This month we had an Italian Cooking Class. The chef was Stefania Lenzotti, the owner of an amazing Italian food shop: La Dispensa Italiana. We learned so much about the ingredients and techniques on how to prepare the dishes. When it came to knowledge, one fact that surprised everyone is the fact that when olives come into Europe and they sit on the dock for 2 weeks, they can be considered "European olives". So, its always important to check olive oils when you buy them. If they say made by "European Olives" don't buy the oil. Plus olive oil is one of the most counterfeited items. Stefi told us that it was better to buy sunflower oil than cheap olive oil. When it came to cooking, I think all of us were so surprised when we added carrots and celery to the mixture for the bruschetta. It was soooooo good and such a nice surprise for everyone. Stefi did a great job separating people into groups for the dishes and everyone was able to go to the different "stations" and see what they were doing. After the class was finished, Madeline and I went back to her hotel to use of one the perks they give their guests: free entry to the Lesser Town Bridge Tower. Each room could have two people, so even though I didn't stay with her, I was able to go with her. We were the only ones in the tower for 10-15 minutes. It was really cool. First we went to the first deck and then we had to walk up several flights of stairs (the last set was really narrow and steep) to get to the top. The views were amazing and I couldn't believe that I hadn't been there before. It was such a great day!!
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
