Risotto

I accomplished my task of what I wanted from Italy. I wanted to learn pasta (which I did at my last place and a little bit here as well). I wanted to learn risotto, I did that tonight, and pizza was yesterday night. Awesome story actually. So michele and claudia took me to micheles parents last night for dinner, and I helped cook..sort of at least. Micheles mother taught me how to make pizza dough and also a old Umbrian dish. Its called Torte Al Testo. Basically its a pizza dough without anythign on it and you cook it ona blue steel pan on top of the stove...used to be inside the oven then they woudl cover the dough adnon the cover put the hot ashes from teh oven. Now they turn the dough over so it cooks evenly....and then when you eat it you rip teh "bread" in half and fill it with this very creamy cheese and aruguala...mmmmm delish...then we had this dish called Spezzatino...its basically chicken cooked with rosemary and tomato sauce...very good as well...the chicken was one that was getting old..(their own) so they killed it and we had it for dinner...
tonight I made dinner, so I made risotto, since here they have a pasta or rice dish to start dinner, then the main course and then a salad and then dessert...So I made risotto the way I like it, and then asked for critism and the italian way...so thats what they did...It was like good old days at the mittleman house...everyone held up paddles with their score...hehe...just kidding..they told meit tasted spot only that in Italy they prefer the rice a bit more cooked like 2-3 minutes maximum. Just to clarify the rice wasnt raw or hard...they just prefer it fully soft through and through without being over cooked...its a fine line just like pasta as they told me..so yey I learned risotto which was good..now I just haveto make it good for the rest of my life and then im good to go...lol...but practise makes perfect, and since what of the biggest things Ive learned here is that its very difficult to clasify one thing to be french or italian cuisine since every region is different so here in Umbria they like their pasta and risotto one way, and in Tuscana a different way...Thats why I think when I chef says he knows everything, hes so full of it, because a person cant knwo everything about cooking or in life for that matter..anyways im gettign side tracked over here, but you get the point i think...

I kind of dont want to leave this place bu t I have to go to germany...I really like it here because its like being part of a family again..I cook, and after dinner we all watch tv together...they all sit on one couch cuddled up and i sit with the dog nestled on my side on the other couch...its kind of funny...Turns out NCIS is actually a somewhat of a not that bad show...although two eposiodes in and im so sick of watching LOST!!!...I do watch a lot of eposiodes of the simpsons and family guy though most of it in italian...which sounds horrible by the way. I get to watch reruns of Boston Legal one of my favourite shows of all time though...anyways...I am learning some very valuble knowledge here, most of which is how to start a business, what goes into it, social skills of course, but most of all finish what you start...go from project to project be organised and such...its interesting to see what they have planned..what they have done here and its not just hteory but action as well...they work hard to get their dream a reality...anyways
happy purim everyone
yehuda