Taking it all in

Il Bottaccio was kind enough to make my first assignment get rested, get settled, and get to know your surroundings. After my long journey and attempt at adjusting to the 6 hour time difference I was happy to follow orders.

I slept until 12:30, clearly I am not on their schedule yet. I assumed rest was best and eventually I would be caught up. The family, who is vegetarian, made an elegant lunch full of all kinds of fresh vegetables. I had a yummy tomato salad with fresh basil and sweet onions. Simply enough it was only seasoned with olive oil and salt. They had freshly cut avocados and carrots. Fresh pasta and cheese bread also made it to the table. Everything was simple and delicious.

After lunch I decided to tour around the small city of Massa. We explored a little before when I came with Lauren and Jenn, but it was a whole new experience on my own. I went into the center of town where the orange square is. There are several government buildings and their duomo, a beautiful church adorned with mosaics. I kept walking around through shops and restaurants. I saw the beautiful castle on the hill and tried to get a good picture, but it does not do it justice. Everywhere you look is something amazing. Whether it's the mountains in the background, the fresh flowers, or the old buildings I am constantly in amazement.

Once I was done with my tour of Massa, I came back to the apartment for a little nap. Getting adjusted to time change is no easy task! Marco, their son came back and we watched Finding Nemo in Italian and then The Hangover and Avatar in English. His English is very good which is comforting. Marco made us a simple dinner of fennel, zucchini, and pasta with tomatoes. I never knew I would enjoy being a vegetarian this much!

Today I begin my first day of work, I can't wait!

The First Supper

After surviving my 6 hour layover with a grilled cheese and spontaneous naps, I finally made my way to Pisa with a 2 hour plane ride. As we flew over the Alps, I tried to wrap my head around the amazing summer I am about to experience. It still seems so surreal, I cannot believe I am actually in Italy again.

Once I arrived I found my overweight bag, and headed to the taxis. I lucked out with an English speaking Italian who kindly drove me to Il Bottaccio. Although it was a mighty long and expensive ride, it was pleasant being able to immediately converse with a Pisa native.

As I entered the beautiful hotel, I knew I was in the right place. It was more exquisite than I remembered, and the people were just as friendly. They sat me down at the kitchen table and began to prepare a welcome meal. As I sipped the bubbly Prosecco, I couldn't help but enjoy watching them gracefully combine ingredients. The smells overwhelmed me and my stomach began to grumble. Still on American time I forget when I am most hungry.

First they ladled large portions of asparagus soup with tomatoes and crispy pancetta on top. If the first meal came with fried bacon, I can't imagine what else is in store for me. Then they served sauteed artichokes and potatoes in olive oil. Absolutely delicious! The artichokes were perfectly prepared. Accompanied by their famous cheese bread. I was a happy camper.

Now in the spare bedroom of the pastry chef's apartment. I am about to enjoy a light pasta lunch with her family. They are too kind and warm, and their apartment is precious right in the heart of Massa. I could not be happier to be here, just ready for the jet lag to end!

Halfway There

As I apprehensively ate the cheese lasagna out of the plastic container, I only hoped for my 24-hour journey to Montignoso to go by a bit more quickly. A 7-½ hour flight has landed me in London, England. With the flight full of medicated sleep and mass-produced food, I am thrilled to finally be settled in the rotunda of the Gatwick airport. My next flight is in 5 hours.

I began the trip yesterday a with a farewell lunch with the mom, sister, and boyfriend and then endured a small shopping spree around Atlanta, picking up the last few items I knew I just had to have. Once at the airport I was finally on my way. Amazingly enough, I ran in to several people I know. The UGA study abroad trip to Verona was on my flight as well as two friends from Auburn doing internships in London. It is amazing what a small world it is! I automatically felt more comfortable traveling since I had friends on my flight that were just as nervous about crossing the pond.

Honestly, the flight was not bad at all. I took two sleeping pills that knocked me right out, well that is after I force-fed myself flavorless cheese lasagna. Seriously, Italy has no competition! It did help that I washed it down with a glass of wine. I slept most of the trip until I was awoken to a breakfast in a box placed on my tray. Considering it was 4:00 a.m. my time I didn’t eat much. I nibbled the banana nut “and fruit” muffin, but decided to just stick with the coffee. We landed in Heathrow Airport of London at 10:15 a.m. (5:15 a.m. Macon, Ga. time).

The airport made it simple to go through customs, collect our bags, and then unfortunately go our separate ways. I left the girls interning in London to hop aboard a “coach” aka bus to the Gatwick airport. Yes, I had to change airports, which was slightly terrifying, but apparently is the norm here. I have already checked my bag and gone through security twice. First time I went through I forgot to empty my refillable water, rookie mistake. In my defense I have slept only a few hours in an airplane chair. Needless to say I am not exactly on my a-game.

So now, I sit in the Gatwick airport. Trying to pass the next 5 hours as quickly as possible so I can be in Italy in my new home.

A Southern Semester

Full of pimiento cheese, fried chicken and pickled okra, working as Rebecca Lang’s intern this past semester has been a Southern girl’s dream come true. She has opened her kitchen to me sharing recipe secrets and all sorts of “Quick-Fix” tips in the kitchen. There is truly something special about working with Rebecca.

As soon as she describes her grandmother’s fried chicken, mouths begin to water. When cooking class participants inhale wafts of the sizzling grease, their stomachs grumble with anticipation. Rebecca’s success as a cooking instructor comes from her talent to eloquently articulate recipes and culinary knowledge. Not only is she a successful chef and cooking instructor, Lang is also a cookbook author, contributing editor for Southern Living, and mother of two young children. In addition to all of that, she flies to Tampa every couple of months to shoot cooking segments for the nationally syndicated show Daytime.

I still am in awe of how she does it all. She is an inspiration and role model like no other. If people asked me years ago, or even today, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I would say “Rebecca Lang”. She balances life between home and work, and always makes herself available to me, a student aspiring to make it in the competitive world of culinary journalism. She has invited me to listen to webinars with the founder of Saveur magazine, shared countless articles and food journals, and personally shared struggles and successes with her own career. I don’t think I will ever be able to thank her enough for everything she has done for me.

As her intern I was assigned various jobs, since her schedule changes week to week. One of my main jobs was managing all of Lang’s new media outlets. I was in charge of the upkeep of rebeccalangcooks.com and the Facebook page for Quick-Fix Southern. I also helped prepare for events; including picking appropriate recipes, grocery shopping, and prep work. I was often given tasks of running errands for the company. Mailing books, making copies of recipes, and picking up promotional posters were a few of these responsibilities. I formatted recipes for cooking classes and helped with photography to use on her blog. Keeping up with a multitude of tasks made the internship a constant learning experience.

After such a fabulous semester working together, I was sad to leave Rebecca last week. It never felt like work, just good ole’ Southern fun in the kitchen. Although I will miss hearing about her summer adventures through Texas and Daytime shoots with Southern Living, I am thrilled to return in the fall and help her once again. I love each second here in Italy, but I can’t help craving her White Pimiento Cheese. If you haven’t picked up a copy yet, I highly recommend Quick-Fix Southern, not because I worked for Rebecca, and not because each recipe is delicious and timesaving. I recommend it because it is the epitome of modern Southern cuisine. It’s good food, fast with all the Southern sophistication and charm found in grandma’s cooking.

Il Bottaccio

I cannot believe that it has been almost two months since we were in Italy. What is even more amazing is that I will be back in 9 days! Knowing that I am about to have an amazing summer cooking in one of the most beautiful places on earth is making studying nearly impossible. Getting ready for two and a half months in a different country is no easy task, but could not complain. It is still surreal how this has all worked out.

A few months ago, Mom met Sara Merchanthouse, my ticket to Il Bottaccio, at a dinner party. Soon enough Mom shared my passion for food which is when Sara mentioned the internship. She had participated for two years, cooking in the Italian kitchen and living in the provided apartment. Before I knew it I was sending my resume and interest letter and getting emails from someone on the other side of the world! I never thought I would actually get the internship, all along it seemed like a far fetched dream- cooking in Italy all summer- one I never thought would come true.

While we were in Florence over spring break, Dad found that it was less than two hours by train to get to Montignoso, the tiny town where Il Bottaccio resides. Nino and Irina, who work at Il Bottaccio were kind enough to help us plan our journey and pick us up from the train station in Massa. With my two best friends, Lauren and Jenn, to travel with me I was anxious to find out more about the opportunity.

We had slept most of the ride to Massa, and once we arrived we looked anxiously for them to pick us up. Without a cell phone for communication it was difficult to locate one another. But just as we thought we might be stranded, Nino called my name. It was so nice to finally meet the faces behind the emails. They had a few things to do in Massa and then we would head to Il Bottaccio. We made several stops including them having a 30 minute meeting which allowed us to look around at a few shops and cafes. The town completely shuts down from 1-4, a sophisticated lifestyle.

Then they took us on a tour of Massa, showing us government buildings, the orange square, and the Duomo. The church was absolutely amazing. It had two side chapels and a basement where many famous people were buried. It was kind of eerie, but emaculate. The church also was adorned in tons of mosaics. After as last stop at the dry cleaners, they took us to Il Bottaccio, my new paradise.

Everything about it was unbelievable. From the pool dining room, to the rooms with enormous bathtubs, the spa, gardens, and stunning view of the coast and mountains made me instantly fall in love. Not to mention how kind they were to us. After being shown the entire property, they sat us at a chef's table in the kitchen. We watched in awe as they prepared a late lunch for us.

Marzia, the pastry chef, prepared a pizza according to Nino's request. It was by far the best we had on the trip. With four different types- margherita, seafood, bacon, and curry- each bite was divine. The pancetta was my favorite. They used a smoky cheese on the pizza that made it to die for. Next they brought out real Italian Parmigiano Reggiano. Nino said this is the best cheese you will find in Italy. To make it even better he paired it with 100 year old aged balsamic. Possibly the best thing I've ever eaten. Being in the kitchen eating with the staff was the most amazing moment, but then things got even better.

They offered me the internship.Just a casual nonchalant, "When you come in May...". It was completely unreal. Learning to cook in Italy while they provide an apartment and meals is too good to true. We chatted for a while and then decided to email about logistics and plan until they see me again in two months. Well those two months have flown by and now I am preparing for the summer of a lifetime. I plan to blog each day on my adventures while abroad, I can't wait!

Acque al 2

Best night of my life. Hands down. Eating at Acque al 2 was unbelievable, an absolutely life changing dining experience. Once we got to the restaurant we could tell it was going to be amazing. The smells were overwhelming. Salads on dispaly were mouth-watering. And with a line out the door, we were thankful for our reservation. Soon after we arrived, they sat us at a perfect table in the corner where we began the best meal of our lives.

We began with the caprese salad. I can't even describe the freshness of the tomatoes and the creaminess of the mozzarella. The fresh flavors blended into a harmony of scrumptiousness. They brought us bread in a brown paper bag that was devoured within second of reaching our table. We decided on ordering three of their specialties: the pasta sampler, the blueberry steak, and the balsamic steak.

It seemed as though they kept bring us plate after plate. The food was unending and completely divine. The pasta sampler included a spinach rigatoni, gorgonzola macaroni and cheese, bowties with a parsley green sauce, rigatoni with meat sauce, and a final pasta with spicy sauce. Each one uniquely delicious and memorable. Once the steaks arrived we had reached food heaven. The tenderness of the filets was out of this world. The flavor pairings complemented the steak beautifully, something that truly surprised me. Blueberry steak? I'd never think of that- but it was pure bliss, something I could eat every day for the rest of my life. The balsamic steak was also to die for, especially since balsamic has become my new favorite ingredient. With steak this good, it will be hard to compare now that we have returned to America.

Four hours and four bottles of wine later, we decided to complete our perfect ending with a dessert sampler of tiramasu and chocolate cake. Because we were the last customers in the restaurant, leaving at 1:30 am, we were able to meet the owner. He was fabulous, such an inspiration! He even let me peek into the kitchen-such a dream come true! Acque al 2 has two locations in the United States- one in San Diego and one in Washington DC. I will definitely be paying those locations a visit.

The Sweetest Thing

As much as I love a great scoop of ice cream on a hot sunny day, there was something about Italian gelato that took this cold treat to another level. Not knowing much about gelato to begin with, I originally thought it was more like sherbet. Well, I was wrong, it’s actually much more similar to ice cream. In addition to the amazing variety of flavorings, what makes this Italian dessert spectacular is the presentation. Gelaterias line the old streets of Italy and lure in customers at all times of day. Beautiful mounds of colorful gelatos fill coolers and are decorated in chocolate shavings and fresh fruit, making it completely irresistible. We made a point to get it each and every day. My favorite flavor was Nutella, a yummy chocolatey hazelnut combination that I ordered on multiple occasions. Italy certainly has mastered this fabulous afternoon snack.