It all started when my lovely friend, Letizia Mattiacci took some time from her busy schedule to meet with me for a coffee on a sunny afternoon in Assisi last November.
Letizia and I have been friends and friends of friends since my first solo stay in Umbria, almost eight years ago. No, we don't jog around the park together and no, we don't stay in constant contact, or at least we hadn't, until that latest meeting. In lieu of face-to-face contact, a note once in a while, an inquiry and a favor or two, kept us in touch. Her English is almost perfect and my Italian, not so much, so it has been Leti to whom I have turned when I needed help with an arrangement or a meeting with someone in her town. She's always been gracious and her calls on my behalf have always been fruitful.
So, I asked...."when are you returning to the States? "
Her last visit was two years ago and a snow storm prevented me from getting to Boston. My timing was perfect this time. She told me that she had a trip on the horizon and that she would be visiting Providence, Rhode Island and Boston, Massachusetts, with time in-between each city. Cooking classes and cookbook dinners were in the planning stages. Naturally, my reply came easily and without hesitation, I said "then you must come to Cape Cod! We can set up a little cooking class."
This past one was a mild Winter, one that flew by quickly. My life has been uniquely busy with my father's relocation to a nursing facility and the deconstruction of his life and home. The months flew by and November became March in a heart beat. Our home is not large and surely does not have the bells and whistles of an agritourismo perched high on a mountain in Assisi, but we do have a guest room with its own bathroom and in simplicity, we prepared for our guest's arrival. In much the same fashion as planning a wedding, plans for a small class for a handful of good friends turned into a large class at the home of a stranger and several other events which would span three days in between Providence and Boston.
Last Sunday, we ventured out early and made the round-trip to Providence to pick Letizia up from her funky Airbnb accommodation and a week of forecasted cloudy weather became instantly sunny and skies, blue as we crossed the bridge for our guest's first visit to Cape Cod. Many trips to the U.S. and other parts of the world left room for a first and eventually a food first, the simple show-stopping lobster roll. But that's for another time.
As planned for months in advance, a lovely bunch of local residents gathered at the amazing, I mean AAAAhmazing, waterfront home of a highly gracious woman in Bass River for an Umbrian cooking class. Leti and I arrived at one o'clock in the afternoon to prep for the later arrival and ambitious undertaking that began at four. Fourteen women, lots of laughter and a bit of wine later, Event Number One ended and high fives designated it as a complete success.
Monday morning brought another kind of gathering. This time, at my own personal favorite spot...my condo's Community Building. I invited a host of friends to a "Meet and Greet" coffee, asking that if they were feeling brave, they bake and bring an item from Letizia''s cookbook, "A Kitchen With a View". Friends came, baked goods in hand. A beautiful visual presentation on the big-screen t.v., and a wonderful time was had by all. High fives again here.
As if all of that wasn't quite enough......our own little version of "Big Night" unfolded beautifully on Tuesday evening with "A Taste of Umbria", a very special dinner at a local pizza establishment just one mile from home. Margot and her chef-husband, Geoff simply said "yes" when I approached them right after my return in early December. I asked if they might be interested in hosting some kind of food event and the result......well, ask any one of the forty one happy diners. Geoff, who makes THE best pizza anywhere, hit this one right out of the park and not a pizza was in sight. With exquisite detail, he prepared a wood-fired chicken cacciatore directly from Leti's recipe. Every single thing that appeared on the plates that evening was from her recipes and she was overwhelmed. At some point during the evening, she told me that this was a first...that Geoff's interpretations were the most accurate of anyone who has ever attempted to do this. From the focaccia straight through to the ciambellone cookies, this meal was 100% Umbrian and easily the best meal I have had in the area in many, many years. Highest fives all the way around. That man can cook!!!!
Letizia and I have been friends and friends of friends since my first solo stay in Umbria, almost eight years ago. No, we don't jog around the park together and no, we don't stay in constant contact, or at least we hadn't, until that latest meeting. In lieu of face-to-face contact, a note once in a while, an inquiry and a favor or two, kept us in touch. Her English is almost perfect and my Italian, not so much, so it has been Leti to whom I have turned when I needed help with an arrangement or a meeting with someone in her town. She's always been gracious and her calls on my behalf have always been fruitful.
So, I asked...."when are you returning to the States? "
Her last visit was two years ago and a snow storm prevented me from getting to Boston. My timing was perfect this time. She told me that she had a trip on the horizon and that she would be visiting Providence, Rhode Island and Boston, Massachusetts, with time in-between each city. Cooking classes and cookbook dinners were in the planning stages. Naturally, my reply came easily and without hesitation, I said "then you must come to Cape Cod! We can set up a little cooking class."
This past one was a mild Winter, one that flew by quickly. My life has been uniquely busy with my father's relocation to a nursing facility and the deconstruction of his life and home. The months flew by and November became March in a heart beat. Our home is not large and surely does not have the bells and whistles of an agritourismo perched high on a mountain in Assisi, but we do have a guest room with its own bathroom and in simplicity, we prepared for our guest's arrival. In much the same fashion as planning a wedding, plans for a small class for a handful of good friends turned into a large class at the home of a stranger and several other events which would span three days in between Providence and Boston.
Last Sunday, we ventured out early and made the round-trip to Providence to pick Letizia up from her funky Airbnb accommodation and a week of forecasted cloudy weather became instantly sunny and skies, blue as we crossed the bridge for our guest's first visit to Cape Cod. Many trips to the U.S. and other parts of the world left room for a first and eventually a food first, the simple show-stopping lobster roll. But that's for another time.
As planned for months in advance, a lovely bunch of local residents gathered at the amazing, I mean AAAAhmazing, waterfront home of a highly gracious woman in Bass River for an Umbrian cooking class. Leti and I arrived at one o'clock in the afternoon to prep for the later arrival and ambitious undertaking that began at four. Fourteen women, lots of laughter and a bit of wine later, Event Number One ended and high fives designated it as a complete success.
Monday morning brought another kind of gathering. This time, at my own personal favorite spot...my condo's Community Building. I invited a host of friends to a "Meet and Greet" coffee, asking that if they were feeling brave, they bake and bring an item from Letizia''s cookbook, "A Kitchen With a View". Friends came, baked goods in hand. A beautiful visual presentation on the big-screen t.v., and a wonderful time was had by all. High fives again here.
As if all of that wasn't quite enough......our own little version of "Big Night" unfolded beautifully on Tuesday evening with "A Taste of Umbria", a very special dinner at a local pizza establishment just one mile from home. Margot and her chef-husband, Geoff simply said "yes" when I approached them right after my return in early December. I asked if they might be interested in hosting some kind of food event and the result......well, ask any one of the forty one happy diners. Geoff, who makes THE best pizza anywhere, hit this one right out of the park and not a pizza was in sight. With exquisite detail, he prepared a wood-fired chicken cacciatore directly from Leti's recipe. Every single thing that appeared on the plates that evening was from her recipes and she was overwhelmed. At some point during the evening, she told me that this was a first...that Geoff's interpretations were the most accurate of anyone who has ever attempted to do this. From the focaccia straight through to the ciambellone cookies, this meal was 100% Umbrian and easily the best meal I have had in the area in many, many years. Highest fives all the way around. That man can cook!!!!
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| With Margaret Clancy, Letizia and Margot Boheme, owner of Firestarters Pizza |
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