Libraries have been a HUGE part of my life ever since I can remember.  A library, and all that it represents (learning, knowledge, history, opportunity, etc.), is an important cultural phenomenon.   I remember getting my first library card and how grown-up it made me feel. I’ve taken my girls to the library since birth for story hour and we’ve participated in summer reading programs.  I can’t say enough about the importance and impact libraries can have upon young lives.  I’ve even made special efforts to visit libraries all over the world.  And I practically lived in the manuscript department at both the Newberry in Chicago and the Huntington in San Marino while doing my Ph.D. research.

There’s just something magical that happens to me when I walk into a library; it’s the smell of the books and the centuries of ideas…all available and waiting for someone to enjoy!

However, I did not get that feeling in this little Italian library.  It’s an odd and saddening feeling to see books in such disarray.  To see some book shelves empty while other shelves displayed books thrown into a heap, this way and that.  To see that one guy, who seemed to have little more than zero interest in his job, was the only worker there.   He seemed to have that same sense of disenchantment or apathy that many people arrive at with regard to politics… that “what I do will never make any difference anyway” attitude.  Maybe he was new?  Maybe he was having an off day?  Maybe he was ill-equipped?  He had a hard time locating requested books, the computer wasn’t working, and when I asked about story hour for the kids, I was met with a shrug while being informed that they don’t do that here.

Is this how all the libraries are?  How is this possible? Italians have such a rich bibliophilic history!  I simply expected more.

Have I been particularly spoiled by my “American libraries?”

Now I realize I am in Italy, and English is a foreign language, but I was genuinely surprised to find only about six or seven children’s books in English and only about eight adult books in English… at least one of those eight was Jane Eyre.  But that’s beside the point.

As I glanced around, I saw teens casually looking over school work at a few tables, many texting or talking on their cells.  What I didn’t see what anybody else.  No moms.  No other adults.  No kids.  And no one in the stacks!  Staffed with just this one guy, I understood that the task of organizing and creating a beautifully functional library to serve the community was not a priority.  This was it.  You simply had to make do with what was there.  Take it or leave it… it didn’t seem to matter to anyone.

Goodbye Dewey Decimal.  Goodbye story hour.  Goodbye library as I have come to know you.

I can only hope for a better experience in the center of Florence.  (However, my experiences tracking down a manuscript in Florence for my M.A. thesis, and trying to gain access to another book in a library that has been under construction for more than four years, now seem to be painfully honest precursors to what I just experienced at the local level.)   Sigh.

*As a side note: my experience has inspired me to do something.  I’ve offered to start a story hour but was told that I must first organize this with the head librarian, whom I’ve yet to meet. *

The fairs typically have some sort of demonstration on a centrally located stage with drummers, flag throwers, and dancers. Jesters, clerics, and knights stroll through the medieval towns as archery and looming demonstrations take place nearby.  There are handmade wooden toys for the kids and flower crowns for the young maidens.  Seeds are ground into find powder using old mills, soaps are hand-made, as are bows and arrows.

Oh, the bowyers and the fletchers (and many other  guilds) are alive and well in these modern day representations!  And then there is the feasting, which unsurprisingly consists of lots and lots of meat.

In the smaller medieval town festivals, you really get a sense of community as well.  It seems that everyone knows everyone and it’s the perfect time to connect with neighbors.

Once upon a time, these medieval gatherings were not just the fictionalized revelry that we have today, but these were important events that took place around feast days.  The townsfolk got together in the main square by the church to celebrate, to share their wares, and to enjoy music, dancing, and feasting.

Today, these moments are captured in a similar fashion through these Tuscan medieval fairs and festivals.  It feels quite authentic as the medieval fairs of today really took place in these exact same locations of yesteryear.  The walls may have crumbled, the centuries may have passed, but here, you can truly travel back in time.  Italians have long memories and I, for one, am grateful that they do!

Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 20-30 min

Ingredients:

• 1.3 C flour
• .4 C butter
• .6 C sugar
• 1.3 C milk
• 4 eggs
• 3 apples
• 1.5 packets of yeast (25 g)
• pinch of salt
• zest of lemon

Begin by melting the butter in warmed milk on the stove.
In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, and salt together.
Then slowly add warmed milk and butter mixture to the egg mixture.
Next add flour and then the yeast.
Pour cake batter into a 9” greased round cake pan.
Peel and thinly slice apples.  Place slices in circular pattern in the cake batter.
Bake at 340F until done.

Enjoy!

The air is dusted with little pieces of cotton-like pollen.  And if you stand ever-so-still you will find yourself in the midst of a flurry of warm Tuscan “snow.”  It’s breathtaking, especially for a gal from Los Angeles.  In LA, if something was floating in the air it was usually ash from one of our infamous Southern California brush fires!

I’ve taken some video of the puffs floating through the air and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!  I know that, just like in Fellini’s 8 ½, I will await this time of year. every year.

Olive groves… always beautiful!

Tuscan poppies (papaveri rossi)

Leafy vines!

Finally green vineyards

Old olive press wheels

Field of Tuscan poppies (papaveri rossi)

American and Italian traditions meet!

Do you know the proper way to eat an Italian Easter egg?

Or what chocolate gifts the kids receive in lieu of an Easter basket?

Find out in today’s video!

And… you can see my best effort at making a bunny cake. Spoiler: it didn’t look anything like it was supposed to!

Prep Time: 1 1/2 hours (some must be done the day before)
Cook Time: 2-3 min

Ingredients: (about 7-8 servings)

• 8 large potatoes
• 4 heaping Tbs flour (may need more if potatoes are too wet)
• 2 Cups Parmigiano Reggiano
• ½ of nutmeg (grated)
• 2-3 Tsp of salt
• 1 Tsp of pepper

The night before:  Wrap potatoes in foil and bake at 350 until finished.  Let them cool and peel them.  Put in fridge overnight.

The day of:  Take potatoes and put them through a meat grinder or a food mill.

Put all of the ground potatoes in a large mixing bowl.  Add the flour, parmigiano, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.  If you have a paddle attachment for a stand mixer, use the paddle to mix everything together.  Otherwise, use a dough hook attachment.  The dough should be moist and have a consistency that is a somewhat softer than Play Doh.  (Sorry, but that’s the best description I can offer.)  If your dough is too wet, the gnocchi will fall apart while cooking.  If necessary, keep adding additional flour to get the dough to the right consistency. [Tip: taste the dough and add more salt and nutmeg if necessary.]

Next, take the dough and roll out into logs that are roughly the size of a cigar.  Then start cutting off ½” pieces.  Try to make all the pieces the same size so that they cook evenly.

Try to keep the cut pieces from touching as they tend to start sticking together.  (Likewise, if you choose to freeze some of the gnocchi for later, try to keep them from touching otherwise you end up with a ball of dough that you just have to re-roll and re-cut.)

Place gnocchi in salted boiling water.  Don’t boil too aggressively – these are very delicate.

As soon as some of the gnocchi start to rise to the surface, remove them all from the water.  Use a slotted spoon or something similar to remove gnocchi. Place them directly on the plate.  Do not dump the gnocchi into a strainer/colander as they will get mashed together and lose their shape.

Top with sauce of your choice and a little parmigiano if you like.  (I like to use a simple sauce to allow the taste of the gnocchi to dominate the dish… something like a butter and sage sauce or a light tomato sauce.)

Enjoy!

To see this recipe in action, watch me make it below:

I also wanted to say thanks for coming along on this journey and I hope you’ve enjoyed the videos as much as we have!

And remember to LIKE and SUBSCRIBE on each video… if you’re so inclined. Grazie again!

Two weeks later and I still didn’t have it.

After a number of trips to the police station (this is where you pick up your Permesso), the immigration cops began to recognize me.  And then… today was the day! So I guess that means that it takes about three weeks to fix a government printer in Italy!

Welcome to Italy!

Wow… my move feels pretty permanent now.