Wine extraordinaire in training!

Today was the best day yet!

I let myself sleep in until 10:00 am since my only class was at noon. PAIRING FOOD AND WINE is my only class on Wednesdays. Not too shabby. Our class is held in a kitchen and there are only fourteen of us. Our professor is an American Italian who knows everything there is to know about Italian cuisine and wine. She said that soon enough we will be able to tell by the look, smell, and taste of wine how good it is, and what food it gets paired with. I wish every class was like this. First, she took us on a walking tour around the center of the city to show us all of the most authentic food and wine. Our first stop was at Palle D'Oro! This is the restaurant that my roommates and I accidentally wandered into on our second night. We found a true Florentine gem without even having to be told :) Next door to Palle D'Oro was a wine bar that has the right prices and right quality. She told us we were being ripped off by our friend "Happy" at the Happy Wine Shop who gives us 5 bottles for 10 euro, because it is really, really bad wine. Next, we went to the Marcato Centrale! She showed us which stalls we should always go to for each type of food. We walked through the seafood part (which I didn't even know existed) and had I had a camera I would've taken a picture of all of the fish heads for my dad. We passed a stall that had homemade pasta and sauces (I was eyeing the pesto, of course) cheeses, and of course my favorite vegetables. There was also a nice man on the corner who sold "healthy snacks" in the form of dried fruit and nuts. I'm glad I have a better grasp on the market, so that next time I will know where to go. Our professor kept stressing that we try "tripe." There are tripe stands ALL over the city. It is the stomach of a cow, but the cows are vegetarians, so it is supposed to be good for you. Not sure if I'll ever work up that type of courage. From there we walked to Piazza de la Republica, one of my favorite places. She told us SO much about the history of the different cafes and restaurants in the area. This lady literally knows everything there is to know about Florence. One of the bars had been there since the 1700's! It's incredible how I've been wandering aimlessly around this city not knowing anything about it. We also stopped at a cafe that does chocolate tastings, and comes from the northern part of Italy (the best chocolate in Italy). She continued to show us the best place to get gelato, the best place to get wine, the best place to get a quick sandwich, etc. Once I get a camera, I am going to try to follow the same path by myself and take pictures of them all. And obviously eat some of the gelato!

We got back to class and made a delicious pasta dish. She sauteed onions, chili pepper, olive oil, and bread crumbs. Then added the pasta, and voila! Even without sauce or cheese, it was some of the best pasta I've ever tasted. I am going to try to make it myself at the apartment soon. After class, I went to buy  my Italian text book from the library and faxed some things to my mom. I came back to the apartment to relax for about an hour, and then Jacqueline and I headed out to gather the rest of our school materials. For some reason, every professor decided to choose a completely different copy shop for their reading packets. Two hours later, we had wandered ALL over the San Lorenzo / San Marco part of the city. We got lost a few times, but it was nice learning a new part of the city. We stopped into a cafe during happy hour and the nice Italian man behind the counter gave us free bruschetta! On our way home we stopped for gelato at the place on our street. I think in a few more days the guy behind the counter is going to start to recognize us. I got chocolate chip on a cone. Turns out cones are cheaper than cups here! Only one euro. Also, I was happy to learn today from my teacher that gelato is much better for you than ice cream. All of the ingredients are fresh, and the way it is made lets less air into the gelato. Ice cream in America is all air, so they rip you off by giving you less ingredients, more additives, and lots of air. In other words, you get more yummy stuff in a small cone of gelato than in a big tub of American ice cream.

I got home and made pasta with zucchini, asiago cheese, and pesto sauce again. Here, I find myself cooking the same thing two or three days in a row since there is limited fridge space and I only buy a little at a time. I skyped with a few people, did my Italian homework, and am now sipping wine with my roommates before going out. I used my new Italian hair straightener tonight and it works great!

Tomorrow, I'm hoping to get my new camera in the mail and wander the city alone. That way I can learn the streets and finally take all of the pictures I have been dying to take. Today, during our walking tour I had my very first glimpse of the classic study-abroader "I never want to leave this place" feeling. My view of this country and city had been very tainted by my bad experience, but now that I am settled and really letting myself enjoy it, it's easy to see why so many people fall in love with it.

Out to the bars as a 20-year-old I go!

Ciao