Last Day of Italy

Silvana, our wonderful morning cook and host.

Our last day and night in Orsara was a little bit chilly but not raining as the day before.  We enjoyed a wonderful  breakfast.  Afterwards, Mike, Rocco, Bianca and I were picked up by Rocco Cocco and Maria Grazie Del Priore, so that we could say hello to her mother and brother Carmen.  What a lovely visit with family.  Thank goodness for Google translate when in a pickle!  We spent the time looking at old family photos and remembering previous visits in years past.

Our cousins in Italy, Maria, Carmen and Mama!

As it almost lunch time, we return to Peppe's and make a stop along the way to say hello to Filomena at her Alimentari.  The rest of the group enjoyed some local shopping with Silvana in Orsara.

Back at Paradiso, we get to make all sorts of things with Pasqualina, biscotti, pupetelli and wine biscuits. She makes sure we have something to take home with us, such as grisini, biscotti, pupetelli and crackers. She is a wonderful teacher! 

Biscotti

Pulpetti

Crackers

After our cooking lesson, a few of the group go to the cathedral in Troia and tour around there stopping by a bakery and florist shop.  Others of us try to organize and pack for the trip home.  How we will fit all of our goodies in our luggage?  

For our final dinner, we have a pasta inforno which is Lasagna with a lite meat sauce.  It was funny when Bianca had a second serving and Antonio started to joke with her.  When she told him she was eating for two, he got all excited!   He got excited and with a big grin said Auguri!  Then he wanted to know how to say it in English and congratulated her again.

Cabbage

We continued with savoy cabbage stuffed with rice and meat poached in olive oil topped with hot chili peppers.  A peasant favorite of the region, is to take the day old bread and make a dumpling out of them, like a meatball.  These are cooked in sauce.  If you closed your eyes, the ingredients and flavor almost tastes like meatball!  Of course true Italian style is to not waste anything, which is why this was made with old bread.  Also worth noting is that this is not commercial bread in a plastic bag that has been sitting on a grocery shelf for days.. this is fresh made breads with clean ingredients.

Breadballs in sauce.

Sacher tort

The meal finished with us revisiting the tasting of all the Parmeseano Reggiano cheeses from 26 to 144 months. Not to be outdone, a rich sacher tort, rich and delicious.  At the end of our meal, our most gracious host gave everyone a bottle of wine as a gift.  Peppe also gave each one of us a box of the Felice gluten free pasta made from legumes. Quite impressive for gluten free,and on the back of each package a recipe from Peppe Zullo in English and Italian.  To close the night we made a small video for Felice Pasta.

A wonderful Chef, Antonio

This was an amazing journey, as always Peppe is an amazing man with an amazing mind, with heart and soul. I am proud to call my friend.  His staff is extraordinary, with each visit they become more like family then Peppe's staff. They love to teach and share their knowledge.

Explaining the Meal.

Thank you Orsara di Puglia for my roots and ancestry.  Truly this culture has made me the Person that I am.  My parents and grandparents were always proud to say they were from Orsara di Puglia. My siblings and I are blessed to have both parents from the same small hill town here in Italy.

Two Fragassis!

We will miss you!

And to our gracious hosts in Roma, Adriana, Renato, Martina, Paola, and Mimmo we are grateful!  You took time out of your days to help us explore Rome as a Roman.  We were able to see some of the cities highlights and to experience the traditional foods of Rome.  You opened your hearts and your home for all to enjoy. From the bottom of our American Hearts Grazie and Thank You!

Ciao from Italy!   See you stateside!

Tomorrow will be a new day as we arrive in Ohio.