May 20th Day 10 Florence
Kristina’s FitBit Information: 7.33 Miles walked
& 18,230 Steps
This morning we headed to the Apicius again, not
realizing we were in for another cooking lesson. We were introduced to a few
new foods, such as the purple carrots, and learned how everyone can make the
same thing and it will come out a little different each time.
In groups again, we prepared a carrot, cheese,
endive, and pancetta salad topped with fresh olive oil, and an asparagus
risotto.
Our chef explained to us that a risotto
was a great vehicle for chefs to create their own signature dish; they can add
any flavors and pairings they want to create something that is unique them and
their restaurants.
Beth said that “making the risotto was very new to [her],
and required quite a process! After first toasting the rice in oil, you had to
gradually add more and more water with the asparagus and other ingredients to
obtain their flavor, all while making sure to stir it constantly so it wouldn’t
burn and the rice wouldn’t be all stuck together. On top of that,
simultaneously cooking the asparagus tips so they would soften for the dish!
Everything came together though, and after the rice was at the right
consistency, we added butter and cheese to make it even tastier.”
“This meal was hard to cook,” Kristina said. “I burned my food a bit, but it was still
tasty!”
Victoria “loved the risotto and [she] was glad [she]
was taught how to properly cook it since I never knew before.”
Taylor V. said that “one of my favorite things about
Italy is that they don't use any kind of produce that isn’t in season –
asparagus is around from May and into the summer, but come fall, it’s gone.
That’s how you know everything you’re eating is fresh and healthy and
delicious.”
Tamara now realizes that these two classes made her
see what she “had been dodging deep inside: That culinary school is [her] next
step to add [her] educational roller coaster ride.” She used to think that “after
graduating Stockton that would be the end of education for [her]. But this trip
opened [her] eyes to great opportunities that could be.”
After cooking, the afternoon was ours for the
taking! A plan was set to go to the Giardino di Boloi after a quick power nap.
Unfortunately, Mother Nature had different plans for us.
We waited and waited for the rain to let up but with
no such luck. We sat around and chatted about our favorite memories and what we
had learned during our Italian Adventure. Eventually some of us left the hotel
to seek out a leather bag, a post office, or another last minute gift.
We all cleaned up from the long and
dreary day and then set out for our farewell dinner at a restaurant called
Torcicoda. http://www.cucinatorcicoda.com/?lang=en.
The restaurant itself was beautiful,
spacious and covered with deep red and brown hues. We had our own private
dining room, where our table was a beige and white marble color with lights
coming up underneath it, complete white rose centerpieces. We were given fresh
bread in a leather basket, still and sparkling water, and an appetizer plate of
prosciutto, bruschetta with tomatoes, and cheeses. For our main course we had an
option of penne with fresh tomato sauce or risotto. And for dessert, we had a
cherry topped panna cotta. All of the food was delicious and we got our first
experience with salad coming at the end of the meal (a little known Italian
custom).
“This restaurant was perhaps the largest
I’ve seen in all of Italy,” said Jennie. “They had leather bound menus and
leather aprons for the wait staff. Everything on the menu looked so good, that
I wish we knew about it before our last night.”
It was the most perfect end to a perfect
week. We headed home to pack and get a few hours’ sleep before getting up extra
early to drive to Fiumicino Airport in Rome.
