Nosh: I'm lucky...

I'm lucky...

I'm lucky ... Those are the first words of the new cookbook by Faith Heller Willinger, Adventures of an Italian Food Lover. I was impressed by both the simplicity and depth of that statement, because it is not an easy thing to stop and realize about yourself. The food "chain" -- from holding the ingredients in your hands to enjoying a meal with those around you -- is an experience that simplifies all your tragedies and longings into just...living in the moment and being happy where you are.

An Adventure

My sister, Jojo, flew in from NY to visit me in Munich. We spent a few days here (translate: shopping) and then we took the train to Verona, Italy. On the way there, we both had an aisle seat and sat uncomfortably across from each other, next to an elderly german couple who occupied both window seats. We could not suppress our chatter and giggling, though, excited about being on our way to Italy and having this rare adventure together. We shared grissini and italian bread, prosciutto, and mozzarella in the dining car until being (practically) chased away by the waiter near Innsbruck. On the way back from Verona to Munich, we had better seats, a row to ourselves... we talked and laughed and took in the lush vineyards and mountains that filled the large windows, sitting like two people who had enjoyed an excellent meal, rubbing our bellies in satisfaction.

In Verona, we ate well, indulged in the Soave and the Valpolicella, found a few good bargains (saldi!), and explored the streets, burning the impression of balconies overflowing with flowers in bloom into our minds so we would never ever forget this trip. One night, walking casually and taking in the shop windows, Jojo looked up and saw the street sign: "the Via Stella!" (the street my mom was born on in Sicily) and shortly after we passed a shop whose name was a reference to Frank Sinatra (my mom's favorite crooner). We didn't have to say it, but I know we both felt like she was telling us that she wished she could be there with us ... and reminding us that we were lucky to be there together.

Cooking With Jojo

I love this picture of my sister -- really, I love any picture of my sister -- but I like this one in particular because it captures her personality, her sweetness and vibrancy, her excitement about food, and her easygoing nature.

Wherever I am, I feel close to her.

I know the foods that she loves. I could easily look through a menu and tell you what she'd pick. Jojo is all about eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, basil, avocados, goat cheese, hummus ... what sounds fresh. And while we both agree that she is more inclined towards sweet and I towards savoury, there is a large common ground in our likes that enforces the fact that we are sisters.

I had Jojo look through the book and knew she'd spied our recipe for this Adventures of an Italian Food Lover event when she said "oooo, stewed peppers with balsamic vinegar." I knew it was "her" and that was exactly what I wanted to do. A Jojo recipe. I congratulated myself on having picked up a bottle of balsamic vinegar from Modena, exactly what the recipe calls for, during my birthday trip to Italy in May.

We arrived back back in Germany late at night, and the next day we took a long walk at one of my favorite local places -- the Blutenburg castle. Large fields, some of sunflowers, end at a lovely castle edged by a lake. Blutenburg has a cool restaurant that is simple but offers light, fresh food - and you can sit outside. We had lunch and dessert and walked slowly back before going to the market to choose our ingredients. Sigh.

We did our prep work outside, in the garden. Jojo was in charge of the peppers and I chopped the other ingredients. We liked that the recipe was simple so that we could enjoy the weather and each other. When Jojo chose the peppers recipe, I could imagine the pairing -- herbed lemony garlicky chicken on the grill.

With the prep work done, we began cooking. We hovered over the pan, we stirred and added ingredients and tasted. I salted, she peppered. We had fun, as usual.

It was an ideal day, and after cooking the meal together - a rare treat for us - we flopped like lazy bums into our chairs and dug in. Good wine, great food, and the best of company - a treasure. It's a day that I think the author would relate to; I hope it is a good tribute to her book.

The best part of being able to write this entry today is that today is Jojo's birthday. (Happy Birthday Jojo!) This is our artwork. I wish you could see the laughter and happiness that went into making this dish.

As I'm writing this, I'm sitting at the table outside where we shared the meal of our combined efforts. The sky is filled with tumbling clouds, the kind that make you feel small. The air is still. I can almost hear my sister's voice ... and then I hear the pop of a cork and laughter from another yard nearby.

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Many thanks to the talented Cath and Ivonne, from A Blithe Palate and Cream Puffs in Venice, respectively, for hosting this delicious event. And thanks for asking me to participate. I've enjoyed reading everyone's contributions - all your creations look tasty and your stories were so warming.

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