Day 8 - The Cooking Class

I didn't want to get up this morning. Enjoyed a cold room, but the bed is not really on the cushiony side - at all - and the pillows feel like a sack filled with rice. Secretly I found a good spot between Guy's pillow and my pillow and rested there most of the night. I woke up later with a stiff neck and pondered our next 5 nights here. Certainly not complaining, but just making a note the property has really expanded. We feel maybe not for the better because it has put a lot more people here, the pool, at breakfast, etc. Still nice but no longer quaint. The rooms are plain but clean with a minimal Italian feel, but it's cool at night, has a warm shower, and that makes it exceptionally lovely as the days are running close to 90 degrees. 

Breakfast seemed better than last time with a pretty extensive spread of eggs, pastries, yogurts with all kinds of toppings, breads, fruits and a really nice espresso machine that made cappuccinos and other things. Probably with more people now staying at the il Melone, it has prompted a bigger spread. We opted to eat inside as it was a bit cooler even tho the morning was lovely. After breakfast we went to the room to sort laundry and get it ready to send off for cleaning. Guy brought back the cost sheet and after counting up our small sack of necessary laundry, we were looking at 85 Euros. Gah. Not what we expected. So Guy googled the closest laundry and it was less that two miles away. I went to get the car. Instead of being selective with the laundry, we did it All. For 18 Euros. :) Later I realized i had forgotten to wash may airplane pillow cover, but will probably go back once before we leave. It was 30 minutes to wash and 30 minutes to dry. So an easy process. The Bluewater laundry. 24-7. Very nice.

On the way back to the hotel we decided to pop into the Coop grocery and get some lunch, waters, snacks and other things that look fun. We pulled in and walked to the door. It was 1:01pm. They closed at 1pm. It's a Sunday. No food. Headed back to the room and asked if the restaurant was serving lunch. No. The local restaurant? Booked. No worries, we have a car! Headed up to Cortona on the hilltop, found a parking spot, walked in a bit scouting a few spots. Grabbed a slice of cheese bread, a sandwich, and two warm cokes and headed for the cooking class with Kevin and Bart's families. 10 of us making dinner. I'm blogging now while the chef is setting up. We are sitting out of the way until we are called to do a job. They brought everything. The food. The tools. Hopefully the instructions. The kitchen here is really small, but it appears to be sufficient. The chef has stepped into the restroom to change his clothes. I suppose to look the part. This is fun.

Let the cooking begin! Everyone went outside where tables were set up with individual cutting boards, knives, etc. We pealed potatoes, peaches and chopped fresh herbs to prep for the meat and potatoes. Next we went back inside and learned how to make the panna cotta because it needs several hours in the fridge. So he used double cream (assuming heavy whipping cream), sugar and 3 fresh vanilla beans. Kevin took it to he stove and continually stirred until it got hot but never to the boiling point. Bart stirred the peaches with sugar on the stove as well. While this happened, there were sheets of gelatin soaking in cold water. When the cream and gelatin were ready, they were stirred together with a whisk. Then with a small strainer, to catch the vanilla bean skin, the mixture was poured into individual cups and put in the freezer for about 40 minutes to get an initial chill. Once set we will top with the peach purée (the peach purée also had a sheet of gelatin stirred into it after cooking) and chocolate chips. Sounds terrible...wink wink. 

Next we watched Fabrizio make the pork. He had it setting in a little tub of garlic, rosemary and other herbs. He took it out and poked a hole in the center with a knife, then with the stick of a wooden spoon he made a bigger hole, then stuffed with oregano, rosemary, marjoram. With layers of bacon on top he used string to wrap it all up. The oven in the kitchen is more like a big toaster oven and the chef has never seen anything so small in a working kitchen. So he was searing it in a pan on the stove with olive oil, butter and wine first, then into the oven with the potatoes. 180 degrees C for about 40 minutes to an hour in a normal oven. Here, a bit longer. ;) As he was frying up the pancetta for the carbonara and cooking the pork on the stovetop, we heard a clap of thunder and it came up a downpour. Fabrizio said "We musta protecta the flour!" Which happened to still be outside on the table along with all the cutting boards and other things. Everyone ran out to grab stuff and came back in soaked and laughing. It was a hot day, so the rain cooled everyone off and it actually felt pretty good. The rain lasted all of about 5 minutes, but was enough to put a damper on the setup they had for us.

Back outside we learn how to weigh out the flower for the pasta, make a volcano, add the egg, a small amount of olive oil, a pinch of salt, and then work in the flour ever so slowly. Not to fast or the dough was tough (that was mine) but instead gently and slowly, then once most was incorporated you could use your hands. Fabrizio said mine wasn't ruined (probably wasn't usable for ravioli, but ok for fettuccini) and he showed me how to work it with my palms to get it softer and then to wrap it in plastic wrap and wait about 30 minutes. That worked a bit of magic to make it soft enough to go through the machine. 

Back inside we got the panna cotta out of the freezer and Riley topped it with our peach purée and mini chocolate chips, then back into the fridge to finish setting up. Fabrizio said it is a good dish to make the day before and could even go 5 days in the fridge. Good to know. He also was very patient with us, interesting, answered questions, and had the day certainly planned well. He even gave us all a copy of the recipes to keep. Yay!

Next we all go back outside and take our turn making the pasta. Each ball was cut in half, pressed gently into some flower and the put through the machine. If it was dry and cracking on the edges, it goes through once, the folded in half and then run through again. About four more times through the pasta maker, each time turning it to be smaller and smaller so the pasta gets thinner and thinner. We chose to do fettuccini instead of spaghetti. Everyone takes a turn and then Alan and Riley finish up the rest, like pros. All a little bit hungry we watch the process of the carbonara with great anticipation. He said to use one full egg but then all yokes after that. In the egg bowl he used pecorino cheese, pepper and a little water from the cooked pasta. On the stove was some pancetta cubed small that he had fried up and added truffles to it. He added the pasta to the pancetta, then the pasta to the bowl of egg mixture. After this he told us to head out to the tables and they would serve us. Pasta first, pork second, and the panna cotta last. It was delicious, but I think the dessert was my favorite part! I could have eaten 3 or 4 of them. Oh so good.

So what a really cool day! We were so happy to have participated in this adventure. For a day filled with road blocks and unexpected rain, a mini oven, and 10 people in a very small kitchen, we sure did have a great time. 

On the way home, we came a different way and really enjoyed the drive. It was dark, but we passed a few small hilltop towns that had their towers and city walls lit up perfectly. It was beautiful. Then nearing Cortona, it reminded us of a ski mountain but we laughed because we were in shorts and have been pretty sweaty all week. So we came the back way into the hotel and since they are remodeling and we are staying in the back section of the hotel, our parking lot is actually in a field/grassy area. So as we pulled in, there stood a wild boar staring at us. We drove up close enough to try to get a picture of it, but it ran up the hill and disappeared. Well, the parking lot/field of grass was really really dark and we had a bit of a walk to the room. Neither one of us too excited to get out, took our iPhones out and put our flashlights on, grabbed our stuff and starting running. Almost to the hotel room we realized the room key was STILL IN THE CAR! Gah! So as quick as we ran away from the parking lot, we barreled back in to get the key and ran back to the hotel again. I think we got our exercise. The good thing was it must have been a female because we didn't see any tusks, but still we've heard stories about how mean they can be and they kill a lot of people's dogs. Boo.

So back in the room, safe from the crazy pig, I'll be asleep by midnight with a smile on my face due to a successfully adventurous day.