Well I thought everyone knew that I love to cook. Apparently not. I had a nice conversation last week with someone I have know for YEARS. A professional acquaintance. We were talking business and sort of wandered off onto events of our lives. I never knew that she lived all over the world- her dad was in the military. She never knew that I love to cook!
Well anyway about me and my love of cooking. For many years now I have wanted to go to a cooking school in Italy. I actually had made arrangements to go a couple of years ago to a school in Tuscany with my husband and 2 other couples. But they changed their minds and so we (Bryan and I) ended up not going. That always bugged me. So anyway, last year I decided I STILL wanted to go to Italy to learn to cook. Bryan said "great but you can't go alone. Find someone to go with you". Well I did. Bryan is going with me!!
So I have planned this entire trip myself. Went on the internet and found a nice looking school in Modica, Sicily. We will have a week there and a week to tour around Sicily. We decided to spend all of our time in Sicily rather than run like crazy people trying to see everything like Rome and Venice (which I have seen before when I was a kid. But I have never been to Sicily)
Why Sicily? Well because it is someplace different. And my grandmother (my dad's mom) was born in Sicily. In Saint Agata di Militello to be exact. We are actually going to spend 2 nights there at a Bed and Breakfast. How cool is that? My grandmother came to this country via Ellis Island in 1911 at the age of 10. Giuseppa Valore. Along with her mother Maria Antonia Guglielamotta and 4 sisters and one brother. The youngest (Teresina or Tessie) was one year old. The others ranged in age from 4 to 15+.
I remember most of my gram's sisters. Aunt Tessie, Aunt Katie(Concetta), Aunt Genny(Angela), and Aunt Mary(Maria) and Uncle Charlie(Carmelo). I don't remember Biagina. Of course I never met my great grandmother or great grandfather Biagio Valore.
I remember when I was a kid going into New York, Queens or Brooklyn, I'm not sure. But I do remember the wonderful food we got to eat!!! Mama Mia!
I have often wondered if I have any relatives over there. I must. The story is that once my great grandfather got to this country he decided he did not like it. He was a shoemaker and back in Sicily in his town he was an important person. In New York, he was a small fish in a big pond. He wanted to go back! My great grandmother after having traveled all that way with 4 kids on a ship (probably in steerage class or worse!!) told him she would NEVER get back on a boat again and if he wanted to back to Sicily he could, but she was staying in America. So he left!!! That is the story I was told. So more than likely I have distant cousins there.
We leave tomorrow. San Antonio to Dallas to London to Catania. The past 3 days have been crazy trying to get everything ready to leave. Pay bills, take care of gymnastics stuff, put together important papers, instructions, etc. (just in case we don't get back!). But now I think I am all ready. My suitcase of course is maxed out. Just under 50 pounds. I did go back and remove quite a lot of stuff. But not the shoes. My God. You can NEVER have too many shoes. Shoe priority. Took out 3 outfits, a sweater, sweatshirt, snacks, books, and various other items to assure adequate shoe space. NEVER too many shoes.
Cooking school on Sunday. I tried to add a link to the school but now sure if it will show up. But if anyone is interested in where we are going, here is the URL: http://www.lovesicily.com/
So Buon appetito and Ciao for now!
