Issue #4 "Italy Fever E-Notes" by Darlene Marwitz 02.28.01

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ITALYFEVER.COM: The Italy Lover's Pre- and Post-Travel Online Companion
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IN THIS ISSUE:

- - - LIVING LA DOLCE VITA
- - - FOOD AND DRINK
- - - HOME AND GARDEN
- - - BOOKS AND MOVIES
- - - MUSIC AND OPERA
- - - TRAVEL AND TIDBITS

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LIVING LA DOLCE VITA: "Asparagi in Texas"

My curbside orto or vegetable garden is the sunniest spot in the front yard-near the pavement where cars and walkers and joggers pass by, an inner-city artery that is seldom serene. Still, it's my sunny faux "slice" of campagna, a place for planting Italian seed varieties, vegetables that remind me of Todi, Volterra, or Lucca.

In previous years, creeping bean and zucchini vines have filled this bed-Romano Bush Beans with their tender wide pods and Tondo Chiaro di Nizza loaded with squash blossoms, perfect for deep frying.

But this spring is different. Already this spring, my border orto is shooting green arrows into the sky-overnight shafts from a quiver of sun-warmed earth. Two years ago I planted ten, two-year-old asparagus crowns and as of last week, edible results are in. Hidden among the debris of brittle fall leaves, a slender virgin crop arrived like a magical mushroom eruption. Where did they come from-these overnight asparagi spears!

Snapping the spikes without washing, I devoured them on site, savory green straws from the earth. How easily I'd forgotten the tender asparagus of my youth-first-of-the-season pickings from the mulched raised bed along our garden fence, close to the floribunda rosebush that seemed to bloom all summer!

Some of my best memories of childhood are gardening adventures, vine to mouth or tree to mouth experiences. Stripping with my teeth sugary green balls from English pea pods in early spring, padding barefoot in the baked, tilled dirt of summer plopping cherry tomatoes in my mouth. Or climbing to a perch in one of our Methley trees to pluck the ripest fruit, devouring dozens of plums per sitting. Or shucking husks and stripping silk from fresh corn, and then later playing "farm" with my brothers using the dried silk like hay.

How easily Italy reminds me of my youth! Family vegetable gardens (orti) are everywhere in Italy, in ordinary and amazing places: in sunny back yards, tucked along train tracks, or stitched on a hillside like a patchwork quilt. Without question, the Italian meal is determined by the freshest "available" produce, either home-grown or purchased at a local market.

Yes. I am the "product" of a Central Texas farm: horses, cows, sheep, goats, pigs, and chickens PLUS a huge fruit and vegetable garden. My Texan parents and grandparents gifted me with a legacy of gardening: planting and nurturing seeds, anticipating first growths, plucking first fruits of the season, bequeathing an appreciation for gardening traditions-at home and in Italy!

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FOOD AND DRINK:

Here's a fun Web site to learn the secrets of Parmigianno-Reggiano (http://www.parmigiano-reggiano.it).

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A few years ago in Lucca, I had the pleasure of solo dining in a fine establishment at the suggestion of a local hotel proprietor. Armed with a notebook and pen, I sat down to partake of a typical evening restaurant meal-a place where locals dined. All around me the food looked and smelled delicious, albeit exhaustive to my peripheral vision as I tried not to stare. Nonetheless, I'll never forget the moment that I spied the grand arrival of an asparagi contorno for a couple at a nearby table: garlic-sautéed asparagus with two fried eggs on top, with freshly-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano sprinkled at the table. The contorno presentation was even more amazing when I realized the duplicity-each person had their own steaming piatto of the two-egg asparagi side dish!

After Lucca and because of my own love affair with asparagus, I now frequently prepare "asparagus with fried eggs" at home. It's perfect for an evening meal alone since my husband has the innate ability to sidestep green vegetables as if they were land mines. (Yes, David, forgive me. I DID forget to mention that you eat lettuce.)

Tip: Bring Italy home by exploring Italian food in new ways.

In Austin it's easy, and not uncommon, to eat Mexican food (Tex-Mex) three times a day. Breakfast tacos are especially popular. Still, Italian cuisine is always within my grasp, one way or another. With my harvest of asparagus this month, I succumbed to a blending of THREE cultures: Mexican, Italian, and Texan. (Yes, Texas is a country in many ways!)

Here's how I prepared my "Asparagi and Fried Egg Tacos:"

For Each Taco:1) SautÈ four or five spears of freshly snapped asparagus in olive oil, 2) Add chopped garlic toward the end to avoid burning the garlic, 2) Fry two eggs in olive oil, sunny side up, 3) Place asparagus on steamed flour taco with fried eggs on top and then sprinkle with freshly-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano before wrapping and eating. The egg yellow tends to run out each end, so be sure to use your hand and little finger to tip up each end of the taco while eating.

Additional Suggestions: I like to use medium size, non-fat, soft flour tacos (regular size flour tacos are too small and burrito size flour tacos are too large). Also, you can stand fresh asparagus spears in a container of cool water to store them overnight, but don't refrigerate. Finally, please note that eating a "breakfast" taco at any time of the day is NOT a sin in Texas-the way it would be sinful to drink cappuccino past mid-morning in Italy!

HOME AND GARDEN:

Tip: Even if you're not ready to plant that special orto, browse local garden nurseries for handsome Italian seed packages to purchase and display in a wooden or ceramic bowl-the same way you might display a bowl of lemons on a table or countertop. The seed packets are colorful, inexpensive, charming-instant memory makers. I especially like imported seeds. These packages are often oversized, described in Italian, perfect for cucina presentation.

BOOKS AND MOVIES:

Non-fiction: At the top of the book stack by my bed these days is a new book about Italy's lovely coastal region, Liguria-the Italian Riviera. Extra Virgin: A Young Woman Discovers the Italian Riviera, Where Every Month is Enchanted (2001) is charming. Freelance film editor and writer, Annie Hawes, does a terrific job of describing everyday situations for she and her sister who have arrived from England with the dream of living in sun-drenched Italy. The farmhouse they buy is derelict, not glamorous-no villa story here! And that's a part of the charm, the contentment of simple living near a small village, Diano San Pietro.

At first, I had trouble starting the book and even later on I missed threads along the way. But overall I've concluded it's MY fault, for not grasping immediate meanings here and there-that as a Texan I'm slow with British wit!

Movie: I'm WAITING to see the Italian movie, Maléna (http://www.miramax.com) directed by Giuseppe Tornatore. As is usual for me, I've "missed it" on screen and will probably have to wait for the video's release. The story is of a young man's sexual awakening and his attraction to a young married Sicilian, the wife of a soldier in World War II. I mention this movie, pre-review on my part, with the hope that you might still catch it at a theater-somewhere in the world! Let me know if you do and what you think of it.

MUSIC AND OPERA:

Soundtracks: Is this "movies" or "music!" Either way, my TOP three soundtracks are from the movies: Big Night (1995), The Postman or Il Postino (1998), and Life is Beautiful or La Vita é Bella (1998).

TRAVEL AND TIDBITS:

Cinque Terre: For speaking events, I often show slides that reflect a few of my Italian adventures and the Cinque Terre series is always a hit. The Cinque Terre, or "five lands," is a delightful and serene destination if you're interested in nature hikes along the Ligurian coastline. You can hike between all five of the fishing villages: Monterosso al Mare, Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, and Vernazza. Or you can just "hang out." But don't plan to drive there. Take the train instead. It won't be "bullet" transportation, but who cares! The idea here is to slow to the local pace.

The tourist association in the area maintains a helpful Web site (http://www.cinqueterre.it) that's loaded with photographic images and information: hotels, restaurants, directions with maps, information about the various footpaths. Of additional interest, tour guide Rick Steves is a longtime fan of the Cinque Terre. You'll find his yearly-updated guidebook to be useful for inexpensive travel accommodations, Rick Steves' Italy 2001 (http://www.ricksteves.com).

Tip: A good way to familiarize yourself with Italy's geography is to study Italian train schedules. Whenever I plan a trip to a new destination, I first check to see if I can get there by train, my preferred method of travel. You can visit the Italian Tourist Web Guide (http://www.itwg.com) or go directly to the official Web site for the Italian railway system (http://www.fs-on-line.com).

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Parting Words: Following one's passion IS possible, even at home, one tiny "Italianized" step every day.

Ciao,
Darlene Marwitz
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Questions, comments, suggestions, or corrections?
Please send e-mail to darlene@italyfever.com. I welcome ideas for making this a better newsletter for Italy lovers seeking la dolce vita all year long!
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ITALY FEVER E-NOTES
Copyright 2000-2001, Darlene Marwitz. All rights reserved worldwide.
http://www.italyfever.com
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