A Florentine Journey

Does this look familiar?

This is a picture of my brother I took when we were kids. It looks vaguely like a picture on my previous post.

Goats small and large

Once again we visited Nora's farm in Radda. This time over thirty kids had been born, and it was chaos. The babies need feeding, warming, tagging, and the mothers need milking and advice. The births take place at all hours, and even included a C section in the middle of the night for two tiny ones.

I went to take some photos of the goats for an upcoming tradeshow at which Nora will have a booth. We decided on black and white, and I am in the process of printing many goat pictures.

Natale 2003

Happy Holidays to everyone! "Auguri", as the Italians say. We had a nice dinner on Christmas day with Marco's friends from school and his mom. I was sent out for the turkey. I'm still not sure what I came home with, but it was delicious!

To all of you on AOL, for some reason, AOL thinks I am spamming you when I email. Is it AOL or is it it Bigfoot? "Non lo so"...I don't know. Happy new Year!!

Decorated Florence

Christmas has become much more commercial here than I remember it to be. Stores are open late, and on Sundays, and there is advertising non stop on radio and television. But the city is decorated, and the oppressive crowds are gone, so it is a joy to walk around and window shop.

Anchovy Cooking

You see them at the market, and they are too special to not buy. They are shiny, and they lay in their box looking up at you with black eyes. Do I have oil, is it worth the trouble, do I want to make a mess? But they are good for me, I tell myself, because they contain essential fatty acids. So half a chilo it is, rolled in the paper, in the plastic bag, a price stuck on it, and in the cart. Looking down during the vegetable section I keep having to remember the oil, flour, lemon, did you get lemon? Will they be crispy, will they be soggy? The deli, bread, pasta, four yellow bags, and yes I do have enough wine and it's off, to the car, to get gas, to get the laundry. Then in the kitchen later the plastic bag with the now (you just know) wet paper, into the fridge go the anchovies, to be dealt with later.
Later comes, and as I unwrap the package I vaguely worry that they are ruined in some way, transformed to mush and skin. But there they are, shiny as ever, still looking up at me. They are cooked by feel. The feel starts with cleaning them. The heads come off and as your finger glides through their bodies, you know the animals. They are firm, and strong, and swim in deep oceans, but fragile and small and each one insignificant. It is as they sit draining in the colander that they are transformed—metamorphosed from fish to food. They are now gleaming little bites, with two sides of white fillet, with a bone easily removed. The oil gets to temperature. How much oil, how much heat, when is it ready? Always the same questions, and always different answers. Again the feel. One fish is sacrificed to test the oil. It’s never hot enough. Patience is required. Then it’s ready and the fish go into the flour and then into the oil. They swim one last time, only now upside down, twirling in the boiling oil. A short time and out they come, batch after batch, done only when they are cooked through, the moisture having left the little bodies, but not too much, or the meat begins to harden. Like french fries, they are best immediately, salt and lemon, eaten bone or no bone. Right away, no ceremony, served, eaten and forgotten until next time they coax me with their silvery stares.

Lia has a new friend

We went to our friend Nora Kravis' house in Radda for a Thanksgiving dinner. Lia fell in love with one of her puppies, Leonardo. He is a breed the aristocracy used to keep in Italy called the Bolognese. He is almost fully grown as seen, but can be much whiter, when not playing in the mud with Lia. Nora raises cashmere goats and sells products made from their cashmere and their milk. Click here to see more about Nora's agriturismo, her goats, dogs, and rental house.

My new bicycle

I know most of you don't care about bicycles, but I got a new one and it's beautiful. Full carbon fiber, new Shimano Dura Ace, all the goodies. Too bad it's the dead of winter, but I've got to ride anyway.

Blog Death...and resurrection.

The blog died, as its database was corrupt, as are many things in our world. But it shall go on. I made several attempts to get all the info back without having to cut and paste all the entries, but I'm going to have to do exactly that, cut and paste 72 entries. For now, we will go on from here. I will gradually add the past entries as I get time.