields of bowing sunflowers...Ah, on with it! This tiny town contains quite an institution...Ristoro Di Lamole

http://www.ristorodilamole.it/

Filippo and his wine.

It is owned and operated by two brothers, Filippo e Paolo...two of the most personable, easy going, gentlemen we've yet met in this fine country (though there have been others...Thanks, Max!). Their establishment is simply perfect...and the food...just look...you'll have to trust me on the flavors...mamma mia!

We planned on lunch and a hike in the hills around Lamole...which given the coming thunderstorm, turned into a 4 hour party...care to read a list of the fare...well, I'll show you first...

...sorry to make your mouth water...but you must understand that the experience was complete...perfect...From the setting to the relaxed atmosphere, to presentation that rivals the finest restaurants... (Gary Danko...love all that you do..but take a page from Filippo!).

We started with the Antipasti...tragically, we ate it before I could unholster my gear...the zucchini flan was creamy, savory, air! What you see above you is roasted rabbit stuffed with vegatables, black risotto with rabbit (this local rice takes nearly and hour to cook...and still perfectly al dente!). Pork fillet medallions, wrapped in bacon, with roasted vegatables and a balsamic reduction. Then came the best tomato soup I've ever tasted, sliced beef with fresh greens (the cut of meat looked to be a flank steak, but perfectly tender...cooked to a perfect rare to medium rare), a fresh made tagliatelle with local mushrooms, and fresh ravioli stuffed with chesse and served with pear and Parmigiano. The black specks you see on some of the plates ia a pungent, local black salt. Amazing...

I cannot offer enough compliments or more highly recommend this experience. Bene, bene, bene! Ciao!, Filippo e Paolo! Grazie!

Doppio!

Recovery process....So, now I know what all the fuss is about...that is darn good coffee.

...to my fellow Kentuckians, and bourbon aficionados...

It's late...and I've discovered that Four Roses single barrel flows freely here in old Italia!!! Just want to say that I love and miss you all...wish I could share this with you in person...sippin' with y'all right this here minute...Salute, cheers and much love.

The Magic Keyhole

OH! I almost forgot...what makes this scene more intriguing is the fact that you not only see a gorgeous view, but you are actually seeing three sovereign states at once..Malta, Italy, and the Vatican...cool, huh?

Allora, (so)...if you happen to pass by the embassy of Malta while wandering through Rome...walk up to the main gate, bend down and take a peek through the keyhole...you'll see this wonderful little vision.. (If unsaid systems admin of unsaid university has any commentary concerning said "keyhole", please post via private means.) Oh, by the way...it's a direct view of the Dome of St. Peter's...and for you shooters out there...image was captured through an actual keyhole. The diameter of which was just less than an inch..24-70mmL at 70mm with 5D MarkII...took a min, but the shot worked out...(just a wee bit of crop...or, crap? ha)

The main dome at St. Peter's Basilica

      Secondary dome of St. Peter's.

  

The main Dome of St. Peter's Basilica

I can't express the effect of this structure, this space...it's utterly massive - completely consuming. You recognize the physical root of faith as it was in the old world. It dominates...you begin to understand the depth of power, class, government...society through the lens of the power of faith- both real and imagined...free and forced. It's a powerful dichotomy- is it the power of God or the power of man?...I know what I feel to be right...where is truth?...but there is no escaping the complete empirical weight...448 feet to the top of the external cross.