Today was another of those domestic days, having Paolo come over and fix light fixtures, the new dishwasher was installed ( and this one actually does get the water into it), and running back and forth to the Coop grocery. Part of the multiple trips to the Coop was that the dishwasher needed softening salt to run and part of it was that I was cooking and kept coming up with ideas. We mentioned in the last blog entry buying the fresh truffled tagliatelli and today we cooked it. I started off by roasting three heads of garlic (don’t worry, I only used one and froze the rest) and some cipolline (flat, little onions). Boy, did the apartment smell great. Then I sent Alan to the market for oriental eggplants and pancetta. I roasted the eggplant and fried small cubes of the pancetta. Then I combined it all, threw in chopped, sun-dried tomatoes and let it sit to blend the tastes. Later we cooked the tagliatelli, threw it in with the sauce, added fresh basil and Pecorino and dinner was served. Oh, and a pinch of dried, red pepper flakes because, after all, we are from New Mexico and need our heat! It turned out great!
truffled-taglitelle.jpg
After supper, Alan went to SS Giovanni e Paolo Basilica for a concert and I read. The bar across the Calle (imagine this as a 7 foot wide foot path, not a street) decided that Saturday night was karaoke night. I was lucky enough to hear it all , and boy, were they bad! Alan said his concert was good and was in a room around the side of the Basilica, not in the sanctuary. They did the obligatory Four Seasons by Vivaldi, Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, the Pachelbel Canon, and a Boccherini Minuet. I think they have nightmares about being forced to play these same 4 pieces every day for eternity. They were very good musicians, but the soloist was trying to get the 4 Seasons done as quick as he could. I liken it to skiing double black diamonds. I would love to hear a concert in that vast sanctuary!
Today we have tickets for the matinee performance of “Madame Butterfly” at La Fenice. Afterwards we will stop at Alla Strega which finally posted a note on Friday that they would be closed last week. At least that is the current plan, we will have to see what happens!


Comments

Day 14- Cooking — 5 Comments

  1. That pasta sounds fantastic!
    You are definitely livin’ the good life – well, except for the Karaoke. But maybe that is preferable to the 2048th hearing of the Pachibel!
    Judy