Having said that, the garden is still a mess and the bathroom is still in progress but progress has been made on both fronts. In fact, HOURS and DAYS have been spent trying to get both finished before we take off for primavera in Italia. We are leaving later this spring than we have before but we are also staying later than usual. Our departure date is April 27 and we will return June 23. We are mentally ready to leave NOW. I keep looking at the weather in Lucca and seeing high temperatures in the low 60s. It just makes me ache to be there. Even worse is seeing the pictures posted on the other expats in Italy blogs I follow. However, one of the advantages of arriving around May 1 is that the weather should be quite nice by then. We are really looking forward to being there into June when many of the local sagre (festivals) take place as well as being in Partigliano for the local marcia podistica (organized walk).
Spring is coming slowing to the Puget Sound region. Again this weekend the temperatures have been cold. Yesterday it rained steadily but today is a classic March beauty. The skies are blue with only a ruffle of puffy white clouds hanging over the Olympic Mountains. This morning the snow level was quite low but now the sunshine has melted whatever was clinging to the lower slopes. There is a crisp breeze blowing from the north. Lots of birds, mostly robins and juncos, are chirping and fluttering about. Daffodils are nodding graciously and the grape hyacinths are poking their heads above ground. A few days ago I saw that a chipmunk making a mad dash across our parking area and later another one was up on the deck circling the Swiss chard pot. It looks like it should be warmer than it actually is but winter does not want to let go this year.
A few days ago we had a brilliant sunset and I caught this picture of a tug and barge heading north.
After enduring an exceptionally dry January and February (which meant little new snow in the mountains), March has been an excellent month fro skiing. We missed the best weekend of the year (3/7-8) because of other commitments but managed to ski three days at Alpental since then. Last weekend we took my brother’s Charlie’s children, Dano, Kate and Peter, up to my parents’ ski cabin with us. Dano and Kate skied on Saturday and Sunday with Dom and I. On Sunday, Charlie skied with us as well. It was a lot of fun and both the conditions and the weather cooperated pretty well. Peter, the youngest, has thus far refused to learn to ski but I decided that next time he will be forced to participate in the traditional family activity!
Dano and Kate on the hill.
Cool kids after playing out in the snow.
Just to prove progress is being made on the bathroom here are a couple of pictures taken yesterday. I was really thrilled to finally get to the tiling. It is something I actually enjoy doing. Taping and applying the joint compound to the wallboard turned out better than I expected. It is one of those tasks best left to the professionals but I managed to whine my way through it. The reference book we used (Drywall by Myron R. Ferguson) really helped. After sanding the joint compound I applied three coats of primer/sealer followed by two coats of paint. The yellow turned out to be a bit brighter than we anticipated but the addition of white tile in the tub surround, darker tile on the floor and dark cabinets should tone it down a bit. Also the bare bulbs tend to give any paint job a harsh aspect. We really like the way the white subway tile is turning out. The row of accent tile was hand carried from Italy five or six years ago. Nineteen pieces were left over from our bathroom redo and we could not foresee another use for it there. So, two houses later on this side of the Atlantic, we are finally attaching it to a wall. Dom jokes that the entire bathroom was planned around that tile and there is some truth to that.
Of course, the two end walls of the tub surround still need to be tiled plus the floor. Dom needs to install the tub faucet, drain, and shower head. Then the toilet, vanity, linen cabinet, lights and towel bars will be hung. After completing a whole laundry list of other items we hope to have it completely finished by the time we leave in four weeks.
One of the things I am really missing about Italy right now is the food. In particular I miss the handful of favorite restaurants we patronize there. Eating out on Whidbey Island is a bit of a dicey proposition. While there are a number of good, inexpensive spots we find we do not eat out as often here as we do while in Italy. Even what I cook at home does not seem quite the same. As I have said before, American ingredients do not taste the same as Italian ingredients. Insalata caprese (sliced tomatoes and fresh mozzarella) is nearly impossible to duplicate here. Pork chops taste better over there and veal chops are available without going to a specialty store. Let’s not even talk about pizza. I dream of sitting at Ristorante La Fonte waiting for the pizza maker to pull the crisp, bubbly confection from the depths of the wood fired oven…
Brasato
This recipe is a classic winter dish. It seems like I should be doling out springtime recipes but this has been promised to a number of people. It is a fabulous option for feeding a crowd or it makes a wonderful meal to eat now and freeze some leftovers. It is actually better if it is made ahead and the reheated.
1 750ml. bottle hearty red wine (such as Cabernet, Zinfandel or Syrah)
3 Tbs. olive oil
2 3 lb. beef chuck pot roasts
1 large onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 large stalk celery, chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled, smashed
1 heaping Tbs. tomato paste
1 14 oz. can beef broth
2 large sprigs fresh sage
2 large sprigs fresh parsley
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. whole black peppercorns
Preheat oven to 300ºF and adjust rack to lower third.
Simmer wine in large saucepan over medium heat until reduced to 1 cup, about 30 minutes.
In a heavy, wide, ovenproof pot heat oil over medium heat. Sprinkle roasts with salt and pepper. Add 1 roast to pot and cook until brown on all sides, about 13 minutes. Transfer to large plate; repeat with remaining roast. Spoon fat from pot.
Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic to pot. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté over medium-high heat until vegetables begin to brown, about 6 minutes. Add tomato paste, stir 1 minute. Add broth; bring to boil. Add sage, parsley, bay leaf and peppercorns. Return roasts and any accumulated juices to pot, tucking roasts to fit in single layer. Pour reduced red wine over; cover.
Transfer roasts to oven and braise 1 hour 15 minutes. Turn roast over. Cover and braise until roasts are tender, about 1 hour 15 minutes longer.
The original recipe I used stopped here. I usually do the following:
Refrigerate overnight. Next day, remove roasts and all solid fats. Put juices and vegetable bits in a blender and mix until smooth. Transfer to a saucepan and make gravy using several tablespoons flour and water combined into a smooth paste. Return roasts to original pot, cover with gravy and heat in oven until hot.
I usually serve with roast vegetables (potatoes, onions, parsnips, carrots, Brussel sprouts, etc.—any combination tossed in olive oil, salt and pepper—roasted at 450ºF for 30 minutes or until potatoes are crispy at edges).
This also works well in a crock pot adjusting the liquids as necessary.
