Day 3

2 Decembre 2008
Day 3

It’s WARM! I was so excited when I woke up this morning, I didn’t have to debate peeling the covers off for the first time since I arrived. Heat in the hotel room, wow, it’s almost too good to be true! I honestly couldn’t sleep because I was so excited. So I showered, finally, it felt good to wash away the stress of the traveling and adjustments. So at quarter to 10, I stroll down to the lobby, drop off my room key, under the impression that everything has already been paid for (seeing as how I had the room arranged prior to my arrival, but that was not the case. Already my zeal has gotten the best of me. After a very poor exchange, mostly because I was unprepared to have to explain myself, an exchange of papers, and a phone call to the restaurant (which I thought would be a complete waste, because I was under the impression that no one would be there) the situation was resolved and I was back on my way, chipper, but certainly somewhat centered. 10 o’clock, I change into my whites and present myself to Carlo, “che posso fare?” He has ‘capocollo’ cut of pork on the prep table. To my best assessment, it appears to be a boneless Boston butt or picnic shoulder. They are in cryovac, so I cut them open, and split them down the center, lengthwise. Then I stretch a salumi ‘net’ (for lack of a better term, it’s a roll of elastic-type string, woven to truss the meat) over a 5” plastic pipe. Then I truss each of the halved ‘capocollo’ by passing it through the tube and lettering net run down the length of the meat. After this, I cut mirepoix to oven roast the pork…and THAT is the extent of my work. I watched Carlo make pasta for tagliatelle and taglialine and it looks nothing like the past I’ve made before. It’s drier, crumbly, almost like 3-2-1 dough after only adding a fraction of the water. Passed through an extruder though, it made fantastic dough, with great texture and density when it was cooked. And then we waited…for a reservation of 4 that arrived an hour late. Having only 4 covers, I washed dishes for the rest of the day and inquired about a few new paroli:

Carrot Corota
Celery Sedano
Onion Ciba
Refrigerator Frigorfero
Freezer Congelatore
Dry Secco, Asciuto (ex. Dried fig)
Blood Sangue
Window Finestra
Trash Bag Sachetta di rifiuti

For siesta today, Eris invites me to his apartment because while my electricity has been turned back on, my heat still does not work. We follow Jasmine (yahs-meen-uh) to her car and cruise through the city to his dwelling. It is quite nice, with a GREAT view of the opposite side of the valley, I can’t wait for some sun so I can take some pictures! I’m getting frustrated, I’m sure you all are too! So I spend some time there, figuring out some problems back in Providence with the tenants in my apartment, enjoy a great bottle of Cote du Rhone that Eris’ roommate just brought back from France. He was there for an independent winery show, and came back with 10 bottles, all with proprietary labels and AOC classifications. Not a bad way to live, this I can get used to. So now, we go back to work…for family meal. I wrap the roasted pork from the morning and learn how to make “magic”. “Magic” is the rendered fat, mirepoix and residual wine from the roast, reduced, then pureed with an immersion blender. Watch out David Blaine, Davide Notartomaso is comin’ up quick! Anyway, we cleaned up that mess, pulled up a chair and I tried, with moderate success, to decipher the Italian being chattered back and forth between Eris and Carlo. Nothing extravagant, just everyday war stories about drinking, vomiting profusely, and then getting right back at it, as if the Italian prohibition were on the horizon. Needless to say, we closed promptly at 9pm, and I called home. First time in nearly three complete days. It’s unsettling to know how we take for granted friends and family when they’re so available to you. It was good, unfortunately too much business, and not enough time to really talk. That being said, Eris is really coming through for me here, making me feel welcome and letting me converse in English, which I’m not sure he’s too keen on. We went to a wine bar after work called ‘Vincaffe’. It is very well lit, which I mentioned to him was unusual to me, but it was warm, inviting and the bartender didn’t scoff at our all English conversation. After one glass we returned to the Via, and made our way home, respectively.

Back at the apartment, I have LIGHTS! I have HEAT! EXCEPT IN THE ROOM I PICKED TO SLEEP IN!!! Even I can’t believe my luck on this one, so now, I’m going to move into another room (it’s now 1am) and try to get a goodnight’s rest.

Ciao Tutti!

And I’ve been forgetting this, mi dispiace;

Go Slow, Stay Local