Sun and Game

Today

Class: Meat 2: low cooking

Today we talked about (s)low cooking and prepared game meat. The main methods are: confit, salmi' and civet. A confit is completely submerged in fat, salmi and civet are both similar preparations that require first marinading, then stewing the meat. The main difference is that the civet has a higher blood-content in the marinade/broth.

It was a relaxing day of cooking--not too much rushing around from one thing to the next. The kitchen had a nice flow and order to it.

• Fegatelli al Coccio (Pork Liver Rolls)
  -this was on the syllabus for tomorrow but Marcella found pork net at the market this morning which is a rarity, so she bought it and we did it today
  -In a nutshell, this dish is pork liver wrapped in fat and is probably one of the most unhealthy things you can eat
  -I'm not quite sure where in the pig the pork net is located, but it is a lace-like layer of fat that we used to wrap sliced pork liver coated in a mixture of fennel seeds, bay leaf, garlic, salt and pepper
  -Marcella doesn't like liver, but she loves this dish
  -I'm not generally a fan of liver, but I ate it (of course) and enjoyed it, for the most part
  -I liked the outer part better because it had less of the texture of liver that I am used to
  
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    Marcella behind the pork net
    
    Fegatelli al Coccio
• Sella di Lepre con Castagne e Mirtilli Neri (Hare with Chestnuts and Blueberries)
  -I got to de-bone a hare!
  -Apparently I really like game-y meat, as well as slow-cooked food
  -This dish was excellent
  -I love all the different combinations I've tasted to far and am learning so much about the importance of contrast, and which contrasts are actually complimentary
  
  
  
  Sella di Lepre con Catagne e Mirtilli Neri
  
  
• Cervo in Salmi' (Stewed Venison)
  -we were supposed to do Cinghiale in Salmi' (Stewed Wild Boar), but it's not hunting season so wild boar is hard to come across in the market. Thus, we used venison instead
  -Umm...delicious. Stewed with olives, tomatoes, carrot, celery and onion
  -The meat melted in your mouth and had such a strong flavor
  -Plus I love olives these days so that was a definite bonus :)
  -Not the best photo but I swear it's delicious.
  
  
  
  Cervo in Salmi'
  
  
• Carne "Ncantarata" in Salsa di Miele e Peperoncino (Pork with Honey and Chile Pepper Sauce)
  -Confit that we started but did not eat because at the end of class, it wasn't done cooking
  -More details tomorrow

Ran some errands with Andrea this afternoon and then biked to Piazzella Michelangelo and visited San Miniato al Monte, Franciscian Church of San Salvatore al Monte alle Croci, and a beautiful rose garden. I am slowly improving my bike-riding skills and enjoyed riding up a windy, shaded road. It is so nice to get away from the crowds of the city center and be around so much green. I could never live in a big city; I love oxygen.

Both churches were beautiful. San Miniato al Monte is surrounded by numerous cemeteries with graves and tombstones of all sizes. Plus the view is spectacular.

San Maniato al Monte, exterior


San Minato al Monte, interior

Stained glass on tombstones

San Salvatore al Monte was my favorite church so far. It doesn't have a beautiful facade, and the interior isn't that different than many of the other churches I've visited, but it smelled incredible. I am definitely learning to appreciate the sense of smell more. Regardless, this church smelled incredible. I can't pinpoint what the smell was specifically--a combination of wood, maybe oak, and a general sense of freshness. It was cool inside the church also which definitely added to the effect.

San Salavatore al Monte

I then took a walk through the rose gardens that Manuela (my Italian mom) has been talking about. They were incredible. The view was remarkable, there were so many flowers and once again the smell was so strong and wonderful. I wasn't going to take any photos because as you all know by now, I hate flower photography...but then these beautiful roses snuck up on me and I just couldn't walk by them without a visual memory. Maybe flower photography is growing on me.

Rose

I sat for a little in the gardens but there was a terrible guitar duo playing in Piazella Michelangelo that I could hear from my bench and they were driving me crazy, so I took that as my cue to head home.

For lunch, Manuela had the extra venison I brought home from class. We were talking about it at dinner and because I couldn't remember the Italian word for venison and she didn't know the English word either, so we ended up using the universal"Bambi," instead. On that note, I guess I had Thumper today too, right? Ah, sensitivity :)

Lesson of the Day
Bikes that are too small kill your thighs

Photos of the Day

Surprise! More vegetation. Don't know what this plant is but saw it in one of the graveyards at San Moniato. Maybe this is what an artichoke looks like when it flowers. On second thought (and thanks to google images), probably not...but to me, it looks like an artichoke

Carciofi?

San Moniato is just beyond Piazella Michelangelo, but the view is definitely better. It's no Fiesole, though. You're able to see more individual buildings of Florence, which is nice, as opposed to Fiesole where you could see all of Florence in addition to the surrounding Tuscan hills, towns, etc.

The View: Palazzo Vecchio and The Duomo

The View: Copy of The David and (real) Tempio Maggiore Israelitico di Firenze

The Count

**Please note that I only had 1 glass of wine, 0 plates of pasta and no gelato today!

Glasses of wine drinken: 43

Churches visited: 10 + 1 synagogue
Photos taken: 1654

Tomorrow

Bread, liver and whatever else is at the market in the morning

Most likely going to Palazzo Strozzi for the Picasso and Dali exhibit as well as a contemporary exhibit, "Virtual Identities"

Want to find a bookstore with a coffee shop and finish re-reading Harry Potter 7. It was too heavy to bring with me and I just realized how much I miss it, and remembered that I want to finish it (again) before part 2 of the movie comes out!

Sorry today's post got kind of long! I tried to include lots of photos to keep you captivated!