Pictures From our Field Trip

This is there wine selection.
Elana and Eddie
Mike eating again, he likes me take shots of him eating. This time he is eating Tripe YUK YUK YUK
This is there outside pizza oven. It was really cool how it was done.

I wish I could post more pictures at one time .
Yvonne

Field Trip to Torino

This is Jordan and Courtney on the way to Torino. We started out early and
some of us were ready to go and explore. All of our explorations are about food. How can it be bad? This is my roomate Irene, she was sleeping behind those glasses. On the way to Torino we stopped at a farm. It was a farm and vineyard, very cool. We explored and had lunch. The food was really good and so were the wines. We tried a new wine with each course. So needless to say we all purchased wine.
We are still on the way to the farm and I snapped these nice shots of Gabrielle and Brian. They did not get far when out they went. I believe they are having a great morning rest. I was so absorbed with, the people and the sceinery I could not sleep. Our history teacher was with us, telling about the places and things to look for. He has so much energy for his subject. I feel I can listen for hours. He is a vet in his other life and speaks english with a Scottish accent. We had another guest, her name is Cindy.
She is from the US and is working on her masters. I think our class is her project. She is also filled with info on the slow food movement. I really enjoy her.

After the farm we went to Eataly. A hugh store where you can get foods from all over Italy. If it is made in Italy it was represented there. Our history teacher helped us pick out cheeses that were from smaller farms and therefore not as pricey, but just as good or better. It was fun having our own food guide.

I had a friend ask about vegetarian food. Well Meridth the Italians eat lots and lots of non meat dishes. Do you eat any cheeses or milk products? If so I could load you up with ideas. Get me your email.

Having fun in Italy, Yvonne

Our First Demo

We had a guest Chef today, his name is Luigi Taglienti. He works in the Piedmont Region. Chef Guido says the best food in Italy comes from the Piedmont. His restraunt is Delle Antiche Contrade. He is a true artist. His plates were As pretty as the pictures you see here. The first picture is Chicken Salad alla Piemontese. This is part of a 10 course tasting menu. The red is beet juice he reduced to thicken. There is chicken and tuna on the bottom with grape, lettuce, and a polenta crisp. It was very tasty. I did not think you would taste the beet but wow the flavor was right up front.
This dish is Cannellone filled with ricotta, cream of spinach and a cream made from flavored milk. We were all given a small taste. He designed these plates with ease. This was very creamy and green tasting. I liked it alot.

The first dish is, a liver pate with a gelato made with anchovies, and a balsamic glaze. This sounds weird but it was really really good. The gelato was nice not fishy at all. The last dish was my favorite. Arrosto all'italiana, that is veal, roasted slow with roasted potato and a special ketchup. The ketchup was really neat. I hope I can duplicate it. The veal stock he reduced to a sauce was sooooo tasty. The last thing he made was a panna cotta not always my favorite but I liked the way he did the traditional dessert. We are doing our first field trip tomarrow and all our studies this week relates to the Piedmont. Then we go to Build on what we learned all week.
Gotta go Yvonne

What a Wonderful Place!!!!!!!

This bridge is across the street from my school. It is a beautiful place. Everyone riding bicycles. People are so friendly. Steve says I don't get in enough pictures, so Gregg took this. I look really thin so I decided to post it.

This is two of our girls. they are so cute and fun to be around. Y'all know I like young people. Well these girls will help keep me young. They are always busy but never in trouble.
Mike taking a stroll around the fountain in the garden. It is truly unbelievable.
Eddie is standing in front of the fountain looking all angelic. What he would love to be doing is riding his skateboard on the ridge of the fountain. and through all the manicured gardens. He is showing such restraint.


Our day was started with a wine tasting and learning about the wines of the Piemont. Lots of fun. We were not allowed to get drunk at 9:30 but it was fun anyway.
Then we were in a demo by our chef the rest of the day. He name is Bruno and he is really great. We are all looking forward to getting in the kitchen.
Tomarrow we have a demo from a chef in the Piedmont. Then on thursday we go to the Piedmont for a field trip. Friday will be our first day in the kitchen. Oh ya, tomarrow is my first Italian class here in Italy. Wish me luck. Chef told us today we will have no tests until after our stage. I goy up and did a dance. The other students are so calm looking here. In New York the French culinary students always seemed stressed. Here everyone is calm. Our lunches are really good and we get a full hour. This is truely a great adventure with 19 extraordinary people.

First Day in Italy

Well everyone we are here. Everyone made it to Italy and we were all on time for the bus. Our rooms are great and we are all in the same building. It is like one big happy family. We were taken to dinner tonight by our Chef anf Francesca, (she is our Italian go to person).

These two pictures has our whole class, the chef, Francesca, and Gabrella's mother. I promise to be tomarrow's picture of the class. I tried my hand at black and white to make it seem more like a old family photo.

This was our first course and it was outstanding. The meat pictured here was sooooooooooooo good. Of course we had bread and wine. We had a Lambrusco. Nothing like chill a cella, some of of drank in the 80"s.
This is the next course and it was again soooooooooooooooo good. The pasta was light and tender and the filling of cheese was fluffy. I am exhausted and will quit now but more to come and it will just get better.

On My Way!!!!!! Oh My

Well I am off to Italy. I am sitting in the Admirals Club in New York waiting for my plane. Thank You Steve for sending me first class. I know the trip will be much nicer. I like to travel anyway so this is just better. I am in the airport for 6 hours and this club is nice.

I did good on my last test but not as good as I would have liked. I made some stupid mistakes. I understand I was not the only one. I think we were all, already gone. My 3 days at home were great. Sleeping in my own bed and being with my Steve, PRICELESS!! Lindsay came to send me off.. I think it was good for Steve to have someone to leave the airport with. I was very sad.

My last days of food were timed exercises and I found them fun. I like being on a schedule. Being on time was not hard for me. The people who know me, know how I work. I will send pictures as soon as I am on my computer again. If I can send then Sunday I will. I have some great shots of my last days. One being Steve in front of the Sex museum. I kow thatgot your interest.
Ciao Yvonne

My last Few Days

Well y'all I have been in New York ten weeks. The time has passed so quickly. Tomorrow is my last day. We have our final exam. This is always hard because we have no idea what we will be making till 9:30 in the morning. We are expected to have the items done by certain time. We have been having timed practices the last four school days. I think that will make it easier. We have taken our written test and handed in all our projects. They already evaluated us for the class work. I did really good I hugged the chef. Wow was I happy. I hope I do as well tomorrow.
The first picture is Fish in Parchment Paper. When we started to make this dish I though, It will be OK. This is a great fish dish and fairly diet to boot. The second picture is a spicy seafood soup. This was great. Full of octopus, cuttlefish, squid, scallops, and shrimp. Great for cold winter night. i would probably make it with the squid, scallops, and shrimp. Only because octopus and cuttlefish are so abundant in our small community. I love this dish.
This sandwich is made with phyllo dough and sauteed vegetables. The vegetables are sauteed separately and arranged so when you cut the sandwich it looks beautiful. This would be a great party food. You can make them up ahead of time and pop them in the oven last minute.
This is my strawberry tart. What else can I say. It looked great and tasted just as good. I made a tart today and it was not as good. My pastry cream did not do as good. It tasted good but did not cut real pretty.

I will send out another draft before I leave on Saturday the 18Th of this month. I can't believe I will be in Italy on Sunday. All of you who have kept in touch THANK YOU. I will keep sending as long as you are reading. If I talk about a recipe you would like just let me know. I will be happy to share. Some are long but most are very doable. Good food is not real complicated.
Wish me luck tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yvonne

Head Cheese?????????

This lovely picture is a pigs head. We took great pride on our pig. We knew we had to brine it, cook it, pick it and gelatin it. So after learning all the parts of the head we could eat, we continued on to the HEAD CHEESE. So our little pig went into a brine and soaked. Then he was cooked in the large pot you see below. Right to left is our Chef, Eddie, Greg, and Jordan. They worked real hard getting that baby out of the pot. The last picture is the picked over head. Not so pretty. We all cleaned and cut the meat and prepared it for the finished
product. We all tasted it before it was wrapped and put in to cool. It was not bad. That is all you will get out of me. Jordan really loves head cheese, his dad used to eat it all the time. My dad ate sardines out of the can but I still did not like those. Jordan must be a better child than I was. We then wrapped it like a sausage in plastic wrap and put it up to cure. The refrigerator went out, we sadly lost our head cheese. The whole class was at a deep loss. So I cannot tell you if I like head cheese or not. I could go out and buy some, NOT. Save that for another time. I am not sure why my font changed , but so what. This was a class project and it was fun doing it. I feel blessed having such a great group of people to spend this time with. We have so mant personalities and everyone is nice, helpful, and wanting this to be a great time. All of that works into the best class ever. Our Chef even said we were a really good class. I have 12 days before I leave for Italy. I am not so nervous because of the people I get to spend all day with.
Catch you later this week. I was home for the holiday and just got back. I wanted to catch up on some back blog stuff, when the internet was down.
Yvonne