On Monday, we went to Squisito! 2008 in San Patrignano. Squisito is a big fair dedicated to fine wine and food that brings together big name Italian chefs, journalists, food & wine artisans, and of course, food & wine lovers. One of the most interesting aspects of this event is that it is organized and held at a rehabilitation facility, called San Patrignano, for men and women who have serious drug abuse problems. It was inspiring to see the people from this community working at this huge and well-organized event. We had the opportunity to taste test traditional cuisines from all over Italy. Our mouths were so busy that we forgot to take pictures of the actual food that we were eating. The photos we did take do not do justice to the event either. So we basically spent most of the day stuffing our faces and having a good time. Unfortunately, we will have to wait another year to go back.

Look at my photos from Squisito

Other person: “So you where about in Italy do you live? I’ve been there a few times so I know some areas.”

Me: “I live in a region called Le Marche.”

OP: “Le what? Sorry I didn’t quite hear you.”

Me: “Le Marche. It’s on the Adriactic coast.”

OP: “Interesting. What city is it near? Rome? Florence?”

Me: “Well, actually, it’s not really near either. We live in Ancona and it’s about an hour and half drive from Urbino and 2 hours from Bologna.”

It’s really unfortunate that Le Marche is unknown to many people because I truly believe it is a region worth visiting. They say that Le Marche is the next Tuscany for it’s beautiful countryside. According to Karen Brown, a well known travel expert, “The Marches, stretching along the Adriatic coast, runs close behind Tuscany and Umbria in the way of scenic beauty, history, art, and cultural offerings.” I’ll need many more posts, though, to talk about Le Marche…

As for me, I’m thinking about starting two new blogs…one would be in Italian and the other would be in English. But I don’t want to be too quick to announce them yet…

I remember reading in some Italian newspaper about a year ago that the average monthly salary was 800 euros. Well, I now would like some kind of confirmation. I did a google search which was unsuccessful and then I went to ISTAT’s site - the Italian National Institute of Statistics - and again could not find this data. This really bothered me, so I wrote to them today asking for this info. Is it possible that there is no official data regarding average salaries in Italy?

I just sometimes feel that she is too sensitive. Whenever it is time to say goodbye to anyone after having had a playdate, she always ends up in tears. Everyday when she gets home from school she asks me “Where can we go today? Who can we visit?” We try to have at least one playdate per week, but it’s not enough for her. She gets bored at home and always wants company. I try to explain to her that i am tired and need my time at home every now and then. We usually end up arguing because she gets angry that we can’t visit anyone.

Is this just a phase? I hope so. Because sometimes I feel like i have done everything wrong. I don’t see other kids gets so upset over things like her. It looks like i need to hit the parenting books once more.

The wedding was on Saturday morning at 11 in the city center of Gualdo Tadino. After getting a bit lost, we arrived 15 minutes before the ending. It worked out best because Maya was experimenting with her voice during the ceremony in the old church. After the ceremony we headed back to the farmhouse for appetizers under a tent. The starters included: a variety of cheeses with honey, prosciutto and other cold cuts, mozzarella, tempura style veggies, fried calamari and shrimp, a seafood salad, and much more. Then we had some time for digesting and walking around.

We were then invited to the dining room for the lunch which included risotto and tortelloni for the first course meal, meat and veggies for the second course meal, and a fruit salad to finish it. Melania and her cousin in the meanwhile were entertained by clowns, jugglers and singers. They, too, were treated to delicious food. Melania was having a blast. After lunch, were given a siesta either for walking around or sleeping. Maya and I chose to rest a bit.

At 8:30, we were invited back to the dining room for the wedding cake, other sweets, and dancing. Melania at this time could not talk about anything but the cake. She was so excited to eat it. We did some dancing and goofing around before the bride and groom came in. I had an opportunity to take pictures. After that, Luca put the camera away in the stroller, tucked away in the basket that closes with velcro. At this point, Melly’s eyes had a particular gaze to them and I got a suspicious feeling. At a certain point, Melly started coughing and said she needed water. Luca takes her to get water and they disappeared for a good 15 minutes. Maya starts fussing and this was my cue that it was time to start saying goodnight. I start looking for Luca and after asking around for him, I find Luca and Melly outside. Melly was sitting on a bench with flushed cheeks. She had thrown up all over the green lawns. She hadn’t even had the opportunity to try the cake and sweets. My poor baby was so sad. She wanted to take some of the sweets for the next morning. She was feeling better that she decided to stay a little longer with Luca. She absolutely had to see the cake at least.

Maya and I went back to our room, after having reminded Luca and his mother to bring the stroller back to the hotel room. After a nice night’s sleep, we headed to the breakfast room and I noticed Luca had not brought the stroller back with him. I didn’t think anything of it because I felt like we were in a trusting environment. We were treated to a big breakfast Italian style with homemade apple cakes, ricotta cakes, fresh bread, jam, nutella, croissants and cappuccinos (of course). After breakfast, we got our things ready and made our way downstairs to say goodbye to the bride and groom and Luca’s relatives. Just then, Luca remembered to get the stroller. When he got back I noticed he was looking quite pale. The camera was gone. Somebody swiped our camera. Luca lost all control and was furious. Understandable as I had taken some amazing pictures of Melania with her cousin Filippo.

We don’t really care about the camera, it’s the pictures we want back. The person who took our camera didn’t steal just a camera, he or she stole memories of Melania having fun, Maya turning 10 months, Maya trying to crawl…

But back to the positive side, I walk out our door and Melania can play in the piazza full of rose bushes. We have the pharmacy, bakery, cafe, little grocery store, and the paper shop all within 50 feet. And of course we have the BEST gelateria right near us. Not only do they have the best flavours, but they use natural ingredients and make the ice cream themselves. The gelato deserves a whole post for itself.

Even though I have been there for only a few years, everyone basically knows me. There is a real sense of community in the town and you have the sensation that everyone really does care about what’s going on with you. In the summertime, we hang out in the piazza and stroll around the city walls… about three blocks long. The good life…

It’s all sounds really good, but catch me on a bad day and I’ll tell you another story.

The event was held in a small town called San Martino in Pensilis, found in the southern region Molise, which is relatively unknown to many non-Italians. The drive there wasn’t fun but the views made up for it. A long winding road lined with olive trees took us up to the town found on top of a big hill overlooking a spectacular Italian countryside. The historical city center reminded me of a post-war town with dilapidated buildings, vacant homes, old doors, but all these things gave the town even more character. Foodcamp was happening alongside of the town’s annual festival “La Carrese,” which is basically a horse cart race that started centuries ago.

Some topics discussed were Italian food and wine, media and communication, farmer’s markets, but the best part of the event was the food and wine taste testing. Thanks to the sponsors San Lorenzo, Fattoria Italiana and Acetaia San Giacomo I had the opportunity to try some mouth watering cheese, stuffed peppers and top of the line balsamic vinegar. An interesting topic was brought up by Fattoria Italiana at the event: adopting a tree, an animal, some land. The concept is quite simple. Let’s say you adopt an olive tree from a farmer for a year. The farmer then sends you the products that it yields for that year. In this case, it would be olive oil. This market is now opening up to the USA. It might not be the best way to lead a sustainable lifestyle, but at least you can be sure you will be getting high-quality products.

The event ended with a visit to an artisanal cheese-making farm called Parco dei Buoi. There I was able to watch Francesco make handcrafted ricotta. I never realized just how much work goes into making this cheese. After milking the sheep, Francesco heats the milk with a curd to make pecorino cheese. The cream that is left on top is taken and then heated again with a little milk while stirring it with a special wooden rod, called “spino”. When it starts to thicken the heat is turned off and the ricotta is scooped up into special containers. The term “ricotta” translates into “twice cooked,” giving name to this delightful cheese that tasted wonderful by itself or even with a drizzle of honey. Buon appetito!